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 Giants Jerseys China .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Cheap Giants Jerseys . Andrew Luck lost his favourite target and the Indianapolis locker room lost one of its most revered leaders when Reggie Wayne was diagnosed Monday with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee that will cost him the rest of the season. http://www.customgiantsjersey.com/ . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Custom Giants Jerseys . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. Authentic Custom Giants Jersey .J. -- Marshawn Lynch said Thursday it will be good to get back to football after the Seattle quiet talking running back wrapped up his final mandatory media session of Super Bowl week.Daniel Ricciardo claimed a sensational first pole position of his F1 career for resurgent Red Bull in Monaco, with Nico Rosberg beating Lewis Hamilton to second as Mercedes ran into fresh reliability concerns. Two weeks on from Red Bulls return to winning ways in Spain, Ricciardo delivered their first pole since 2013 as the Australian followed through on his stunning Thursday practice pace around the principalitys streets.He will start Sundays race alongside championship leader Rosberg, who outqualified Mercedes team-mate Hamilton. Hamilton salvaged third place at the last after missing out on the first Q3 runs when his W07 stopped at the exit of the pit lane with what Mercedes confirmed was a fuel-pressure problem.Team boss Toto Wolff said there was the same issue on Rosbergs car, although the German was able to complete both of his planned runs. See how Lewis Hamiltons qualifying session unfolded after fuel pressure issues hampered his Q3, leaving him in a battle with Nico Rosberg and Ricciardo Red Bulls joy at returning to the front of the grid was tempered by a crash for Spanish GP victor Max Verstappen, who will start from the back row.Sebastian Vettel was fourth for Ferrari, as Force Indias Nico Hulkenberg starred to beat the other Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen to fifth. Raikkonen will now drop to 11th after an unscheduled gearbox change.Hamilton down after engine woeRicciardo, who felt he would have won in Spain had his strategy proved more advantageous, had topped the times by 0.6s on Thursday and unleashed a stunning lap at the start of Q3 - 1:13.622 - to lay down a marker no one else could reach.No disrespect to Red Bull, but I think thats Ricciardos pole position, said Sky F1s Martin Brundle. Hes been on it all weekend. Paul di Resta is at the Skypad to analyse a scintilating lap from Daniel Ricciardo which helped secure him his first ever pole position in F1 In a potentially ace strategy card for Sunday, Ricciardo will also be the only driver in the top 10 to start the race on the more durable supersoft tyres after clocking his best Q2 time on the red-marked rubber. The other leading runners will start on ultrasofts and theoretically have to pit earlier.Hamilton had himself set an eye-catching pace in Q2, but his W07 ground to a halt as he exited the pits at the start of the pole shootout. Having already seen engine problems scupper his qualifying sessions in China and Russia, Hamiltons W07 was eventually restarted and he came out in time for the deciding final runs.After several warm-up laps to bring his ultrasoft tyres up to temperature, the world champion was quicker than Ricciardo through the first sector of his final effort but in the end fell 0.320s adrift of the flying Red Bull. Rosberg, winner in Monaco in each of the last three years, then consolidated his second place. We hear from the top 3 drivers following Monaco GP qualifying, including Red Bulls Daniel Ricciardo who secured his first ever F1 pole position I dont know what the problem was, a forlorn-looking Hamilton said.dddddddddddd. If the car keeps going l will fight as hard as I can. Hopefully it rains - that will be pretty amazing.Hamilton trails Rosberg by 43 points in the championship after five races and last won in Monaco, then from third on the grid, in rainy conditions in 2008. Wet weather is forecast for race day.When is the Monaco GP on Sky?As Ricciardo starred to claim his first F1 pole at the 94th attempt, team-mate Verstappen went from hero to zero on an error-strewn Saturday at F1s showpiece event.Arriving in Monaco as F1s new youngest-ever race winner after a startling Red Bull debut at Barcelona, Verstappen had already tagged the barriers in final practice before another error in Q1.Breaking his cars suspension against the guardrail on the exit of the Swimming Pool complex, Verstappen was sent into a heavy collision course with the barrier. Red Bulls Max Verstappen had his second crash of the day on Saturday in Monaco causing a red flag during qualifying after crashing into the barriers He will start the race, arguably the hardest to overtake at of the whole season, on the back row alongside Felipe Nasr, whose Sauber blew-up in the early minutes of Q1.I turned in a bit too early so I clipped the wall and broke the suspension as I hit the wall, Verstappen told Sky Sports F1.I felt quite good, I felt confident on my push lap. Car balance was good, it was all coming together but into the chicane I underestimated the grip I had. I turned in too early and it was all wrong.With Verstappen out of the top-10 running, former team-mate Carlos Sainz capped an impressive weekend so far to take seventh for Toro Rosso - two places and half a second ahead of team-mate Daniil Kvyat.Sergio Perez was eighth in the second Force India, with Fernando Alonso making the top 10 for the second successive race for McLaren. Jenson Button qualified 13th.Monaco GP QualifyingQ31. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, 1:13.6222. Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:13.7913. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:13.9424. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1:14.5525. Nico Hulkenberg, Force India, 1:14.7266. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:14.732*7. Carlos Sainz, Toro Rosso, 1:14.7498. Sergio Perez, Force India, 1:14.9029. Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso, 1:15.27310. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1:15.363Q211. Valtteri Bottas, Williams, 1:15.27312. Esteban Gutierrez, Haas, 1:15.29313. Jenson Button, McLaren, 1:15.35214. Felipe Massa, Williams, 1:15.38515. Romain Grosjean, Haas, 1:15.57116. Kevin Magnussen, Renault, 1:16.058Q117. Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1:16.29918. Jolyon Palmer, Renault, 1:16.58619. Rio Haryanto, Manor, 1:17.29520. Pascal Wehrlein, Manor, 1:17.45221. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 1:22.46722. Felipe Nasr, Sauber, No time *five-place grid penaltyWatch the Monaco GP live on Sky Sports F1. The race starts at 1pm on Sunday, with build-up underway at 11.30am. Or watch the race without a contract for £6.99 on NOW TV. Also See: WATCH: Verstappen crashes out Sky F1s Monaco race-day schedule Rank your favourite Monaco GPs Get a NOW TV day pass ' ' '