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Kim Clijsters will continue her fairytale comeback when she faces second seed Serena Williams in the US Open semi-finals.
The locals have taken new mother Clijsters - her daughter Jada is 18-months-old - to their hearts as she has moved confidently into the last four of her first grand slam for two years, but they also love Williams, the defending champion.
Having defeated 18th seed Li Na 6-2, 6-4 to register her 100th major tournament win, Clijsters (right) will be ranked in the top 50 next week while Williams can regain the No1 spot if she can make it into Saturday's final.
First, she has to get past Clijsters, one of the few players in the sport with the power to live with the American. Williams was far too strong for Italy's Flavia Pennetta, who lost 6-4, 6-3 despite being one of the form players of the summer.
Clijsters, the 2005 Open champion who has just one win in eight meetings with the American, said: "When you come back your body just feels so different. I had a good feeling when the ball was coming towards me but just moving was absolutely terrible. I felt like an elephant.
"When I started again this year, I had to mentally be prepared for that and knowing the tests in the gym were going to be a lot worse. But you just try to start from zero."
Clijsters has understandable respect for Williams who becomes a different player when the major titles are on offer and the Belgian said: "I think she's always been able to step it up at the grand slams. Serena has that face that says 'I am here for business'."
Meanwhile, Laura Robson twice came from behind to beat seventh seed Lauren Embree and reach the third round of the US Open girls' singles at Flushing Meadows.
The 15-year-old former Wimbledon junior champion lost a tight opening set to the American 18-year-old before storming back to level the match and then rallying from 4-1 down to win the final set 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.
