Serena steamrolls into 36th Slam final
NEW YORK — Serena Williams was a bit shaky at the start of her U.S. Open semifinal. For all of six minutes. That’s how long it took her to drop the opening two games. Williams spent the next hour playing flawlessly, particularly at the net, and grabbed 12 of the last 13 games to beat No. 19 seed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-3, 6-0 and reach her ninth final at Flushing Meadows and 36th in Grand Slam tournaments.
“I’ve been working hard on my volleys. I have won a few doubles championships so I know how to volley,” Williams said with a laugh, before adding this punch line: “I just usually come in only to shake hands.”
With one more victory, Williams will earn her seventh U.S. Open championship and her 24th major singles trophy, equaling Margaret Court for the most in tennis history. Williams already owns the mark for the most in the half-century pro era.
A year ago, Williams missed the U.S. Open because she gave birth to her daughter, Olympia, during the tournament. She then dealt with complications related to blood clots.
The American returned to the tour in February and to Grand Slam action at the French Open in May, when she had to withdraw from the field with an injured chest muscle. At her second major back, Wimbledon, she was the runner-up. Now comes a chance, a few weeks shy of turning 37, to become the oldest woman to win a Grand Slam singles title.
On Saturday, Williams will face No. 14 seed Madison Keys or 20th-seeded Naomi Osaka, who played in the second semifinal.
In the men’s semifinals Friday, top-ranked Rafael Nadal plays third-seeded Juan Martin del Potro, and No. 6 seed Novak Djokovic meets No. 21 Kei Nishikori.
All four players have reached the U.S. Open final — only Nishikori hasn’t won it — to make this the first Grand Slam final four since the 2012 Australian Open in which all four players were past finalists.