Top 5 Photos 9/9: Medvedev dispatches his pal Rublev

A couple of Grand Slam champions on the women's side secured their spots in the semifinals while the most promising players on the men's side took a step closer to their first major title.

These are the Top 5 photos from the US Open.

1

Daniil Medvedev

Medvedev found himself in two close set tiebreakers, but because he did such an outstanding job with managing himself and sticking to the game plan, he came out with a straight set win. The No. 3 seed posted a 7-6 (6), 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over his longtime friend Andrey Rublev to advance into his second consecutive US Open semifinal.

"Maybe first time in actually a year, I actually celebrated my win because it was very tough at the end and I felt like I could get in trouble," Medvedev said in on-court interview. "So, I was really happy to get the win in this tough tiebreaker. Actually, one point decided two sets, it was a really tough match."

2

Serena Williams

The American is inching closer to the treasured major title No. 24. Serena defeated Tsevtana Pironkova, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, who made a spectacular comeback after stepping away from the game for three years and becoming a mom. Serena will take on two-time major champion Victoria Azarenka in the semifinals.

3

Tsevtana Pironkova

The Bulgarian played her last match at Wimbledon in 2017. Following her second-round loss to Caroline Wozniacki at the grass major, she would step away from the sport and give birth to her son, Alexander. She entered the US Open using her protected ranking due to a new maternity leave rule.

"Having this opportunity of the special ranking gives you more motivation, as well because you're not starting from scratch, as we can see," she said. "My first tournament is actually main draw in US Open. That is a huge opportunity. At one point, I was like, 'I do not want to miss that opportunity.'"

4

Arthur Ashe Stadium

Fans or no fans, the players and viewers around the world forget from time to time that the stadiums are absolutely empty. The action is just that good in New York, and it's only getting better as the tournament edges towards the finish line.

5

Victoria Azarenka

It didn't seem to matter that Elise Mertens came into the quarterfinal match without dropping a set, and defeating this year's Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin. Azarenka's genuine happiness on the court saw her through a swift 73 minute, 6-1, 6-0 win against Mertens. It's her first major semifinal since the 2013 US Open.

"I don't think I ever enjoyed tennis, to be quite honest I felt that it was a job and something you were meant to do," Azarenka said in her on-court interview. "When you are winning you are enjoying it, when you're losing, I was so upset and I couldn't for a couple days function normally because you get so overwhelmed. And now it doesn't bother me, nothing bothers me. I'm enjoying it."