Sports News Roundup: Serena survives Pironkova test to reach U.S. Open semis; U.S. Open order of play on Thursday and more

U.S. Open order of play on Thursday Order of play on the main show court on the 11th day of the U.S. Open on Thursday (prefix number denotes seeding): Arthur Ashe Stadium MLB roundup: Braves set NL runs record in 29-9 rout Adam Duvall had his second three-home run game of the season, including his fourth career grand slam, and the Atlanta Braves set a modern-era (since 1900) National League record for runs scored in a 29-9 win over the visiting Miami Marlins on Wednesday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Serena survives Pironkova test to reach U.S. Open semis

Serena Williams was forced to dig deep to secure a 4-6 6-3 6-2 U.S. Open quarter-final victory over unseeded Bulgarian Tsvetana Pironkova on Wednesday, keeping alive her latest bid for a record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title. Williams, a six-times champion in New York, struggled with Pironkova's slice forehand early and was at risk of her earliest U.S. Open exit in 14 years until she used her experience to find a way back.

Clinical Medvedev beats childhood friend to reach U.S. Open semis

Daniil Medvedev continued his march towards a first Grand Slam title on Wednesday, powering into the U.S. Open semi-finals with a clinical 7-6(6) 6-3 7-6(5) victory over childhood friend Andrey Rublev. The first Russian duo in the quarter-finals at a Grand Slam since Igor Andreev and Nikolay Davydenko at Roland Garros in 2007, Medvedev showed no fear during a ruthless display that sent him through to the last four without losing a set.

U.S. Open order of play on Thursday

Order of play on the main show court on the 11th day of the U.S. Open on Thursday (prefix number denotes seeding): Arthur Ashe Stadium MLB roundup: Braves set NL runs record in 29-9 rout

Adam Duvall had his second three-home run game of the season, including his fourth career grand slam, and the Atlanta Braves set a modern-era (since 1900) National League record for runs scored in a 29-9 win over the visiting Miami Marlins on Wednesday. Duvall was 3-for-4 with five runs and a franchise-record-tying nine RBIs. He also hit three homers against Boston on Sept. 2, and has 13 long balls on the year -- including nine in his past 10 games. He became the first Braves player ever with two career three-homer games -- both in an eight-day span.

Sublime Thiem tames De Minaur to book U.S. Open semi-final spot

Second seed Dominic Thiem delivered a sublime performance to dismantle Australian Alex de Minaur 6-1 6-2 6-4 on Wednesday and canter into the semi-finals of the U.S. Open. Thiem needed a little over two hours to record the win under the closed roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium despite being put under constant pressure by De Minaur, who is nicknamed 'Demon' and known for his never-say-die attitude and speedy court coverage.

NFL: Political divide on athlete activism widens in the U.S. - Reuters/Ipsos poll

The political divide over athlete protests has deepened in the four years since NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick first took a knee during the playing of the U.S. national anthem, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll. Since then, Democrats and Republicans are moving further apart on the issue even as, overall, opinions have not changed drastically with more than half of Americans wanting professional athletes to be required to stand during the "Star-Spangled Banner."

Vettel to join Aston Martin from Ferrari in 2021

Four-time Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel will race for Aston Martin, the new name for the Canadian-owned Racing Point team, on a multi-year deal after leaving Ferrari at the end of the season. The 33-year-old German replaces Mexican Sergio Perez, whose departure at the end of the 2020 season was announced on Wednesday.

Lewis inspired by tennis-playing mums at Flushing Meadows

Stacy Lewis begins her bid for a second victory at the LPGA Tour's ANA Inspiration on Thursday and the former world number one says she has taken inspiration from the performances of tennis-playing mothers at the U.S. Open Grand Slam in New York. The women's singles draw at Flushing Meadows featured nine mothers, with two -- Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka -- advancing to the semi-finals.

Azarenka clobbers Mertens to set up Serena showdown

A loose and confident Victoria Azarenka overpowered Elise Mertens 6-1 6-0 on Wednesday to advance to the semi-finals of the U.S. Open where she will face a familiar foe in Serena Williams. Azarenka, smiling and bobbing her head along to music being played during changeovers, spread the court with 21 winners to dominate 16th seed Mertens in their first career meeting.

Factbox: Jennifer Brady v Naomi Osaka

A look at the key facts and records of American Jennifer Brady and Japan's Naomi Osaka before their U.S. Open semi-final on Thursday (prefix number denotes seeding): 28-JENNIFER BRADY