▁Ivan ov ic , ▁Mar ion ▁Bart oli ▁and ▁Ro berta ▁V inci ▁all ▁advanced ▁to ▁the ▁US ▁Open ▁quarter - final s ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time . ▁For ▁V inci , ▁this ▁was ▁her ▁first ▁Grand ▁S lam ▁quarter - final , ▁eleven ▁years ▁and ▁ 3 1 ▁Grand ▁S lam ▁tournament s ▁after ▁debut ing ▁at ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 1 ▁US ▁Open . ▁ ▁Maria ▁Sh ar ap ova ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁semi - final s ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁and ▁S ara ▁Er ran i ▁advanced ▁to ▁her ▁first ▁ever ▁US ▁Open ▁semi - final . ▁ ▁Ser ena ▁Williams ▁advanced ▁to ▁her ▁second ▁straight ▁US ▁Open ▁final , ▁and ▁her ▁sixth ▁overall . ▁She ▁defeated ▁Victoria ▁Az aren ka ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁three - set ▁final ▁to ▁be ▁decided ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 5 . ▁In ▁the ▁men ' s ▁draw , ▁Tom áš ▁B erd ych ▁advanced ▁to ▁his ▁first ▁US ▁Open ▁quarter - final ▁by ▁virtue ▁of ▁his ▁three - set ▁win ▁against ▁Nicol ás ▁Al mag ro ▁in ▁the ▁fourth ▁round . ▁He ▁then ▁advanced ▁to ▁the ▁semi - final s ▁after ▁ups et ting ▁five - time ▁US ▁Open ▁champion ▁Roger ▁Feder er ▁in ▁the ▁quarter - final s . ▁With ▁Feder er ' s ▁defeat , ▁this ▁meant ▁that ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁since ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁French ▁Open , ▁neither ▁Feder er ▁nor ▁Nad al ▁featured ▁in ▁a ▁Grand ▁S