Serena Williams' serve was broken for the first time at this year's US Open. Twice, in fact. She dropped a set for the first time in the tournament, too, pushed to the brink by Simona Halep in the quarterfinals.

In a match filled with fantastic shotmaking and enthralling exchanges, neither player budged until Williams righted herself in the third set to emerge with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory over Halep on Wednesday night to get back to the semifinals at Flushing Meadows.

Halep, the 2014 French Open runner-up who was seeded No 5 in New York, staved off all 12 break points held by Williams in the second set and forced a third. But Williams converted the only break chance she would get - or need - in the deciding set to go ahead 3-1, and was on her way.