US Open: Venus outlasts Kvitova to set up all-American semi-final clash

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams booked her place in the semi-finals of the US Open after a thrilling three-set triumph over Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in the women's singles event here at the Flushing Meadows on 6 September.

After comfortably winning the first set, the American tennis star went down in the second before she rebounded strongly to register a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2) win over Kvitova in a hotly-contested quarter-final encounter that lasted two hours and 35 minutes at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

With the win, Venus is through to her third Grand Slam semi-finals of the year and first US Open last-four since 2010.

The victory also assured Venus, currently ranked World No. 9, to return to the WTA Top 5 for the first time since 2011.

Venus will now lock horns with another American Sloane Stephens for a place in the summit showdown.

Meanwhile, world number one Rafael Nadal will also aim to book his place in the last-four of the US Open when he takes on Russia's Andrey Rublev in his men's singles quarter-finals event.

-ANI