US Open Tennis 2017 Schedule: TV Coverage, Live Stream for Women's Semi-Finals
Two all-American semi-finals will take place at the 2017 U.S. Open on Thursday, as tennis legend Venus Williams takes on Sloane Stephens and CoCo Vandeweghe faces off against Madison Keys.
It is the first time that the last four at Flushing Meadows has been comprised of four natives since 1981, when Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, Tracy Austin and Barbara Potter all reached the semi-finals.
Play will start with Williams and Stephens from 7 p.m. ET (12 a.m. BST), followed by Vandeweghe and Keys.
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Read on for viewing details and a preview of the day's action in New York.
Thursday Schedule
(9) Venus Williams vs. Sloane Stephens
(20) CoCo Vandeweghe vs. (15) Madison Keys
For the order of play in full for Thursday, visit the U.S. Open website.
TV Info: ESPN (USA), Eurosport (UK)
Live Stream: WatchESPN (USA), Eurosport Player (UK)
Thursday Preview
Williams came through in three sets against Petra Kvitova, coming from behind in the decider to win 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (2).
Even after Kvitova went 3-1 up in the third, tennis writer Courtney Nguyen still believed Williams' exceptional serving would help see her through:
Similar numbers will certainly make life difficult for Stephens at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday, but the resurgent 24-year-old can equally cause Williams some problems.
Like the veteran, she too came from 3-1 down in the final set to win on a tiebreaker as she saw off Anastasija Sevastova.
The world No. 83 was ranked as low as 957th just two months ago after almost a year out injured, and she can scarcely believe her rapid progress.
Per BBC Sport's Piers Newbery, she said: "Oh man, I'm getting teary-eyed. I think my coach is probably crying. This is just incredible. When I started my comeback at Wimbledon I could never have dreamed of this happening. Making the semi-final of my home Slam, it's indescribable."
One of the most impressive facets of her game has been her backhand, as tennis writer Tumaini Carayol noted:
Her match point with Sevastova was fittingly won with a powerful effort down the line, and that kind of shot-making will stand her in good stead against Williams.
Meanwhile, Keys will hope to manipulate Vandeweghe with her forehand in the same manner as she did to Kaia Kanepi in her quarter-final.
The U.S. Open's official Twitter account captured her ability to do so:
Keys—who knocked out Elena Vesnina and fourth seed Elina Svitolina prior to facing Kanepi—believes having four American semi-finalists is indicative of an exciting period in tennis in the United States, per WTA Insider:
Her opponent overcame world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova in the last round, the second time she has achieved such a feat in Grand Slams this year after knocking Angelique Kerber out of the Australian Open.
As in the first semi-final, it's set to be a hard-fought contest between the pair. Keys has triumphed in both of their previous two meetings—which both took place this year—but Vandeweghe is equally capable of pulling off a win if she can maintain her form.
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