Australian pairing Casey Dellacqua and Ashleigh Barty will contest the 2013 US Open women’s doubles final after disposing of Sania Mirza and Jie Zheng, with a 6-2 6-2 win in their semi-final.
The No.8 seeds put in a composed performance to reach another grand slam final and will play the winner of the clash between fifth-seeded Czech duo Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka and the Williams sisters.
The Aussie combination took a little over an hour to win through, with their return of serve being particularly strong. They managed to rattle off 24 winners throughout the contest and won nearly 60 per cent of the points when receiving – converting six out of 11 break points.
In the men’s side of the draw, the Byran brothers have come up short in their quest to become only the second doubles pairing in history to claim a calendar year grand slam when they lost their semi-final.
The American top seeds had won all three grand slams contested this year and were reigning champions in all four titles after they claimed Wimbledon. However their loss to Leander Paes and Radek Stepanek in three sets thwarted their chance at another piece of history in their record breaking careers.
The veteran Byran brothers also won gold at last year’s Olympics but their first loss at a major this year ensures the calendar year grand slam will elude them. The only men's doubles duo to complete the feat is legendary Australian pairing Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgman in 1951.
In the singles draw defending US Open champ Andy Murray has crashed out in the quarter-finals to ninth seed Stanislas Wawrinka. The Swiss winning through to his first grand slam semi-final following the shock straight-sets result over the Brit.
Wawrinka claimed a 6-4 6-3 6-2 win and will play the winner of Russian 21st seed Mikhail Youzhny and world No.1 Novak Djokovic in the last four. Meanwhile Spanish champion Rafael Nadal and French eighth seed Richard Gasquet will square off in the other semi-final.
In the women’s draw Victoria Azarenka swept past Daniela Hantuchova 6-2 6-3 to book her spot in tonight’s semi-finals against Italy's Flavia Pennetta
Meanwhile world No.1 Serena Williams, who is chasing her 17th grand slam title and fifth US Open crown, will meet Chinese fifth seed Li Na, in the second semi.
If Williams, Li or Pennetta claim the title they will become the oldest US Open women's champion, surpassing the mark held by Aussie Margaret Court, who was 31 years and 55 days old when she was crowned champion in 1973.
You’ll be able to catch all this weekend’s finals action from New York at Strathfield Sports Club as we cheer our Aussie girls on and wait to see who else will step up in the last grand slam of 2013.
Damien Bellemore