NEW YORK (Reuters) – Serena Williams was beaten 1-6 6-3 6-3 in the semi-finals of the U.S. Open by Victoria Azarenka on Thursday, denying her the chance of winning a record-equalling 24th Grand Slam singles title on home soil this year.
Belarusian Azarenka will 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-times U.S. 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 semi-final in seven years, raised her game in the second stanza and came out on top after some explosive exchanges of power-hitting.
The twice 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.
(Reporting by Amy Tennery, writing by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
