UPDATE 1-Tennis-Azarenka punishes Hantuchova's mistakes to reach last four

* After shaky start Azarenka too much for Slovak

* Hantuchova pays price for key double-faults (Adds detail, quotes)

By Simon Evans

NEW YORK, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Second seed Victoria Azarenka punished a series of errors by Daniela Hantuchova to win 6-2 6-3 on Wednesday and set up a U.S. Open semi-final clash with Italy's Flavia Pennetta.

Belarusian Azarenka, the beaten finalist at Flushing Meadows last year, took control after breaking the Slovak with a superb backhand to go 5-2 up in the first set.

Hantuchova, ranked 48th in the world, made a determined start to the second set though, holding her serve and then going 2-0 up, breaking thanks to well-placed volley.

But Azarenka, who has reached the quarter-finals or better in eight of the last 11 grand slams, hit back immediately with a break which rattled her opponent, who proceeded to make a series of unforced errors.

Azarenka had three break points in the fifth game but lost them all, only for Hantuchova to double-fault twice at deuce and gift her the game and a 3-2 lead.

The Belarusian had service struggles of her own and gave Hantuchova a glimmer of hope with a double-fault that gave up a break to make it 5-3, but again the Slovak was unable to capitalize and Azarenka ran out the comfortable winner.

"It was a little bit tricky out there with the wind and Daniela is the kind of player who doesn't give you much rhythm," said the former world number one.

"So you really have to try to make it happen in one or two shots in the beginning, so that's what I was trying to do."

It was a disjointed game in many respects, which Azarenka said hampered her ability to find her flow.

"There weren't many long rallies and that sometimes makes it more difficult to get into the match. But I felt like I was really good in the important moments," she added.

"In the first set, towards the end, I really raised my level to where I wanted to and that was the key to this match."

Hantuchova, who was in her first U.S. Open grand slam quarter-final since 2002, knows she will need to find greater consistency and limit her errors if she is to go further next time.

"I didn't feel like I played my best tennis today, which is unfortunate because I had many chances and didn't hold my serves when I needed to," she told Reuters.

"Throughout the whole tournament my serve was working great but just not tonight.

"I am very disappointed with the performance, because I know what I can do and how I can play. I came into the match feeling confident, it just didn't work out today."

(Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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US Open - Djokovic swats aside Youzhny to reach semi-finals

The Serb polished off his Russian opponent in two hours and 34 minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium to set up a last four meeting with Stanislas Wawrinka, who earlier stunned defending champion Andy Murray.

"I've been always trying to play my best tennis in the Grand Slams," said Djokovic, who has now reached the semi-finals at 14 successive Majors.

"I had a tough hard court season coming into the US Open but I'm really working on my game. I'm going to try to play my best in every match."

At two sets up, Djokovic looked to be forging an even quicker path to the last four but Youzhny burst into life to become the first player to take a set off the world number one at Flushing Meadows this year.

The New York crowd swung behind the underdog but Djokovic recovered momentum by breaking the Russian's opening service game of the fourth set.

With entrepreneur Richard Branson cheering him on from his supporters' box, Djokovic broke again in the fourth and sixth games to put the issue beyond doubt.

"After I lost the third set I definitely tried to regroup and focus on every point individually," said the 26-year-old, who hit 32 winners and an unusually high 45 unforced errors.

"It suddenly changed. For some reason I allowed him to come back into the match, started to push the ball, being more passive and allowing him to step into the court.

"It was important to get the early break in the fourth. I really felt a big relief and just went for my shots and played great."

The clash between Djokovic and ninth seeded Swiss Wawrinka will be their first since an epic battle at this year's Australian Open, which the Serbian won 12-10 in the fifth set before going on to win the title.

"That was played on a very, very high level," Djokovic said.

"In the past we all knew (Stan) had the quality to play that well, but not on a consistent basis. I think he has worked on his movement a lot, and some variety of shots in his game.

"He's a very complete player. He's had one of the best seasons of his life. Today he won in straight sets against the defending champion on Arthur Ashe. That's quite impressive."

