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128 women started in the field, and now there are just two and we can expect a tight and long battle between them to take out this year’s US Open crown.
For the second year running, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka will contest the year’s final Grand Slam championship match after both pulled through contrastingly dominant performances in their respective semi-finals.
This final has the potential to be both thrilling and intriguing. There is no doubt that Victoria Azarenka would love to go one better after falling short in last year’s decider, while for Serena Williams it will be all about trying to successfully defend her national Grand Slam tournament for the first time, while also trying to win a fifth title at Flushing Meadows.
So, here is the full preview of what is expected to be a massive showdown between the world’s top two players:
Serena Williams (1) versus Victoria Azarenka (2)“
Head-to-head: Williams 13-2
This year: Azarenka 2-1
Last meeting: Azarenka 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (8-6), final, 2013 Cincinnati Masters.
Serena Williams
Road to the final
Round 1: defeated Francesca Schiavone 6-0, 6-1
Round 2: defeated Galina Voskoboeva 6-3, 6-0
Round 3: defeated Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3, 6-1
Round 4: defeated Sloane Stephens (15) 6-4, 6-1
Quarter-finals: defeated Carla Suarez Navarro (18) 6-0, 6-0
Semi-finals: defeated Li Na (5) 6-0, 6-3
US Open history:
Best result: Won (1999, 2002, 2008, 2012)
Past five: Won (2012), finalist (2011), did not play (2010), semi-finals (2009), won (2008)
Victoria Azarenka
Road to the final
Round 1: defeated Dinah Pfizenmaier 6-0, 6-0
Round 2: defeated Aleksandra Wozniak 6-3, 6-1
Round 3: defeated Alize Cornet (26) 6-7 (2-7), 6-3, 6-2
Round 4: defeated Ana Ivanovic (13) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
Quarter-finals: defeated Daniela Hantuchova 6-2, 6-3
Semi-finals: defeated Flavia Pennetta 6-4, 6-2
US Open history:
Best result: Finalist (2012)
Past five: Finalist (2012), third round (2011), second round (2010), third round (2009, 2008)
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to what is expected to be an intriguing and interesting final between the top two women in the world when Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka lock horns in the US Open final for the second year running.
This is only the second Grand Slam final since 2004 to feature the world’s top two players. The other time came at this year’s French Open when Serena Williams put the cleaners through Maria Sharapova’s title defence back in June.
Serena Williams has simply been unstoppable all fortnight, losing no more than five games in each of her six matches to date and not losing more than four in a single set.
Against Li Na in the semi-finals, she was extremely dominant and despite being broken early in the second set, never allowed the Chinese to really get into the match.
Her dominance could, however, be challenged by Victoria Azarenka, who has already defeated her twice this year on hard courts but will be desperate to go one better after losing a thrilling three-set championship match last year.
The Belarusian’s path to the final hasn’t been straight-forward – in the third and fourth rounds, she lost the first sets to Alize Cornet and Ana Ivanovic before climbing out of the canvas to deny them both.
But other than those, she has been very dominant in most of her wins as she seeks to add the US Open title to the pair of Australian Open titles that she has won over the last 20 months.
But she will have to overcome a lopsided head-to-head against Williams not just overall, but also at Grand Slam level. Azarenka has never defeated the American at the major tournaments, having come so close in the aforementioned match last year.
Stats that matter
* This will be the eighth Grand Slam meeting between the two, and the second in a final. Williams leads both categories 7-0 and 1-0, respectively.
* This will be their third consecutive meeting at the US Open; Williams also leads that category 2-0, including a third round win at the 2011 edition.
* This will be Serena’s 21st Grand Slam final (16-4), while for Azarenka this will be her fourth (2-1).
* This will be the fourth meeting (and final) between the two this year. Azarenka won both of their hard court meetings in Doha and Cincinnati, but Serena won on the clay courts in Rome.
* This will be only the second Grand Slam final pitting the world’s top two women against each other since the 2004 Australian Open.
* Victory for Serena Williams would see her level with Roger Federer on 17 Grand Slam titles, with the big chance of overtaking him next year.
* A straight sets victory for Williams would see her become the first woman since Justine Henin in 2007 to win the US Open without dropping a set.
* Victory for Williams would also see her become the first world number one to win the US Open since Henin, also in 2007.
* Williams has not won a Grand Slam tournament without dropping a set since winning Wimbledon in 2010.
* Victory for Williams would also see her successfully defend a US Open title for the first time, and also become the oldest women’s champion at Flushing Meadows.
* Victoria Azarenka has not defeated a seeded player at the US Open in straight sets since the third round last year.
* In the last two Grand Slams that Maria Sharapova has missed through injury, Serena Williams has gone on to win (2008 US Open and 2009 Australian Open). The trend is on track to continue.
The verdict
Serena Williams has simply been unstoppable, and it will take a mountainous effort for Victoria Azarenka to overcome her.
But as we saw last year, Serena didn’t have it exactly all her way, dropping her only set of the championships to Azarenka in the final last year.
Expect another challenge from Azarenka as she seeks to win her first US Open title, which would make up for last year’s heartbreak. But I’m still expecting Serena to be too good.
Prediction
Serena Williams in three sets.
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