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US Open Tennis 2019: TV Schedule and Women's Semi-Final Predictions

Christopher Simpson

Serena Williams will continue her bid for her seventh U.S. Open title on Thursday when she takes on Elina Svitolina in the semi-finals.

Also battling for a place in the final at Flushing Meadows are Belinda Bencic and Bianca Andreescu, who will meet for the first time.

In the United States, TV coverage at Flushing Meadows runs from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET on ESPN, while viewers in the UK can stream the action on Amazon Prime.

                 

Women's Semi-Final Predictions

(8) Serena Williams to beat (5) Elina Svitolina

(15) Bianca Andreescu to beat (13) Belinda Bencic 

Visit the U.S. Open website to see the draw in full

                

Preview

After she dismantled Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-1 in the first round, Williams may have felt it unlikely she would be involved in such a one-sided affair at the U.S. Open again this year.

The American could scarcely have been more on top in the last round, though, as she demolished Qiang Wang 6-1, 6-0, with the No. 18 seed winning just four points in the second set.

Christopher Clarey of the New York Times gave further insight into the match:

The victory was a notable milestone for the 37-year-old, too:

She holds a 4-1 head-to-head record against semi-final opponent Svitolina, though the Ukrainian did win their last encounter at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Svitolina had never made the final four of a Grand Slam before Wimbledon this year, and she's now in her second consecutive semi-final.

The 24-year-old has not faltered at Flushing Meadows, despite facing a tricky run to the semi-finals:

It's hard not to back Williams to reach her 10th U.S. Open final, but Svitolina will be a far tougher test than Wang.

The other semi-final will feature two players who have enjoyed sensational rises of late:

Andreescu, 19, has enjoyed an incredible year that has included winning at Indian Wells in March and the Canadian Open in her last tournament before Flushing Meadows.

As for 22-year-old Bencic, she has also had a strong season. She won the Dubai Tennis Championships in February, reached the final of the Mallorca Open and the semi-finals at Indian Wells and in the Madrid Open.

Andreescu came from behind to beat Elise Mertens in her quarter-final, which Clarey put in perspective:

Stretching back to the Canadian Open, the match was her 12th consecutive win.

Bencic saw off Donna Vekic in the quarters, having beaten world No. 1 and defending champion Naomi Osaka in the fourth round.

The Swiss player will perhaps be a little fresher than her opponent after a third-round walkover against Anett Kontaveit, who withdrew with a viral illness.

Andreescu has more momentum behind her, though, so the fearless teenager might have the edge in what is likely to be a hard-fought contest.

   

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