Kerber beats 2015 finalist Vinci, Monfils tops Pouille to reach U.S. Open semifinals

No. 2-seed Angelique Kerber beat No. 7-seed Roberta Vinci and No. 10-seed Gael Monfils topped Lucas Pouille to advance to the U.S. Open semifinals.

NEW YORK – A recap of the quarterfinals action on Tuesday at the 2016 U.S. Open, including results, tweets, hot shots, photos and more.

• Angelique Kerber kept her No. 1 ranking hopes alive on Tuesday, overcoming some early frustrations to defeat No. 7-seed and 2015 finalist Roberta Vinci and move one step closer to her third Grand Slam final of the season. 

After a hard-fought, 54-minute opening set, second-seeded Kerber found her form and cruised to a victory on Arthur Ashe. Kerber hit 22 unforced errors to Vinci’s 19 in the first set and the Italian veteran had a chance to serve for the set at 5-4. But Kerber dug in and found her return game to earn a break for 5-5. After holding her serve, Kerber continued to put the pressure on and as Vinci served to force the set to a tiebreaker, she was called for a foot fault on her second serve on set point. From there, Kerber never looked back. 

From the point Vinci led at 5-4 and 30-30, Kerber settled in and found a completely new level. The German stormed to a 5-0 lead after just 16 minutes into the second set. Kerber broke Vinci in the final game to close out the win 7-5, 6-0.

The victory puts Kerber is back in the semifinals at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2011, and for the second time in her career, and marks her 200th hardcourt match win.

Stat of the Match: 22 of Kerber’s 25 unforced errors came in the first set. https://t.co/LdN4SrDvQn#USOpen pic.twitter.com/aLCsNv3EkL

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) September 6, 2016

Kerber has yet to drop a set this U.S. Open as she advances to the semifinals, where she’ll face the winner of Tuesday night’s match between Caroline Wozniacki and Anastasija Sevastova.

• Welcome to the U.S. Open semifinals, La Monf. No. 10-seed Gael Monfils reached his first Grand Slam semifinal since 2008—and first at the U.S. Open—with a routine, straight-sets victory over No. 24-seed Lucas Pouille.

It was an all-French affair on Arthur Ashe, but the match lacked any magical Monfils moments and the thrill of Pouille’s previous match, where he upset No. 4-seed Rafael Nadal in four-plus hours and five sets. There was this great point, though:

#Monpouille

— Joe Wolfond (@joey_doubleyou) September 6, 2016

And this:

#Monfils pic.twitter.com/p1GjXvnPQg

— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) September 6, 2016

With his 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 win over Pouille, Monfils advances to the final four without dropping a set and joins only two other French men—Cedric Pioline and Richard Gasquet—who have made the U.S. Open semifinals in the Open Era.

Tweets of the Day

Rotisserie Pouille doesn't make any sense cuz pronunciation is totally different then poullet (chicken). https://t.co/7Iuj2HtWP6

— ivo karlovic (@ivokarlovic) September 6, 2016

So happy and proud of you @Gael_Monfils so focused! Love it! Keep shining

— victoria azarenka (@vika7) September 6, 2016

Daily Data Viz

Simona Halep's stellar defense at 2016 U.S. Open

Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Through four rounds at the 2016 U.S. Open, No. 5-seed Simona Halep has shown her defensive prowess on the court.

This post will be updated.