US Open Tennis 2015: Women's Semifinal TV Schedule, Start Times and Picks
Serena Williams' quest to capture the calendar-year Grand Slam is just two wins from completion, but a semifinal meeting with the upstart Roberta Vinci on Thursday stands in the way of an appearance in the 2015 U.S. Open final.
Based on Williams' relative dominance compared to the other three semifinalists, per ESPN Stats & Info, she should be an overwhelming favorite to advance to a title showdown with either Simona Halep or Flavia Pennetta:
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With the match just hours away, check out when and where you can catch Thursday's semifinal action, headlined by Williams' pursuit of history:
| Sept. 10 | Serena Williams vs. Roberta Vinci | 7 p.m. | ESPN | WatchESPN |
| Sept. 10 | Simona Halep vs. Flavia Pennetta | 9 p.m. | ESPN | WatchESPN |
Serena Williams vs. Roberta Vinci
Somehow, David vs. Goliath may not adequately describe the impending battle between the 43rd-ranked Vinci and the world's top player on the women's side. While Williams is gunning for her 22nd career Grand Slam title at 33 years old, Vinci is set to participate in her first Grand Slam semifinal.
Talk about an epic disparity.
The players' head-to-head battle paints a similar picture. According to the New York Times' Christopher Clarey, Williams has won each of her four career meetings with Vinci in straight sets.
"Serena is Serena," Vinci said, according to USA Today's Nick McCarvel. "You have to play better, then better, then better."
But even if adversity strikes, Williams' 2015 season indicates she should have the fortitude necessary to withstand Vinci's charge.
"Serena has shrugged off so much tennis trouble this year—scrapping and rallying repeatedly on her way to the major trophies—and she shrugged off some more trouble on Tuesday night against her sister to run her record in three-set matches this year to 18-1," Clarey wrote.
And realistically, it shouldn't come to that.
Williams squashed Vinci 6-4, 6-3 at the Rogers Cup in Toronto last month, and with that triumph fresh in her mind, the world No. 1 should have a straightforward blueprint handy that helps pave the way to the U.S. Open final.
Prediction: Serena Williams def. Roberta Vinci in straight sets
Simona Halep vs. Flavia Pennetta
Halep will make her first career semifinal appearance at the U.S. Open on Thursday, but that shouldn't prevent her from emerging victorious in a clash with the 26th-seeded Pennetta.
After defeating Victoria Azarenka in a three-set thriller to clinch a spot in the semifinals, Halep will be seeking a spot in a third straight tournament final. She most recently nabbed berths in the Rogers Cup and Western & Southern Open finals, with both tournaments ending in disappointment for the Romanian.
The question, then, is if Halep can avoid another late stumble. She is 1-3 against Pennetta for her career, but the 23-year-old was able to snap a three-match losing streak with a straight-sets win over the Italian at the Miami Open in March.
"It looks like she's not that powerful like Vika, but she is," Pennetta said of Halep, according to WTATennis.com. "She's more powerful, I think. And to make a winner against her you have to finish the point seven times. She's always there."
Halep has been pushed to three sets in each of her past two wins, but that resiliency should give her confidence as she eyes a prospective meeting in the final with Williams. And if she's lucky enough to get there, Halep won't just have a chance to avenge her loss in Cincinnati—she'll be in position to disrupt Williams' historic bid.
Prediction: Simona Halep def. Flavia Pennetta in three sets
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