Serena crashes out of US Open, loses No. 1 ranking

Serena Williams crashed out of the US Open, her semi-final defeat to Karolina Pliskova costing her a shot at a 23rd Grand Slam title and a record 187th straight week at number one. Pliskova, the 10th-seeded Czech playing in her first Grand Slam semi-final, on Thursday triumphed 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) and will face either Caroline Wozniacki or Angelique Kerber, the German who beat Williams in the Wimbledon final and who will supplant the American atop the summit when the new world rankings are released o