Serena tames Safina, enters final

By Larry Fine

New York

Sept. 6: Serena Williams returned to the US Open final for the first time in six years by sweeping away sixth-seeded Dinara Safina of Russia 6-3, 6-2 in a windblown contest on Friday.

The fourth-seeded American, who last played the Flushing Meadows title match in 2002 when she won her second US crown, will meet second seed Jelena Jankovic of Serbia with the world number one ranking also going to the winner.

Jankovic defeated Olympic champion Elena Dementieva of Russia 6-4, 6-4 to advance to her first grand slam final.

"It’s so awesome," Williams, who hopped up and down with joy after her service winner clinched victory, said courtside.

"I’m just happy to be finally back in the finals," added the eight-times grand slam winner, whose 2002 title match against sister Venus marked the last time the women’s final here featured an American.

"For once, an American back in the finals here so I’m really excited."

Williams dealt best with blustery winds that blew groundstrokes wide and long, and played havoc with serve tosses that sometimes strayed too far to hit and ended up bouncing towards the net.

Russian Safina broke the 26-year-old Williams in the opening game of the match but soon became frustrated with the gusting winds arriving ahead of an expected storm front.

Safina, who was initially successful in pounding her powerful forehand, gave the break back in the fourth game and was broken again in the eighth game on four errors to trail 5-3.

The Russian, who had been red-hot with six trips to the finals in her last seven events including three wins, shrieked after mis-hits flew off her racket and at one point yelled, "I hate this wind!"

She logged 41 unforced errors in the match.

Williams saved two breakpoints serving for the set in the next game and clinched it when Safina drove a forehand dead into the ground at the base of the net.

The second set started with three service breaks with the American emerging 2-1 ahead.

In the third game, Williams showed some of the fire she displayed in her quarterfinal victory over sister Venus, drilling a forehand into Safina’s chest from close range after racing in to hit a short ball.

Williams eased back after that, satisfied to keep balls in play and wait for Safina to make mistakes in the difficult conditions. She had just 21 unforced errors in the match.

In the other semifinal, Serbian Jelena Jankovic battled into the final in a blustery encounter.

The second seed came from behind in both sets to set up a match with American fourth seed Serena Williams.

"As you can see I have tears in my eyes, I am little bit emotional to be in the final," Jankovic said.

"I played something like five semifinals so to be in the final of a grand slam for the first time, I’m thrilled," she said.

Olympic champion Dementieva, the 2004 runner-up, broke in the first game and holding the advantage to 4-2 only for Jankovic to win four straight games to take the set.

The Russian again surged ahead in the second, but after a series of breaks, Jankovic snatched the vital break in the 10th game to seal her place in the final. — Reuters