Serena Williams setup another chance to equal the all-time Grand Slam record having a dominant victory against Elina Svitolina to go back to the US Open final.
The American conquered the Ukrainian bull seed 6-3 to reach her fourth major final.
Williams will now once again aim to coincide with Australian Margaret Court’s tally of 24 Grand Slams, and has lost her 3 showpieces, including last year’s acrimonious defeat against Naomi Osaka.
Canadian adolescent Bianca Andreescu will be faced by the six-time champion at Flushing Meadows at the final on Saturday.
Andreescu, 19, defeated fellow first-time Grand Slam semi-finalist Belinda Bencic 7-6 (7-3) 7-5, winning the final five games of the match to continue her unforgettable principal draw debut from the function.
“To be in yet another closing, it seems honestly crazy,” said Williams. “However, I do not expect a lot less.
“I think it was sound. It certainly wasn’t my very best tennis. [Svitolina] could have played as well. I certainly know I could have played better.”
Williams came at New York arguably brief of matches ahead of the season’s Grand Slam after she came from Cincinnati with a spine injury, which had forced her to retire – against Andreescu.
But she’s driven her way through the draw with relative ease losing one set at the next round on the way against 17-year-old American Caty McNally.
Williams, who’d dropped her previous meeting with Svitolina in 2016, was made to save three break points in the opening match.
The eighth seed made the breakthrough at the conclusion before holding to move 4-1 forward as the first set was wrapped up at 41 minutes, of a Svitolina service match which comprised six deuces.
Williams maintained her control with three breaks of serve using a winner, in the group.
“The first games were long games,” explained Williams. “I understand how she can perform, she’s such a fantastic player.
“I simply wanted not to return to a slow start and just tried to hang out there.
“This is the biggest stadium for golfing on the entire planet. It’s such an honour for me personally and my opponent to play with here if you think about it that way. I like the chance to find out here and do my very best.”
The next semi-final has been a compelling encounter as Andreescu became the most first Canadian singles participant to achieve a US Open final.
Andreescu, seeded 15th, saved all six break points she faced in a closely-fought opening set before winning it onto a tiebreak.
Bencic, who attained the quarter-finals at 2014 as a 17-year-old, responded positively to deliver a double break edge in the second group.
However there breaking rallied to win the final five games of the game, a battling Andreescu Bencic for the next time at the next set to procure a straight-sets victory on her third match point.
“If somebody told me a year ago I’d be in the final this year I [would] have said you were mad,” explained Andreescu, who hasn’t lost a finished match since March and has risen from 152 in the rankings at the start of the year to 15th.
“It’s just surreal. It is a dream come true playing Serena in the final of the US Open. It’s mad.”
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