It is going to take a very special performance to stop Serena Williams from being crowned queen of New York again on Sunday.
The world No 1 was at her dominant, overpowering best here, recovering superbly from an early setback to dispose of the No 11 seed, Flavia Pennetta of Italy, 6-3, 6-2 and set up a semi-final encounter with Ekaterina Makarova, the Russian, tomorrow.
A third successive Flushing Meadows triumph – she would become the first woman to win a grand-slam event three times in a row since Justine Henin at the French Open between 2005-07 – looks more likely with every devastating display.
“Well, I felt she was playing really well,” the five-times Flushing Meadows champion said. “I wasn’t doing too much wrong and I just tried to do much better. My service games are so important, I rely on them - but if my serve is off at any point I can call on my groundstrokes too.
“It feels so special to be back in a semi-final, especially here in New York. I am so happy. It is really open, you cannot underestimate anyone and we all deserve to be here.”
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When the Italian, who reached the semi-final here last year, accelerated out of the blocks with a double break to establish a 3-0 lead in the first set, eyebrows were raised and heads scratched all over this cavernous sporting amphitheatre.
Pennetta was playing beautifully but Williams, when stung, is a force to be reckoned with.
The power of the world No 1’s hitting, especially from the back of the court, was simply too hot to handle for her opponent who contrived to lose the next six games, allowing the all-conquering American to steal into a first lead.
To illustrate just how fortunes changed for the 17-times champion, she lost 14 of the first 19 points - and then won 14 of the next 21.
Chances still presented themselves to Pennetta though. Williams, so dependent on her booming first serve, enabled her to save two break points before quelling any early fears with an ace.
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Pennetta’s level dropped considerably such was the quality and ferocity of the American’s groundstrokes, so it was perhaps no surprise that with just one hour and three minutes on the clock she was serving for the match.
And when the Italian was able to hit another fearsome serve only into the net, that was that.
Williams had hit 31 winners compared to just 13 from Pennetta and even though this was the first time since 1989 that two 32-year-olds have reached the last eight of a grand-slam tournament, only player was bouncing around the Arthur Ashe court last night like a giddy teenager chasing her first title.