TENNIS US OPEN – Our Giulio Gasparin has selected the best quotes from Day 12 of US Open at Flushing Meadows. Words from women’s semifinalists.
US Open: All the interviews, results, draws and OoP
Caroline Wozniacki gained her second ever slam final after the retirement of Peng Shuai when the Dane was leading 7-6 4-3.
The Chinese suffered an heat stroke and after coming back on court following a first medical time out.
“It was really hard to watch for me,” said the 10th seed. “Whenever I saw her collapse on the court. You know, tennis is great, but the health is more important.
“You know, to see her struggling out there, I just wanted to make sure she was okay.”
Peng started to feel cramps in the eight game of the second set and received a medical time-out, which stopped the game when the Dane was to serve to save a break point.
“Honestly, I was just trying to focus on myself,” said Wozniacki. “I knew that it looked really bad out there, so I thought maybe she was still going to be okay to play afterwards.
“Obviously, when she came back and still played she made a winner down the line on my return, I was like, Maybe she’s going to be fine to play.
“But when she collapsed on the court that second time, I was like, Okay, this doesn’t look very good. I wanted to go over and make sure that she was okay.
“I know that she’s had heart surgery when she was 13, so that’s definitely something that, you know, I think she was worried about, as well.”
The conditions were very tough for both players and Wozniacki also needed some medical help.
“I have been in bed,” she said. “A little bit of a cold the last few days. I have been taking some Tylenol and Advil before the match and I forgot to restock.”
A few hours after the match, Peng was able to give a press conference as well, despite the horrible scenes that anticipated her retirement.
“It’s really tough match and then Caroline always bring a lot of ball back,” she admitted. “She’s like really like tough, the energy, you know, and to play — when we finish first set already maybe one hour or 50 minutes and the heat is really hot.
“I just try to fight, and my body is getting more and more hot and it start cramping. It’s really painful right there, yeah.”
The Chinese showed great heart trying to come back on court after the first medical time-out, but maybe doctors should have prevented her to risk so much
“I think they check my temperature. And then everything — because the doctor, she said to me, ‘You are not able really go out to fight, compete, because look is not really well.’ I said, ‘No, no, no, I don’t want to give up.’
“I want to try one more time. Yeah. And then I come back. I know it’s not going to be maybe — I know I’m not gonna stay maybe too long, but I just want to try, you know. I just wanted to challenge her one more time.”
But the cramps were soon back.
“Start from the leg. The front, the back, and then it was my back. Horrible.”
Wozniacki was truly shocked and still very concerned during her press conference, she came to Peng the moment she collapsed, but the Chinese has almost no memories of that moment.
“I couldn’t not remember, actually,” she admitted. “I don’t know in the moment, because already for me was tough for me to breathe. Was cramping. I don’t know.
“Maybe they talk to me or they telling me or asking me. Already I could not heard it.
So in the moment everything, maybe yes or no, yes or no, I don’t know.”
Everything went quite smooth for the world number one and defending champion Serena Williams, who routined Ekaterina Makarova 6-1 6-3.
“Serena, she’s a great,” said the Russian. “unbelievable player. It’s always tough to play against her.
“Today she was so aggressive. I don’t know. Maybe I didn’t think that she will be that aggressive. Like she’s just coming, you know, so early, so sometimes I was too late because she was too fast.”
Williams had not the best of the seasons in slams so far, having reached no quarter-finals before the US Open, but now she will have a chance to win her 18th major on Sunday.
“I’m just really excited to be in the final,” she said. “In the beginning of the week I definitely wasn’t sure I would make it this long. Definitely wasn’t sure I’d be here. So I’m just elated, to be honest, to have made it this far.”
In the final she will face good friend Wozniacki, with whom she played two very tough matches this summer.
“I definitely expect another close match,” she said. “She really knows my game well and knows how to play. She’s so consistent. I think that’s one of the things that makes her really tough. So I just have to be ready for that and, again, just stay calm and just be able to relax and be happy.”
