Women's semifinal action is slated for Friday as second-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus takes on Flavia Pennetta of Italy, while top-ranked Serena Williams of the United States faces China's Li Na.
Azarenka, the 2013 Australian Open winner, is attempting to return to the U.S. Open finals, where she was defeated by Williams last year. Standing in her way is Pennetta, who was unseeded going into the U.S. Open and ranked 83rd in the world. The Italian veteran did not play tennis from August 2012 to February 2013 due injuries and is making her first semifinal appearance in a Grand Slam tournament, having only gotten as far as the quarterfinals.
"I have nothing to lose," said Pennetta, according to the BBC. "I'm confident because I'm here and I don't feel the pressure right now."
Williams, who thrashed Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0, 6-0 in the quarterfinals, goes up against Na, who has a 1-8 record against the defending U.S. Open champion despite a solid game and good serve in her repertoire.
Williams is not taking Na lightly despite having a dominant overall win-lose record over the Chinese tennis player.
"She moves really well," said Williams. "The challenge of playing someone like her is: how do you beat a player that does everything so well? "I'm going to have to think about that and come up with an answer."
Live Television Coverage
The 2013 U.S. Open women's semifinal coverage can be seen on the CBS from 12:30 p.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST on CBS.
Live Stream (Online)
Live stream coverage can be seen on U.S. Open Live.