US Open: Azarenka beats Serena to set up Osaka final

 

Serena Williams’ quest for a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title on home soil was ended by Victoria Azarenka who downed the American 1-6 6-3 6-3 Thursday.

Belarusian Azarenka will now play Japan’s Naomi Osaka in her third final at Flushing Meadows on Saturday, having lost the previous two to Williams in 2012 and 2013.

Six-time US Open champion Williams came out firing winners from all sides of the Arthur Ashe Stadium court and wrapped up the opening set in little more than half an hour.

Azarenka, playing her first Grand Slam semifinal in seven years, raised her game in the second stanza and came out on top after some explosive exchanges of power-hitting.

The two-time Australian Open champion kept up the pressure in the third as 38-year-old Williams struggled with an injury to her left ankle and sealed her place in the final with an ace.

Fourth seed Naomi Osaka defeated 28th seed Jennifer Brady in a high quality three-setter.

The Japanese 2018 US Open champion overcame the 25-year-old American 7-6 (7/1), 3-6, 6-3 in 2hr 8min under the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium.

“I just felt like I was sticking it out, it felt like we were trading serves,” Osaka said of the semifinal tussle.

“I think I tried to adjust a little bit on her serve in the third set so maybe that helped,” she added.

The players traded six held service games each before Osaka the world No 9 took control of the tie-break.

At 2-1, Osaka won five points in a row, which included two unforced errors by Brady.

In set two the first seven games were held before Brady broke Osaka’s serve to take a 5-3 lead.

She then successfully held to take the match to a deciding third set as the duo traded big serves with powerful forehand groundstrokes.

The breakthrough in the deciding set came game when Osaka broke Brady’s serve in a fourth game that included a lucky net cord point for the Japanese.

Osaka then held her own to go 4-1 in front with the help of another net cord point.

Brady refused to go quietly though, forcing Osaka to hold twice to ensure the win and a second US Open final in three years.