The chant: "U-S-A, U-S-A, U-S-A" echoed throughout Arthur Ashe Stadium as Madison Keys, who defeated qualifier Kaia Kanepi, approached the net to shake her opponent's hand and claim her victory.
Keys joins fellow Americans Sloane Stephens, Venus Williams and CoCo Vandeweghe in the semifinals. For the first time in 36 years, all four Open women's semifinalists are U.S. athletes. In 1981, team USA consisted of Tracy Austin, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Barbara Potter. Austin captured the title.
Who will be the Austin of this bunch?
In the men's draw, Rafael Nadal pummeled Andrey Rublev 6-1, 6-2, 6-2. Not stunned by his beating, Rublev noted that it was a lesson of sorts: "I mean, it's [a] great experience to play [in the] quarterfinal against world No. 1 Nadal. I will try to practice harder to improve everything for the next time."
Well, that's the spirit!
Then the legend Roger Federer met the lion-hearted Juan Martin del Potro in the final match of the day. Fans sat on the edge of their seats awaiting the verdict as the two men battled it out for the remaining spot in the semifinals.
Ultimately, del Potro was the victor, and a Rafa vs. Fed faceoff won't happen at this Open.
All your favs are in the semifinals. So who you got?
Keys took the final spot in the women's semifinals when she defeated Kanepi 6-3, 6-3.
However, it was the 20th-seeded CoCo Vandeweghe who ousted No. 1 Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (4), 6-3 and truly captured the significance of the day.
Meanwhile, Stephens' run-in with a fly during her postmatch news conference is too good to not leave here.
Ooops! 🙈 pic.twitter.com/pMar9XQ6Ic
— Sloane Stephens (@SloaneStephens) September 6, 2017
Cues Lenny Kravitz's "American Woman."
Oh, just Rafa, doing "Rafa" things
Nadal, 31, has done it again. The No. 1 sailed into the semifinals by vanquishing the unseeded Rublev in straight sets. Nadal assumed he'd meet Federer in the semis and had this to say about the 19-time Grand Slam titlist.
Rafael Nadal likes Roger Federer but he doesn't like-like him, he wants to be clear. #usopen pic.twitter.com/DlO9X79AH4
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) September 6, 2017
It's so hard to say goodbye
Federer bid adieu to the US Open after being ousted by del Potro 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4.
Fed was a consummate gentleman when discussing his defeat.
"Juan Martin deserves it more. I have no place in the semis."-Roger Federer. Says he doesn't think his game was good enough to win #USOpen
— TENNIS.com (@Tennis) September 7, 2017
Maybe one day Rafa and Fed will finally meet in NYC. On to the semis!