Ekaterina Makarova Defeats Victoria Azarenka to Reach US Open Semifinals
If anything was going to help Victoria Azarenka pull out of her season-long slide, an upset-ridden United States Open seemed to present a golden opportunity, a respite from playing some of the more dangerous players in the game.
But in Azarenka's current state, which included what her manager called food poisoning Tuesday, it did not take one of the top players to shove her from the tournament. What it took was a solid effort from 17th-seeded Ekaterina Makarova in the quarterfinals to craft a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Azarenka, the No. 16 seed. That left Azarenka to contemplate how far she has fallen since reaching the U.S. Open final last year.
The flip side of Azarenka's disappointment was Makarova's glee over making her first Grand Slam semifinal. To get there, she bounced No. 7 Eugenie Bouchard in the fourth round, and now Azarenka, and all without dropping a set in the tournament.
'I am feeling amazing,' Makarova said. 'Finally I am in the semifinals. I have had like five chances in Grand Slams and finally I am here. It's a great feeling.'
Makarova, 26, is also in the semifinals of women's doubles, with her playing partner, Elena Vesnina, after they knocked out Serena and Venus Williams on Tuesday.
Makarova has long played in the shadow of her more prominent Russian countrywomen, particularly Maria Sharapova. But quietly, Makarova has worked her way up the rankings, where she sits at a career-high 18th.
At the U.S. Open, she has used her dangerous left-handed serve to befuddle opponents. Against Azarenka, she faced only four break points, losing one, and generally powered through her service games while Azarenka fought to hold her serve in almost every game.
Makarova is not a revelation to any of the players on tour, thanks to her long, steady career, but until now she has not had the weapons to advance past the top players. She was 0-4 in her previous Grand Slam quarterfinals, but reached at least the third round in all four majors for the first time in her career this year.
With Azarenka toppled, Makarova will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between No. 1 Serena Williams and No. 11 Flavia Pennetta, to be played Wednesday on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Azarenka will again be left on the outside looking in. She started the year ranked No. 2, but a steady slide was kicked off when she lost in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open to Agnieszka Radwanska. Her season went from bad to worse as a recurring foot injury forced her to withdraw from six tournaments, including the French Open. At Wimbledon, she lost in the second round.
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