Serena Williams Back In US Open Final
*It was hot and humid, it was windy and one semifinalist, China’s Peng Shuai, had already bitten the dust as a result of match-ending cramps, but Serena Williams took to Arthur Ashe court directly afterwards to compete for her first final appearance at a Grand Slam this year on Friday afternoon.

The number one seed and world no. 1 was to face Ekaterina Makarova of Russia (1st Slam semifinal appearance) who knocked her out of the Australian open in 2012 and along with her partner Elena Vesnina, knocked she and her sister Venus Williams out of US Open doubles just days ago.

That would likely mean trouble for the Russian, as Serena has been known to relentlessly exact revenge on those who find a way to stop her from achieving her goals (see Sharapova rivalry stats since Wimbledon 2004).

Serena had been getting slow starts in some of her matches during this us open though she was obviously able to flip the switch and right the ship, but she made a vow to Chris Evert during an interview that she would change with her semifinal match.

She did.

Serena started out serving, holding easily by using “the biggest weapon in women’s tennis” to great effect. Makarova was able to hold her own service game directly afterwards, making the score 1-1. Serena, in turn, held again, then broke The Russian to go up 3-1. Serena served her way to another hold again for 4-1.

The pressure began to mount for Makarova, likely frazzled by the enormity of the occasion, and she consequently dropped her next service game. Now up 5-1, Serena, was to serve to close out a potentially stress free first set. And In just 46 minutes, the first set went to the 2-time defending champion, putting her just one set away from the opportunity to secure her 6th us open title and her 18th Grand Slam title. If achieved, the feat would tie legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova in the number of Grand Slams won since the open era.

An uncharacteristically wobbly Makarova started out serving in the second set, immediately losing the first 3 points for 0-40 and handing three break points to Serena. She saved one with an ace down the T, but Serena bested her in a rally on the next point, causing an unforced error and broke for 1-0.

Quickly up 30-0 in the next game, Serena fires a 121 mph serve up the T and another at 99 mph to hold and consolidate the break for 2-0. Justifiably deflated, Makarova lost the first point on her next service game but drew an unforced error from Serena on the next point for 15-all. But Serena won the next two points for 40-15, securing another chance to break.

She did. One set in hand and 3-0, Serena.

Two big serves, a deft volley and a drive go-behind volley earned her an likely insurmountalbe 4-0 lead. Then the champion immediately went up 30-0 in the next game with Makarova serving. Makarova took the next with a forehand winner, but had a second serve on the next point punished for 40-15. She brought the score to deuce by winning the next two points and secured her first chance to hold in the second set with another one. Makarova narrowly secured the hold for 1-3.

45 minutes in, Serena is now up serving for a 5-1 lead. She held Makarova to just one point, closing out the game by serving a 91 mph unreturnable out wide.

Makarova was able to overcome a 30-all scoreline in her next service game and hold for 2-5 with two decent serves.

Serena, now up to serve for the match could taste her first final of the year.

She took the first point with an unreturnable serve and won the second with a line-finding groundy to go up 30-0 in the game. But she made errors on the next two points to allow Makarova to even the score at 30-all. Makarova was able to make two great returns to take the next two points and broke for the first time for 3-5.

It was a temporary, though, because what she couldn’t get done with her serve, Serena was more than capable on the day to “return” her way to the win.

Serena rushed out to a quick 30-15 lead on Maks next service game, but the Russian won the next point for 30-all. Serena, however, took the next point in a rally and earned her first match point. She didn’t falter and forced an out wide error form the Russian, taking the match, 6-1, 6-3, and earning her spot in her 4th consecutive US Open final.  And she did it in just one hour (maybe Usain Bolt’s presence in her box urged her to speed things up a bit) and this time without dropping a set.

Serena dropped to her knees  in front of the 20k + fans and let out a champion’s roar, as her theme song this week, “Roar,” by Katy Perry has alluded to these two weeks she’s been campaigning at Flushing Meadows.

“I feel so good! I’m so happy…I don’t even know what to say,” she told her Fed Cup coach, Mary Jo Fernandez, in her on court interview.  “I’m just happy to be here in New York in another final.”

The “oldest woman to hold the number one ranking and to win a US Open (2013)” put in a comprehensive performance and she’ll compete against her friend, Caroline Wozniacki, on Sunday for the title.

“I want to win and make a little history and she’s such a great person and wants to win her first Grand Slam … I will be happy with whatever the outcome, so I’m gonna enjoy it,” she said when asked her thoughts on the final.