Murray complained about an emotional letdown from his Wimbledon victory and Djokovic said he understood.

"It's never easy after you win a Grand Slam to motivate yourself again to play smaller tournaments," the six-times Grand Slam champion said.

"And then prepare yourself again to be mentally, physically and emotionally 100 per cent committed to another Grand Slam that is basically just a month and a half after the biggest win in his career, which is Wimbledon.

"I have been in this particular situation. I know how it feels. But this is tennis. In order to be in the mix for number one in the world or a contender for a Major title, you have to be giving everything that you have."

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UPDATE 1-Tennis-Serena doles out double bagel to reach semis

* First 'double-bagel' in US Open quarters in 24 years

* Needs just 52 minutes to set semi-finals date with Li (Adds quotes, details)

By Larry Fine

NEW YORK, Sept 3 (Reuters) - Defending champion Serena Williams walloped Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro 6-0 6-0 to race into the semi-finals of the U.S. Open on Tuesday.

Top seed Williams served up the dreaded "double-bagel" in a quick-fire 52 minutes to set up a clash with fifth seed Li Na, who earlier became China's first U.S. Open semi-finalist by beating Russian Ekaterina Makarova.

"Honestly she's a great player," said Williams, blaming windy conditions for the Spaniard's plight on her 25th birthday.

"The conditions today were so tough. It was not her best tennis today."

The outcome may have been more about the world number one being at something close to her best, however.

Williams won 88 percent of her first serves, rifled in four aces, smacked 20 winners to three for her opponent, and won 53 points to just 18 for the 18th seed.

"I played really good. I was just more focused than anything," she added, stopping short of calling it her best. "I like to believe there is room for improvement."

It was only the second love-love victory in a U.S. Open women's quarter-final dating back to 1968, and first since Martina Navratilova subjected Manuela Maleeva of Bulgaria to the same embarrassment in 1989.

At 31, Williams is campaigning to become the oldest U.S. Open women's winner since tennis turned professional in 1968.

She has lost just 13 games from her five matches so far and said she has been balancing fun with work at Flushing Meadows.

"I'm having a blast this week," said Serena, who is also still alive in women's doubles with older sister Venus.

"I have just really been enjoying my matches. For me, I have to stay in that moment of fun, but intensity, but calm. If I can try to do those three things, it works out."

Suarez Navarro's consolation was a $325,000 check for being eliminated from her first U.S. Open quarter-final.

"I just want to go there and enjoy, but Serena was playing really, really good. I do everything I can," she said.

The Spaniard, who had ousted eighth-seeded Angelique Kerber of Germany in the fourth round, said the blustery conditions had made her task even more difficult.

"Serena is a strong player. When I play with the wind against me, I have no chance," said Suarez Navarro, who had hoped to rebound after the lightning-quick, 19-minute first set.

"I was thinking the situation can change, another set is a new set. But obviously, no."

(Reporting by Larry Fine; Editing by Ian Ransom/Peter Rutherford)

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US Open - Li wins another pay-back match to reach quarter-finals

The fifth-seeded Chinese, who overturned last year's defeat by Laura Robson by beating the Briton in the third round, snapped a four-match losing streak to the Serbian dating back to Paris in 2009.

Former French Open champion Li cracked 20 winners and conceded only 12 unforced errors in a dazzling display, converting all her seven break points in a 57-minute masterclass.

"The last time in Rome I lost in two sets straight away. She plays pretty good defense, but who knows, maybe I played the best match of my whole life," Li said with a chuckle in her on-court interview.

"I still remember last time I played her in Rome. I was feeling I played pretty good, but still lost the match," she told reporters. "So I was so sad after the match."

Li said her coach Carlos Rodriguez used that defeat to motivate her.

"Before this match, Carlos didn't tell me anything. Just said, 'remember how you felt after that match.'

The victory put 31-year-old Li, Asia's first grand slam singles champion, into the US Open quarter-finals for the second time following her trip to the last eight in 2009.

