Summary Djokovic quickly made it clear he would not be joining them at the exit as he ran his record to 14-0
NEW YORK (Reuters) - On high alert after a day of spectacular upsets, world number one Novak Djokovic made sure his name was not added to the list of shocks, crushing defending champion Marin Cilic 6-0 6-1 6-2 to reach the U.S. Open final on Friday.
After watching women s world number one Serena Williams and second seed Simona Halep crash out on Arthur Ashe Stadium court, Djokovic came out firing on all cylinders and needed just 85 minutes to bring Cilic s title defense to a shuddering halt.
But it was the end of another defense that had New York buzzing, as Roberta Vinci delivered one of the biggest upsets in tennis history with her semi-final win over Williams that punctured the American s calendar Grand Slam quest.
Two victories from becoming the fourth woman to win all four majors in one year, a brittle-looking Williams crumbled as unseeded Vinci, playing in her first grand slam singles semi-final, battled to an improbable 2-6 6-4 6-4 win.
"I don t want to talk about how disappointing it is for me," a grim-faced Williams told reporters. "I told you guys I don t feel pressure. I never felt pressure.
"I never felt that pressure to win here. I said that from the beginning."
The day got off to an ominous start when Flavia Pennetta stunned Romanian Halep 6-1 6-3 and the trend continued as an inspired Vinci emulated her Italian compatriot on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court with an even more impressive triumph.
Djokovic quickly made it clear he would not be joining them at the exit as he ran his record to 14-0 against the ninth-seeded Croat and moved one win away from adding to his 2015 grand slam triumphs at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
The Serbian world number one will next play the winner of an all-Swiss showdown between five-times U.S. Open winner Roger Federer and French Open champion Stan Wawrinka.
KEY BREAK
Vinci, a 300-1 shot to win the U.S. Open when the tournament began, pulled off one of the most remarkable upsets ever witnessed on a tennis court by ending Williams streak of 33 consecutive match wins in the grand slams.
A five-times doubles grand slam winner, the 32-year-old Vinci arrived at Flushing Meadows having never before been beyond the quarter-finals in singles play at 43 majors.
In the other corner stood Williams, a 21-times grand slam champion who had only lost two matches all season and never dropped a set against Vinci in their four previous meetings.
Forced to wait a day to get on court after rain wiped out Thursday s semi-finals schedule, the weight of expectation appeared to take its toll on a 33-year-old who was chasing the first calendar Grand Slam since Steffi Graf in 1988.
Everything was going according to script as Williams easily took the opening set but things began to unravel after a composed Vinci registered a key break in the fifth game of the second that allowed her to even the match.
With the contest slipping away, Williams tried to will herself back into the match, screaming and fist-pumping after each point and feeding off the support of the crowd.
But with nothing lose, an undaunted Vinci continued to pressure Williams, who could not pull off the great escape like she had so many times before, scowling as she exited a stunned stadium.
"This is an incredible moment for me," Vinci said after needing time to compose herself for the on-court interview. "It s amazing. It s like a dream. I m in the final. I beat Serena."
Lost in the drama of the Williams match was a brilliant performance by Pennetta, who needed less than an hour to deal with Halep.
Pennetta, 33, entered the contest as a clear underdog but the 26th seed tapped into her vast experience and was not overwhelmed on the big stage, having reached the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows in six of the last seven years.
