NEW YORK -- A year after one of the most significant and stunning losses of Serena Williams illustrious career, shes made it back to the same stage of the same tournament: the U.S. Open semifinals.The stakes and opponent are different. Once again, there is history in the offing.At Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2015, two wins shy of completing the first calendar-year Grand Slam in more than a quarter-century, Williams was upset in three sets by unseeded Roberta Vinci of Italy. At Ashe on Thursday night, two wins shy of claiming a record 23rd major singles title and earning a record 187th consecutive week at No. 1 in the WTA rankings, Williams faces 10th-seeded Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic.Vinci never had participated in a Grand Slam singles semifinal. Neither has Pliskova, who hadnt even been past the third round at major until now.The 24-year-old Pliskova grew up watching the Williams sisters play on TV and she already eliminated one in this tournament, beating Venus in a third-set tiebreaker after saving a match point in the fourth round.Asked whether she expected to get some advice from her sibling before facing Pliskova, the younger Williams said: Im sure she will tell me something. But Ill be there. Ill be ready tomorrow.Pliskova will be trying to become only the fourth woman to beat both Williams sisters at the same major, joining Martina Hingis at the 2001 Australian Open, Justine Henin at the 2007 U.S. Open, and Kim Clijsters at the 2009 U.S. Open.But Pliskova, who leads the tour in aces this season, realizes what a daunting task awaits her against Williams.Shes a big hitter and she can have 50 winners -- and you cannot do much about it, said Pliskova, whose twin sister is also a tennis player. But Im still going to hope that there is going to be some chance in the match where I can get my chance and be the one who is playing aggressive.The other womens semifinal Thursday is No. 2 Angelique Kerber of Germany against 74th-ranked Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark, a former No. 1 who is a two-time runner-up at Flushing Meadows.Kerber, who is 7-5 against Wozniacki, has a chance to overtake Williams atop the rankings after the tournament.This would mean a lot to me, Kerber said. I mean, when I was a kid, I was always dreaming (of) being the No. 1. Lets see. I mean, there are still matches to go.Williams overcame a real challenge in the quarterfinals, her first of the these two weeks, by getting past No. 5 Simona Halep 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 with the help of 18 aces and by winning the point on 26 of her 32 trips to the net.The sore right shoulder that developed in the days after the American won Wimbledon to tie Steffi Grafs Open-era mark of 22 major championships does not appear to be a problem any long.I feel OK. Im not at 100 percent, but Im OK, Williams said. Nothing to complain too much about.During the difficulties she encountered in the second set of her quarterfinal -- Williams went 0 for 12 on break points -- there never was the sort of emotional display she is famous for. A cracked racket, say, or screams of anger or self-encouragement.I was rather positive today, and thats not normal. Im just going to go with it, Williams said with a smile.Asked later to explain her mental state more, Williams replied: I was really rather calm today and not trying to be. I guess thats just how I got out of bed this morning. I definitely wanted to do some more `Come ons. I dont know why. Thats weird.---Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich Wholesale Jerseys . Vettel was 0.168 seconds faster than Red Bull teammate Mark Webber around the Suzuka circuit. Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg was two tenths of a second off Vettel. "The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. 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Derbyshire 165 (Napier 4-28) and 213 for 5 (Godleman 100) trail Essex 530 for 9 by 152 runsScorecard Billy Godleman staged a one-man roadblock but Essex remain on course to boost their promotion chances after Derbyshire were forced to follow-on in the Division Two match at Derby. The former Essex batsman frustrated the bowlers for 55 overs to score 100 and Wayne Madsen completed 1000 Championship runs for the season but the home side closed day three facing defeat on 213 for 5, still trailing by 152 runs.Essex would have fancied their chances of wrapping up victory with a day to spare after Graham Napier, with 4 for 28, and Ravi Bopara had polished off Derbyshires first innings before lunch.The home side had showed fight from the first ball of the morning, with Alex Mellor and Matt Critchley taking their seventh wicket stand to 70 in 25 overs before Napier broke through. Mellor had been dropped by Tom Westley at second slip in the previous over but failed to add to his 44 when he edged a ball that moved away enough to give James Foster the first of two victims before lunch.Napier produced an unplayable inswinging yorker to bowl Tom Milnes first ball but Critchley negotiated the hat-trick ball before he steered Bopara to gully. When Bopara defeated Callum Parkinsons defenssive push, Essex had run through Derbyshire in less than 66 overs but they encountered greater resistance after enforcing the follow-on with a flat pitch and cloudless skies assisting the home sides rearguard.ddddddddddddGodleman and Ben Slater negotiated a tricky five overs before lunch and then batted well into the afternoon before Napier, who switched to the City End, had Slater taken low at second slip by Westley. But Essex had to wait another 30 overs for their next success as Alex Hughes joined Godleman, who cut Jamie Porter for four to reach 50 and then drove Westley over long-off for six.Hughes concentrated on survival, facing 99 balls for his 23, before he chased a wide one from Paul Walter, and the wicket Essex most wanted came three overs later. Godleman cut Walter for three to reach his third hundred of the season but, in the next over, he was lbw to Napier and Essex struck two more blows in the closing overs.Madsen had pulled Bopara for four to reach his milestone but was squared-up by Will Rhodes and snared at third slip for 37 and, without addition to the score, Bopara forced Neil Broom to play on for 13 in the penultimate over. Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jersyes Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys cheap jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys From China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '