Serena Williams has advanced to the 2020 U.S Open semi-final – which makes it her 39th Grand Slam Semi-Final.
The American achieved the remarkable feat by staging a stellar comeback in her US Open quarterfinal match against Tsvetana Pironkova on Wednesday afternoon in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Serena Williams lost the first round (4-6) but rallied to win the second and third sets in convincing fashion over Pironkova (6-3, 6-2).
The 23-time Grand Slam champion fired a commanding total of 20 aces in the match, nearly half of her 44 winners.
Williams also kept her unforced error total low, with 24, and just four of those came in the final set.
Tsvetana Pironkova had been the surprise package of the event. The Bulgarian played her first tournament of any type since 2017 Wimbledon – She returned for 2020 US Open after an absence of over three years having given birth to son Alexander in early 2018.
Pironkova racked up stirring wins in the early rounds as she romped to her fourth Grand Slam quarterfinal, but was unable to compete with Williams when the American fightback in the last eight.
Williams will now face either Victoria Azarenka of Belarus or No.16 seed Elise Mertens of Belgium in the final four.
Azarenka and Mertens will battle for the last remaining semifinal spot on Wednesday night in Arthur Ashe Stadium.
A meeting with fellow former World No.1 and resurgent mother Azarenka would be a rematch of the 2012 and 2013 US Open finals, both won by Williams.