A two-time Australian Open finalist, Li next faces Russian 24th seed Ekaterina Makarova, who upset third seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4 6-4.

"Tonight she played really well, at a very high level," Jankovic said of Li. "I did not control the points. I let her do all the talk on the court.

"If she continues to play like this I think she can win the tournament."

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Ashes 2013: Alastair Cook's England still to reach their full potential against Australia

England do not play South Africa, the No1 Test team, again until 2015, but even a whitewash over Australia in this series, while allowing them to leapfrog India into second place, would only take them within hailing distance of Graeme Smith’s team. As such, any notion that Cook’s side are the best in recent times does not yet hold up, though it has the potential.

Most dominant teams have five or six pillars that maintain their excellence, players on whom they can depend to perform more times than not. Before this Ashes series, they were James Anderson and Graeme Swann with the ball and Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior with the bat. But while Anderson and Swann have played their parts in England’s two wins against Australia, the other pillars have not, with Ian Bell and Joe Root instead playing the telling innings. Happy situation though that is for the two leading run-scorers, it means this England team have consigned Australia to two defeats without ever firing fully.

With hundreds in each match, Bell is making up for when he was Shane Warne’s meek figure of fun in 2005. The “Sherminator”though has since sprouted pecs and discovered a self-belief that comes from within rather than from a pep talk with the psychologist.

Warne has a theory that players such as Bell do better when they have Pietersen alongside, something that will be tested should the latter not recover from his calf strain before the third Test at Old Trafford in nine days.

Root’s continued rise to prominence has not been a revelation for everyone. For those who have been involved in his recent development, his ability to cope with the pressure, expectation and extra quality of international cricket and treat it like a fun game in the park, has not come as a huge surprise. Yet, still only 22, his record at under-19 level is not sparkling so those who have known him longer reckon something crucial has clicked in the past few years for him to rival Cook’s impressive start to Test cricket seven years ago.

“Well, they are both mature for young men and Alastair had a similar mentality when he was Joe’s age,” said Graham Gooch, England’s batting coach yesterday. “He was mature in the mind, he knew exactly how he could score runs and I think anyone who saw Joe in the winter saw that too.

“When he was suddenly promoted to the one-day side in India last winter, he walked straight in and you’d have thought he’d been playing this sort of game the whole time. He has a confidence about him.”

Australian supporters at Lord’s were certainly lusting over his calm authority. While their young batsmen were careless, uncertain and impatient at Lord’s, Root exuded control that sets up winning scores in Test matches, at least until he was caught playing a ramp shot for 180. Yet even that was an attempt to reach his 200 with the minimum of hold-up after Michael Clarke put most of his fielders on the boundary.

Australia felt they had a good plan for Root, to pitch it up and swing it, given his preference for playing off the back foot until well set. But plans are all very well if you have the bowlers to activate them, which Australia do not seem overly blessed with at present.

Normally, injury to Pietersen would be a concern for England but apart from a handy 64 in the second innings at Trent Bridge, his lack of runs (21 in the other three innings this series) has not been much missed.

Last time Australia were here England managed to win the Ashes without him playing the last three Tests after he damaged his Achilles tendon, which could be repeated unless he recovers fully from his calf strain.

Who would come in for Pietersen is not clear, as England do not have great strength in depth apart from in the pace bowling department. Ben Stokes and Eoin Morgan both trained with England in the build up to the Lord’s match while Ravi Bopara has been happily restored to the England one-day team where he once more shone, with ball as well as bat. But while occupation of the crease retains its appeal for sides 2-0 up in a five-match series, you cannot rule out Nick Compton.

While England’s batting has discovered new pillars, the bowling has been reliant, as ever, on Swann and Anderson, which is perhaps how it should be in a four-man attack. Although not quite Warne and Glenn McGrath, they are nevertheless a potent combination on the dry, bare pitches ordered by England, though their best performance has yet to coincide in the same match this series.

When it does, and when Cook, Trott and Prior find their appetite, Australia could need trauma counsellors.

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