U.S. Open bracket 2014 update: Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic advance to semifinals

Serena Williams made quick work of Flavia Pennetta on Wednesday, dispatching the Italian in two sets, 6-3, 6-2. The 17-time Grand Slam winner advanced to the semifinals at the U.S. Open for the ninth time in her career as she looks to win her sixth U.S. Open title.

Williams hit 31 winners to Pennetta’s 13 and recorded seven aces. The victory took just over an hour for Williams, who will face Russia’s Ekaterina Makarova in the semifinals.

No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic beat No. 8 Andy Murray in four sets on Wednesday night at Arthur Ashe Stadium to advance to his eighth straight U.S. Open semifinal round. Djokovic and Murray were back and forth at first, splitting the first two sets in tiebreaks, but Djokovic broke Murray twice in winning the third set, and broke him again to win the fourth set. Djokovic prevailed 7-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 and will face the upset-minded No. 10 Kei Nishikori.

Japan’s Kei Nishikori continued his surprising run at the U.S. Open, upsetting third-ranked Stan Wawrinka in a thrilling five-set match Wednesday one round after beating No. 5 Milos Raonic in five sets. Nishikori, whose coach is former American player Michael Chang, dropped the first set to Wawrinka, but came back to take the next two sets, including a third-set tiebreak.

Wawrinka prevailed in a fourth-set tiebreak before Nishikori outlasted him in the fifth set, 6-4, to advance to his first U.S. Open quarterfinal. The 24-year-old did reach the quarters at the Australian Open back in 2012.

No. 10 Kei Nishikori def. No. 3 Stan Wawrinka, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4

No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. No. 8 Andy Murray 7-6, 6-7, 6-2, 6-4

No. 1 Serena Williams def. No. 11 Flavia Pennetta, 6-3, 6-2
No. 17 Ekaterina Makarova def. No. 16 Victoria Azarenka, 6-4, 6-2

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