Daria Kasatkina of Russia reacts to her quarterfinal victory over Venus Williams of the United States during the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on March 16, 2018 in Indian Wells, California. Harry How/Getty Images/AFP
INDIAN WELLS, Calif.: Daria Kasatkina upset Venus Williams 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a nearly three-hour baseline struggle to reach the final of the BNP Paribas Open on Friday night.
Kasatkina was two points from defeat, trailing 4-5 and 0-30 in the third set when Williams committed four straight errors as the 20-year-old Russian tied it 5-all.
Williams won just two more points as Kasatkina took the last two games to close out the match in 2 hours, 48 minutes. Kasatkina dropped her racket near the baseline and covered her face with her hands as she walked to the net.
After shaking hands, Kasatkina pumped her fists and shook her head slightly as if in disbelief at beating the 37-year-old American.
Top-ranked Simona Halep took on Naomi Osaka, a 20-year-old from Japan, in the other semifinal.
