Serena Williams set up a US Open final clash against Samantha Stosur with a dominant 6-2 6-4 victory over Caroline Wozniacki.
Stosur awaits in final
Serena Williams set up a US Open final clash against Samantha Stosur with a dominant 6-2 6-4 victory over top seed Caroline Wozniacki under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
The players did not take to the court until 10pm following the lengthy men's semi-finals and Williams, who hit 11 aces and 34 winners in total, was not in a mood to hang around.
It was a match that pitted the world number one against the player most people consider to be the best in the world, and the size of Wozniacki's task soon became clear.
Williams served three aces in her first two service games alone, and then set about breaking the Wozniacki serve, which she managed on her fourth opportunity.
The Dane was relying on her athleticism and powers of defence but Williams simply had too much power and, after treatment to her problematic right foot, she broke Wozniacki again to move 5-1 ahead.
Winners
The 21-year-old managed the not inconsiderable feat of breaking the Williams serve but the set was over moments later, with a tally of zero winners for Wozniacki and 18 for her opponent rather telling the story.
Williams got another flying start to the second set with an early break but Wozniacki was at least trying to play a bit closer to the baseline now and she hung onto her serve to force the American to serve it out at 5-3.
And rather surprisingly she could not do it, handing Wozniacki a break with a big double fault.
That still left the world number one having to hold to level, though, and Williams was not about to let another opportunity slip, sealing victory on her first match point with a return that was too hot for Wozniacki.
Williams is now one win away for a fourth US Open and 14th grand slam singles title only three months after returning to action following a year out with injury and health problems.
She said: "I really feel like I don't have anything to lose. I have beaten all the odds. Six months ago I was in the hospital and now I'm in the final.
"So I feel like, regardless of the result, I have been a champion for everyone out there who is fighting against all odds and staying positive."
Serve
Wozniacki admitted she had been beaten by the better player and felt Williams' serve, which generated 11 aces, had been the key.
She said: "I was definitely trying. I never gave up. I was always trying just to play the next point. But Serena played very, very well today.
"She's in great shape, serving well, returning well, playing her hard strokes. Especially that serve was just a killer. It's definitely not fun to be returning those first serves.
"Today she was just better than me. I have to accept that and just go back on the practice court and try to improve a few things and then try again next time."
Wozniacki inevitably faced questions about her ranking after again failing to win a slam, and the Dane added: "I'm still number one in the ranking and number one in the race.
"No-one can take that away from me for now. It's definitely been a successful year for me. I cannot complain. I won six titles. I have made two semi-finals of grand slams."
