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NEW YORK -- A year ago, this was precisely the time and place Serena Williams crashed and burned.She was attempting the rare calendar-year Grand Slam, having won her first 26 major matches of the season in Melbourne, Paris, Wimbledon and through the quarterfinals in New York.And then Williams was blindsided by Roberta Vinci of Italy, playing in her first Grand Slam semifinal. The pressure that had been building all year -- pressure Williams had flatly dismissed -- seemed to paralyze her.This year, with milestones of a more cumulative sort on the line, Williams had been noticeably calmer -- until Thursday night. But playing against Karolina Pliskova, a 24-year-old from the Czech Republic, there were times when the same looks of dread and absolute anguish that surfaced against Vinci again crossed her features.The No. 10-seeded Pliskova produced an emphatic 6-2, 7-6 (5) victory to advance to Saturdays final against the winner of the late match between No. 2 seed Angelique Kerber and two-time US Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki.Williams wasnt just a victim of nerves; as the match progressed she seemed troubled by a left hamstring injury that had her hobbling into the tiebreaker.I had a goal today, to beat Serena, Pliskova said in her on-court interview. And thats what I did.I dont believe it. Actually, I do believe it. I knew I could beat anyone if Im playing my game.A few more takeaways from this stunner:Pliskova never, ever blinked: Down a set and 15-30 in the opening game of the second, Williams desperately needed to change the momentum of her swiftly vanishing match against Pliskova. So she cracked a forehand right at Pliskovas midsection, who was lucky to barely deflect it with her racket. Williams let out a huge roar, but Pliskova wasnt impressed. She hung on to force a second-set tiebreaker and closed the deal there -- just as she had done earlier against Serenas sister Venus. America probably hates me, she said, because I beat Venus and Serena.Williams was physically compromised: Williams did not move particularly well throughout the match, possibly because she was playing for a second consecutive night. Ultimately, that was her responsibility because she asked the USTA to play her first match last Tuesday, which meant playing the quarterfinals and semifinals on successive nights. Coming off a difficult match against No. 5 seed Simona Halep that she won in three sets, Williams seemed to be increasingly troubled by a left knee injury. Her deteriorating footwork and her tight forehand didnt help, either.This was a coming-out party: While Williams was going for a handful of cherished records, Pliskova played with a grit and style that belied her lack of major experience. This was her first Grand Slam semifinal, while Williams has now appeared in 33. Pliskova is the first Czech woman to reach the US Open final since 1993, when Helena Sukova did it. Shes on a career-best 11-match winning streak. And to think, she had never been past the third round of a major. Pliskova has now beaten five top-10 players this year -- including all three 2016 Grand Slam winners: Svetlana Kuznetsova, Garbine Muguruza, Kerber, Venus Williams and Serena Williams.Serena needs a vacation: After losing to Vinci a year ago, Williams shut it down for the rest of the season. It worked, and she won a Slam this year and got to another final. Williams, who turns 35 at the end of the month, might want to consider that again. Fake Air Max 270 Outlet . 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SKOPJE, Macedonia -- American basketball player Cameron Moore, who joined Macedonian team AV Ohrid this week, died suddenly during his first practice session, local authorities said Wednesday.The teams legal representative, Ivo Markoski, told The Associated Press that the 25-year-old Moore arrived late Monday from Venice, Italy. He said the player had been in Ohrid, a tourist resort town in southern Macedonia, only hours before dying Tuesday.This is a tragedy. We had no time even to meet him properly, Markoski said. He was in Ohrid for only 24 hours. We let him rest after arrival and the tragedy occurred on the very first day of training.Markoski said Moore had signed a preliminary deal with the Ohrid team and had just begun medical tests. An official deal with the team was to be signed after the medical tests were completed.Ohrid police spokesman Stefan Dimeski confirmed an American basketball player died suddenly late Tuesday, but did not release his identity citing an ongoing forensic investigation into the death. Dimeski said the player collapsed during practice and was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.More details would be available after the forensic examination, he said.[We have] never experienced such a tragedy. We are totally shaken by his death, said AV Ohridd team manager Marijan Boshalevski, who said Moore collapsed during the last 15 minutes of practice.ddddddddddddMoore, who went to high school in San Antonio, was a forward for University of Alabama-Birmingham, finishing his career ranked second in school history in double-doubles (28) and blocked shots (137), and fourth in total rebounds (747).The UAB family mourns the loss of an outstanding human being whose life was taken away too soon, UAB mens basketball head coach Robert Ehsan said in a statement. Cameron Moore was one of the first student-athletes I met when I arrived in Birmingham in 2012, and I could immediately sense his passion for Birmingham and UAB Basketball. He played an integral part in the success of so many great Blazer teams, and I know his legacy will live on through everyone associated with UAB.Moore is one of only three players in school history with more than 1,000 points and 700 rebounds in his career, according to the UAB website.The entire Blazer community lost a remarkable man who meant so much to UAB and the basketball program, UAB director of athletics Mark Ingram said. We will keep Cameron and his loved ones in our thoughts and prayers. ' ' '