America will have a home finalist at the big sporting event in New York on an emotional day for the city, the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Serena Williams overpowered Caroline Wozniacki to reach the final of the 2011 US Open, where she will meet Australian Samantha Stosur.
Williams, seeded 28 but the bookmakers’ favourite for the trophy, beat the world number one 6-2, 6-4.
Williams, a three-time US Open winner, rushed to a 5-1 lead in the first set. Wozniacki, who played in the 2009 US Open final but has yet to claim her first Grand Slam title, broke back, but was then broken again.
Wozniacki again staged a mini recovery late in the second set after being 1-4 down, but it was too little too late.
Williams hit 11 aces to Wozniacki’s one. The American hit 34 winners to the Dane’s five.
The match finally finished shortly after 11.30pm ET, leaving Williams just over 16 hours to prepare for the final.
Williams will meet number nine seed Stosur, who beat unseeded German Angelique Kerber 6-3, 2-6, 6-2.
September 11 was due to be the day of the men’s final at Flushing Meadows, but rain disrupted the schedule, pushing that match back to Monday. Now the tenth anniversary of the attack on the Twin Towers will feature an American in a US Open final after all.
American interest in the men’s singles ended at the quarter final stage when Andy Roddick and John Isner were defeated by Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray.
After winning, Williams said: “I’m so happy, especially with 9/11. I really want to play on such a special day for America.”
Williams has yet to drop a set at Flushing Meadows as she aims for the 14th Grand Slam title of her career, but her first since Wimbledon 2010.
Stosur is the first Australian woman to reach the US Open final since Wendy Turnbull in 1977. She has more time to recover for the final than Williams after her semi-final was played on the third court in the afternoon. Williams had to wait for a rain interruption and two long men’s semi-finals before her match could begin on the main Arthur Ashe court.
