NEW YORK: Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka shrugged off the threat of rain to storm into the U.S. Open semi-finals on Wednesday, while Simona Halep stood up for the younger generation to complete a women’s final four that will feature three 30-somethings.

Moved from the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to Louis Armstrong to bring Federer’s match forward, Wawrinka appeared untroubled by the change of venue, needing just an hour and 47 minutes to repel big-hitting South African Kevin Anderson 6-4, 6-4, 6-0.

Second seed Federer turned in an equally economical effort, brushing aside Frenchman Richard Gasquet 6-3, 6-3, 6-1 in a tidy 87 minutes to set up an all-Swiss semi-final on Friday.

The other side of the draw features a battle of the big men, with top seed Novak Djokovic taking on defending champion Marin Cilic.

STAN Wawrinka of Switzerland celebrates after beating South Africa’s Kevin Anderson in their quarter-final.—AP

“Emotionally it’s not so hard for me,” said Federer, who holds a commanding 16-3 advantage over his Davis Cup team-mate and reigning French Open champion.

“But subconsciously, you know he knows what your preferences are, where you like to go and where you’re probably going to go,” he added.

“That’s the weird part. I feel we meet each other somewhere in our minds before the point is being played out.”

Federer and Gasquet are both armed with elegant one-handed backhands but apart from that aesthetically pleasing stroke, there were very few similarities in their lopsided contest.

The 17-time Grand Slam winner could hardly miss and Gasquet all too often played the role of innocent bystander as the Swiss maestro uncorked 50 winners to a mere eight from the 12th seeded Frenchman.

PETRA Kvitova of Czech Republic returns a shot to Italy’s Flavia Pennetta during their quarter-final.—AFP

“It’s nice to play this way,” Federer said. “And, maybe at my age [34], to run through five opponents the way I have done here at the US Open, I don’t consider that normal, to be quite honest, even though I expect it in some ways.”

Anderson, meanwhile, lacked the energy he displayed in a fourth round upset of third seed Andy Murray, allowing Wawrinka to dictate play for large stretches of the match.

The South African, who leans heavily on his serve, could manage just nine aces and one break point the entire match, which he was unable to convert.

“I’ve improved a lot over the past three years and feel much closer to his level now,” Wawrinka said of his compatriot. “He is playing really well here so I will need to be at my best. He’s had some amazing matches and I know it will be a big challenge but I think I’m ready.”

HALEP, PENNETTA ADVANCE

Halep moved closer to a first Grand Slam singles title after edging Victoria Azarenka 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 to set up a meeting with Flavia Pennetta, who toppled Czech fifth seed Petra Kvitova 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 to join compatriot Roberta Vinci in the last four.

Defying the odds, rankings and age, 33-year-old Pennetta and 32-year-old Vinci etched their names in history by becoming the first two Italian women to reach the semi-finals of the same grand slam in the Open Era.

ROGER Federer of Switzerland celebrates after defeating France’s Richard Gasquet in their quarter-final.—Reuters

With 33-year-old Serena Williams also in the last four, 23-year-old Halep will be conceding almost a decade of experience to her remaining challengers. Serena is chasing tennis’ first calendar-year Grand Slam since Steffi Graf did it 1988.

“Of course we are a little bit old for the age of tennis right now,” Pennetta admitted. “But we are here and still fighting.”

Romanian second seed composed herself after a third-set rain break to defeat two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka.

Azarenka, who lost to Serena in the 2012 and 2013 US Open finals, made 42 unforced errors to only 19 by Halep and the 20th seed from Belarus had 38 winners, two fewer than Halep.

Azarenka, 26, beat Halep twice in 2012 in their only prior matchups but Halep has won three titles this year while Azarenka has been nagged by a thigh injury.

“I don’t know where I found the power to win this match,” Halep said. “I’m really happy because I really wanted to go to my first semi-final here.”

In Wednesday’s first quarter-final at Arthur Ashe Stadium, Kvitova — the first Czech woman in the US Open’s last eight since Daja Bedanova in 2001 — made 60 unforced errors to only 16 for Pennetta. The fifth seed also had nine double faults against only four aces.

“I’m really happy,” Pennetta said. “It’s something incredible. Before the tournament I never think to be so far in the tournament, so it’s something special. It’s something amazing for me in this moment.”—Agencies

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2015

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