Halep gets past Azarenka at U.S. Open

Yes, Serena vs. Venus got all the headlines, and it was a pretty good match, but it was never really in doubt. (OK, well maybe at the end of the second set it was.)   But still, Serena did what Serena does -- she won.  She's two matches away from the calendar Slam, and her next opponent isn't even seeded.  That doesn't mean a great upset couldn't happen, but I sure wouldn't put much money on it happening.

On the other hand, Victoria Azarenka vs. Simona Halep was very much in doubt.  I couldn't watch live, so the next best thing was to read the recap in the Guardian.  Start at the bottom !

U.S. Open quarterfinals:  Simona Halep v. Victoria Azarenka

Halep next faces Panetta, who is seeded.  Not sure what could happen there, but if Halep feels OK, it will probably be fine to get her through to the finals, likely where she'll meet up with Serena.  That's a daunting challenge, but as I noted in an earlier post, Halep trounced Serena in the group stage of the WTA championships late last year (but not the final, even though the final was pretty close).  So, if Serena is off a bit and Halep is totally on, it could be interesting.