NEW YORK — So little to separate them over their careers, so little to separate them on this night.
Serena Williams barely got the better of older sister Venus Williams in a U.S. Open quarterfinal that was fit for a final, coming back in each set to win 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7) on Wednesday night and break a tie in their head-to-head series.
In a match that ended after 2 a.m. EDT, No. 1-ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain beat unseeded American Mardy Fish 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2, getting past the quarterfinals for the first time in six trips to Flushing Meadows. The match ended at 2:10 a.m., the third-latest finish in tournament history.
Nadal, a four-time French Open winner, faces first-time Grand Slam semifinalist Andy Murray.
Fish took the opening set on the strength of a 23-6 edge in winners, some gutsy serving and one service break. But Nadal never faced a break point the rest of the way.
Serena trailed 5-3 in both sets. She faced set points in both — a total of 10, including eight in the second. But she advanced to the semifinals here for the first time since 2002, the year she beat Venus in the title match for her second U.S. Open title.
“I felt like I was always in control,” Venus said. “If it was someone else, I definitely feel like I would have won the match.”
It was the siblings’ 17th meeting as professionals, and Serena leads 9-8. That includes 11 matches at Grand Slam tournaments, where Serena leads 6-5.
She also has the edge in major championships, 8-7, and only she can add to that total this weekend.
“It’s really just unfortunate it had to be in the quarters,” Serena said.
In the semifinals, the fourth- seeded Serena will meet No. 6 Dinara Safina, who advanced earlier in the day by overpowering No. 16 Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-3. No. 2 Jelena Jankovic will face No. 5 Elena Dementieva in Friday’s other semi.
In the end, the Williams sisters were separated by three total points, 101-98.
Venus had an 8-7 edge in aces. Both double-faulted five times. Both broke serve twice.
“It was so intense,” Serena said.
The seventh-seeded Venus had all sorts of chances to take control, but in the end, as both women’s play reached a very high level, it was Serena who pulled through. In the second tiebreaker, Venus had four set points — and Serena saved them all.
“I’m a very good closer,” Venus said, “so today was, um — I’ve never had a match like this in my life, so I guess there’s always a first.”
In contrast, when Serena earned her first match point, nearly 2 1/2 hours into the match, she converted it, when Venus ended an 11-stroke exchange by missing a forehand.
“It was really luck for me, because she never makes those errors,” Serena said.
The start of the latest all-Williams showdown was delayed by more than an hour because of two lengthy matches that preceded it on the tournament’s main court, including a women’s doubles match and No. 6 Andy Murray’s four-set victory over No. 17 Juan Martin del Potro in the men’s quarterfinals.
