US Open: Venus outlasts Kvitova to set up all-American semi-final clash

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams booked her place in the semi-finals of the US Open after a thrilling three-set triumph over Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic in the women's singles event here at the Flushing Meadows on Wednesday.

After comfortably winning the first set, the American tennis star went down in the second before she rebounded strongly to register a 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(2) win over Kvitova in a hotly-contested quarter-final encounter that lasted two hours and 35 minutes at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

With the win, Venus is through to her third Grand Slam semi-finals of the year and first US Open last-four since 2010.

The victory also assured Venus, currently ranked World No. 9, to return to the WTA Top 5 for the first time since 2011.

Venus will now lock horns with another American Sloane Stephens for a place in the summit showdown.

Meanwhile, world number one Rafael Nadal will also aim to book his place in the last-four of the US Open when he takes on Russia's Andrey Rublev in his men's singles quarter-finals event.