Serena Williams Breezes Into US Open Final, Her First In 4 Years

She will play 20-year-old Naomi Osaka, the first Japanese woman to make a Grand Slam singles final, and a player a who idolises the American.

Serena Williams brushed aside her semifinal challenger Anastasija Sevastova to advance to the 2018 US Open women's final, and the chance to equal the all-time haul of women's grand slam trophies.

Williams isn't anxious that their only prior meeting, at Miami in March, was a victory for Osaka. Having reached the Wimbledon final in July, she has flown through the US Open draw like a high-speed NY subway train.

Another couple of breaks followed as she fed the Latvian a bagel, and the American will contest her 31st major final at the weekend. I feel that there is no value either way at current market prices and in my opinion, the best strategy will be to wait for potential entry points in-play. And she will against Williams, who is vintage form as she chases her first Grand Slam title since the birth of her daughter Olympia on September 1 2017.

Yet many Japanese appear to have embraced the endearing Osaka, charmed by her off-court genuineness as much as her on-court ferocity.

Interviewer: What was going through your mind as you went to serve it out? She never gives up.

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When asked why they opted to change coach, he replied: "I still don't know". "There was an agreement, but there was no agreement between the clubs".

Following her fourth round win over Aryna Sabalenka, Osaka broke into tears of joy but after her quarterfinal thrashing of Tsurenko, she remained stonefaced having been stung by people poking fun at her crying.

From that same article, Williams was also familiar with Osaka, calling her a "very dangerous" tennis player even when she was just 17 years old. "Even when I was a little kid, I always dreamed that I would play Serena in a final of a Grand Slam", Osaka said. "If my sister wasn't there", Naomi said on Thursday night, "I don't think I would have made it".

Sometimes critical of her own post-victory speeches, Osaka admitted to being teased on social media for crying after her quarter-final win, prompting her to keep a straight face after her semi-final triumph over home hope Madison Keys.

I think it work better with couple players. She was ready for this tournament.

The photo shows Alexis wearing a miniature version of the signature tutu her mum wore after her black cat suit got banned from another Grand Slam tournament, the French Open.

But Naomi admits that the years she spent sparring with Mari were the best thing that ever happened to her. I'm only a few months in and really looking forward to the rest of the year and next year.