US Open set for four singles semi-finals

Rain lashed the courts at Flushing Meadows on Thursday night forcing the postponement of the women's semi-finals. They will be played on Friday afternoon just before the men's semi-finals. Pundits have dubbed the day 'Fantastic Friday'.

Marin Cilic will continue the defence of his US Open men's singles title against the top seed Novak Djokovic. Reuters/Mike Segar

The prospect of an all-Italian women's final at the US Open is still a possibility. The issue should have been settled on Thursday night at Flushing Meadows, but heavy rain washed out the game between Serena Williams and Roberta Vinci as well as the clash featuring Simona Halep and Flavia Pennetta.

According to the form book, top seed Williams should advance to her fourth grand slam final of the season. She has won all four of her meetings with 33-year-old Vinci.

But Williams said on the eve of their match that their last encounter at the Rogers Cup in Toronto last month had been closer than she anticipated.

"She played me really tough and I didn't expect that," said the American. "I'm not going to underestimate her. She played really well and she's not in the semi-finals of a grand slam for no reason. She knows what to do and how to play."

Pennetta, seeded number 26, has won three of her four meetings with Halep. But those successes came when Halep was new on the tour and on her way up the rankings. Their last match in Miami in March was a straight sets victory for the 23-year-old Romanian.

Those games will be followed by the men's semi-finals.

The first is an all-eastern European affair involving the Serbian top seed Novak Djokovic and the ninth-seeded Croatian Marin Cilic who is seeking to retain the trophy. The omens look bleak for Cilic. He has played Djokovic 13 times and has failed to beat him.

Switzerland's finest will then be on show. Second seed and five times champion Roger Federer will play close friend Stan Wawrinka. The fifth seed beat Federer on his way to the French Open title in Paris in June.

They've played 19 times on the circuit. Federer has won 16 times but Wawrinka won their last match at a Grand Slam. That was in the last eight at the French Open.