Wozniacki to face Serena in US Open semis?

NEW YORK: The title favourite Serena Williams and the world No1 Caroline Wozniacki will meet in the US Open semi-finals after both came through their delayed quarter-finals. The pair had contrasting matches, with Williams struggling in the first set against Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova before accelerating to a 7-5, 6-1 win, while Wozniacki resisted a fightback from Germany's Andrea Petkovic to progress 6-1, 7-6 (7-5).

The winner on Saturday will be the clear favourite to lift the trophy, with the ninth seed Sam Stosur playing the unseeded German Angelique Kerber in the other semi. Stosur defeated last year's runner-up Vera Zvonareva 6-3, 6-3 – a relatively comfortable passage for the Australian after her record-breaking match against Nadia Petrova and her record-breaking tie-break against Maria Kirilenko. Kerber, meanwhile, pulled off the result of her career with a three-set victory over Italy's Flavia Pennetta.

The meeting with Williams will provide Wozniacki with the opportunity to silence some of her doubters. The 21-year-old has been on the receiving end of plenty of criticism for not having won a grand slam title despite her position at the top of the rankings, but one person who appears to be on Wozniacki's side is Williams herself.

Wozniacki was forced to play her quarter-final against Petkovic in the unfamiliar surroundings of Court 13 because of the problems on the Louis Armstrong Stadium during Andy Roddick's match against David Ferrer, when water seeped up through the warped court surface.

Wozniacki said she had no strong feelings about the decision to move the women's final from Saturday to Sunday because of the rain delays.