US Open Tennis Series

epa04356930 Serena Williams of the US hits a return shot to Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark in their semi-final match of the Western & Southern Open tennis tournament at the Linder Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, USA, 16 August 2014. EPA/TANNEN MAURY |

SERENA WILLIAMS CLINCHES EMIRATES AIRLINE US OPEN SERIES WOMEN’S TITLE

Williams Wins Third Emirates Airline US Open Series Title in Last Four Years

World No. 1 Will Now Compete for Record $4 Million Payout at US Open

World No. 1 Serena Williams clinched the 2014 Emirates Airline US Open Series women’s title today by defeating Caroline Wozniacki, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati. Williams has now won the Emirates Airline US Open Series women’s title three of the last four years and will attempt to set another record for the largest payout in tennis history at the US Open – $4 million ($3 million for winning the US Open and a $1 million bonus for winning the US Open as Emirates Airline US Open Series champion).

The two-time defending US Open champion Williams won both the Emirates Airline US Open Series title and the US Open last year, taking home a record $3.6 million – $2.6 million for winning the US Open and an additional $1 million as Emirates Airline US Open Series Champion. She is only woman to win the Emirates Airline US Open Series Bonus Challenge three times (2011, 2013). No other woman has won it more than once.

Williams now has 370 Bonus Challenge points because of the new provision that rewards players who earn points in at least three Emirates Airline US Open Series events – she also won the title at the Bank of the West Classic in Stanford, Calif., and reached the semifinals at Rogers Cup in Montreal. Williams now outpaces all of her competitors in Cincinnati, as well as those playing in next week’s Connecticut Open in New Haven, Conn.

The women’s second and third place finishers in this year’s Bonus Challenge have yet to be determined.

Milos Raonic can clinch the 2014 Emirates Airline US Open Series men’s title by defeating Roger Federer tonight in the semifinals of the Western & Southern Open. The men’s winner of the Emirates Airline US Open Series will also compete for a possible $1 million bonus at the US Open. The second and third place finishers on the men’s and women’s sides will compete for $500, 000 and $250, 000, respectively.

Now in its 11th season, the Emirates Airline US Open Series continues to serve as a true regular season of hard court tennis, linking eight summer tournaments to the US Open. Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams won the 2013 US Open and Emirates Airline US Open Series men’s and women’s titles, each earning a record tennis paycheck of $3.6 million. Roger Federer (2007) and Kim Clijsters (2005) also accomplished the feat of winning the Emirates Airline US Open Series and US Open singles title within the same year.

Topics: Caroline Wozniacki, Serena Williams, Tennis, Tennis News, US Open, Western & Southern Open