Williams beats unseeded Tsvetana Pironkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-2Six-time winner taken to three sets for third successive matchIt was not quite the mother of all battles of the mothers, but
Serena Williams was plainly relieved to put behind her a fretful three-set win against the grasscourt specialist Tsvetana Pironkova to reach the semi-finals on Thursday night.
Naomi Osaka, who plays Jennifer Brady on Thursday on the other side of the draw for a place in Saturday’s final, will be favourite to win the
US Open for a second time but Williams, who suffered again to beat the unseeded Bulgarian 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in 2hr 12min, is not quite out of the reckoning yet.