Serena drama builds as Pennetta into US Open final

Top-ranked Serena Williams prepared for the penultimate step in her calendar Grand Slam quest Friday while Italy's Flavia Pennetta beat Romanian Simona Halep to book a US Open finals berth. Drama built at Arthur Ashe Stadium around the upcoming match, postponed from Thursday by rain, between three-time defending champion Williams and Italy's 43rd-ranked Roberta Vinci, in her first Grand Slam semi-final. Williams, on a 33-match Grand Slam win streak and a 26-match US Open win streak, is only two