Azarenka reaches US Open semis

        World number two Victoria Azarenka of Belarus eased into US Open semifinals after beating Daniela Hantuchova (World No.48) 6-2, 6-3. The Belarusian needed 76 minutes to set up a meeting with Italy’s Flavia Pennetta (83). Azarenka and Pennetta exchanged victories in the two previous encounters. In Stuttgart in 2010 Azarenka beat the Italian 6-1, 6-4. A year later in Dubai Pennetta got even with a 6-3, 6-7, 6-4 victory. Earlier at Flushing Meadows Victoria Azarenka won against Dinah Pfizenmaier of Germany (99) 6:0, 6:0, Aleksandra Wozniak of Canada (323) 6:3, 6:1, France’s Alize Cornet (28) 6:7 (2:7), 6:3, 6:2 and Serbian Ana Ivanovic (15) 4:6, 6:3, 6:4.
          In the semifinal match of the mixed doubles Belarus’ Max Mirnyi and Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic, 7th seeds, overpowered Kristina Mladenovic of France and Daniel Nestor of Canada 7-5, 6-7 (4-7), 12-10 to set up a final meeting with Abigail Spears of the U.S. and Santiago Gonzalez of Mexico. On their way to the final Max Mirnyi and Andrea Hlavackova outplayed Kaitlyn Christian and Dennis Novikov of the U.S. 6-1, 6-1, Chinese-Swedish duo of Yung-Jan Chan and Robert Lindstedt 6-3, 6-4 and Czech Kveta Peschke and Poland’s Marcin Matkowski 6:1, 6:2.