US Open: Amanda Anisimova defeats Naomi Osaka to set up final against defending champion Aryna Sabalenka

Amanda Anisimova made it through to consecutive Grand Slam finals and a shot at ultimate redemption with a showdown against defending US Open champion Aryna Sabalenka.

American star Anisimova exacted revenge for one of the most brutal defeats in Grand Slam history at Wimbledon by ousting Iga Swiatek in the quarter-finals, and she followed it up by battling back to knock out four-time major winner Naomi Osaka 6-7 (4-7) 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 in a late-night New York thriller to continue her remarkable resurgence.

The 24-year-old's journey from tears in July at Wimbledon to triumph on a near-empty Arthur Ashe Stadium at 12.54am local time epitomises the sport's capacity for atonement.

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Anisimova said of Osaka: "She's back where she belongs. I told her I'm so proud of her after having the baby. She was
really giving me a run for the final.

"I wasn't sure I would make it past the finish line. I just tried to stay positive. There was a lot of nerves at the beginning. This tournament means so much to me.

"I tried to enjoy the moment. Sometimes I was like, 'how are we making these shots'? This has been a dream of mine forever to be in a US Open final and obviously the hope is to be the champion. It's really special."

Playing her first major semi-final since 2021, two-time US Open champion Osaka embraced the big occasion in the prime-time glare, winning 11 of the first 13 points as Anisimova struggled to settle into the occasion, but she found her range in time to break her opponent when she served for the opening set.

A delayed line call by the automated system disrupted play at a crucial moment - an out call appearing to come before the ball had landed - with Osaka at set point in the tie-break.

But a replay showed the Japanese star's shot had indeed landed out and she refocused before letting out a big roar to take her next opportunity.

But the 23rd seed struggled to carry the momentum forward in the next set.

The duo freely swapped breaks but dialled up the intensity with some ferocious hitting for 12 games in the next set before Wimbledon runner-up Anisimova pounced in the tie-break to drag the match to a decider.

With Osaka appearing to be in physical discomfort, eighth seed Anisimova surged ahead 4-1 thanks to a forehand winner.

At the finish line, the American wobbled, missing two match points, and Osaka had two chances to fight back, but Anisimova committed to full-blooded backhands and got her reward.

"I don't feel sad," Said Osaka. "I just feel like I did the best that I could. It's honestly kind of inspiring for me. It makes me want to train and try to get better."

Tale of the Tape: Anisimova vs Osaka

Sabalenka fights back to beat American hope Pegula

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Sabalenka battled back to keep her title defence rolling by beating Jessica Pegula 4-6 6-3 6-4 in the opening semi-final of a dramatic night.

The world No 1 recovered from a nervy start in a rematch of last year's final, drowning out the partisan American fans under the roof of Arthur Ashe Stadium due to rain in the area, and overcame the fourth seed with 43 winners and eight aces.

Pegula brought some of her best tennis but after winning the first set she struggled to absorb Sabalenka's powerful groundstrokes as the Belarusian showed her mettle to edge through to Saturday's showpiece for the third consecutive year.

"It was a really tough match, she played incredible tennis as always and I had to work really hard to get this win," said Sabalenka, who is looking to become the first woman since Serena Williams in 2014 to successfully defend the trophy.

"I'm just super happy to be in the finals again and hopefully I can go all the way again. I was just praying inside and hoping for the best. I'll go out there on Saturday and I'll fight for every point like (it's) the last point of my life."

Sabalenka had the advantage in head-to-heads, having won seven of their nine previous meetings, including the last three, all in straight sets, and she arrived on court for the first time in four days after quarter-final opponent Marketa Vondrousova pulled out of the tournament injured ahead of their scheduled clash.

The top seed quickly fell into her rhythm and moved into a 4-2 lead, but Pegula produced a brilliant sequence of points to take the opening set, absorbing Sabalenka's pace and using short angles to keep her off balance.

Sabalenka, 27, headed off court for a bathroom break and played superbly on her return, opening up an early lead again in set two and this time holding onto it to level the contest.

In the decider she fought off three break points in the fifth game and another at 4-3, throwing her racket to the ground after double-faulting at 30-30 but then producing her best just when she needed it, taking her third match point, powering a forehand into the corner and roaring with delight and relief to win a pulsating contest.

Tale of the Tape: Sabalenka vs Pegula

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"I thought it was really high-level. I don't really know what else to say. I don't know how I didn't break back in the third," said Pegula.

"She came up with some ridiculous shots, like on breakpoint. I didn't feel like I did much wrong. It seemed like the level was really high, and we were pushing each other every single game."

British success at the US Open

Joe Salisbury and Neal Skupski will aim to become the first all-British pair for more than a century to win the US Open men's doubles title when they contest the final on Saturday.

Salisbury and Skupski continued their excellent first season together by fighting from a set and a break down to defeat Yuki Bhambri and Michael Venus 6-7 (2-7) 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 in the semi-finals.

There could also be a first all-British girls' singles final at a Grand Slam, with defending champion Mika Stojsavljevic and Hannah Klugman both through to the semi-finals.

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