They are in the unknown half of the women's draw, the half in which every seeded player except Wozniacki (No. 9) was eliminated before the quarterfinals. Melanie Oudin had a lot to do with that, beating No. 4 Elena Dementieva, No. 13 Nadia Petrova and former champion Maria Sharapova. But Wozniacki and Wickmayer have gained the semis on merit, and Wozniacki has shown increasing promise with three tour wins this year.
Wozniacki is the first Dane to reach the semis of a Grand Slam. The 19-year-old is called "Sunshine" for her beaming personality, which glowed during and after her quarterfinal win over Oudin. The American crowd was on Oudin's side, but Wozniacki seemed to win over a large segment. They appreciated her dogged determination, unwavering defense and solid strokes.
"I feel like playing in New York is almost like playing at home," Wozniacki said. "Also when I played , the crowd was cheering for me a lot. I really love it out there."
Wickmayer had a fair share of support in her quarterfinal win over Kateryna Bondarenko. But she looks only to her friends' box, to her father and coach, Marc, and the family friends who surround him.
"For me the important thing is that the people that are behind me, they are sitting in their box and they're behind me," the 19-year-old Belgian said. "I know they are supporting me with their hearts and souls."
The two have contrasting styles. Wozniacki plays more spin shots and is patient enough to stay focused in long rallies. Wickmayer has a bit stronger serve and hits harder and flatter ground strokes.
If she should win today and Kim Clijsters should beat Serena Williams, that would put two Belgians in the final. Clijsters was beaten in the 2003 Open final by countrywoman Justine Henin.
Wozniacki is the first Dane to reach the semis of a Grand Slam. The 19-year-old is called "Sunshine" for her beaming personality, which glowed during and after her quarterfinal win over Oudin. The American crowd was on Oudin's side, but Wozniacki seemed to win over a large segment. They appreciated her dogged determination, unwavering defense and solid strokes.
"I feel like playing in New York is almost like playing at home," Wozniacki said. "Also when I played , the crowd was cheering for me a lot. I really love it out there."
Wickmayer had a fair share of support in her quarterfinal win over Kateryna Bondarenko. But she looks only to her friends' box, to her father and coach, Marc, and the family friends who surround him.
"For me the important thing is that the people that are behind me, they are sitting in their box and they're behind me," the 19-year-old Belgian said. "I know they are supporting me with their hearts and souls."
The two have contrasting styles. Wozniacki plays more spin shots and is patient enough to stay focused in long rallies. Wickmayer has a bit stronger serve and hits harder and flatter ground strokes.
If she should win today and Kim Clijsters should beat Serena Williams, that would put two Belgians in the final. Clijsters was beaten in the 2003 Open final by countrywoman Justine Henin.
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