Serena tops Venus in quarter-final thriller

Played with uncommon ferocity and passion from both combatants, Serena emerged triumphant in the gruelling two hour 25 minute battle to reach the final four at Flushing Meadows for the first time since her 2002 win.

The eight-times grand slam winner turned away two set points in the first 8-6 tiebreaker and eight more in the second set, including four in the final 9-7 tiebreak, which ended with a Venus forehand drive landing beyond the baseline.

"I can't believe I won," Serena said courtside. "Wow."

With the victory Serena edged to a 9-8 advantage in her head-to-head sibling rivalry with Venus.

Serena put on an amazing display of athleticism, racing from corner to corner to retrieve rocket forehands from Venus, stretching, straining and even sliding into a full split along the baseline trying to run down a blast.

One of the semi-finalists will supplant Ana Ivanovic of Serbia as world number one at the end of the tournament.

Briton Andy Murray roared in relief as he reached his first grand slam semi-final after ending the US Open campaign of Argentine teen-ager Juan Martin Del Potro 7-6 7-6 4-6 7-5.

The 21-year-old Murray meets the winner of Wednesday's last match between world number one Rafael Nadal of Spain and unseeded American Mardy Fish.

It was going to be hard to top the tension of the Williams sisters clash, which featured brilliant rallies, raw power and such unbridled effort that the Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd gave them a standing ovation after one breathtaking exchange.

Venus ripped 36 winners but was guilty of 45 unforced errors. Her greatest lapse was while serving for the second set at 5-3, 40-0. She squandered three set points, making five successive errors that brought the set back on serve.

GOOD CLOSER

"I'm a very good closer," said Venus, a seven-times grand slam winner and like Serena a double Open champion. "I never had a match like that in my life. But I guess there's always a first. I guess she played a little better.

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