Serena Williams’ latest quest for a 24th Grand Slam singles title came to an agonising end as old foe Victoria Azarenka took the onus of reaching the US Open final.
Williams raced away with the first set but could not take the decider as she sustained an Achilles injury late in the game to lose 1-6 6-3 6-3 to the inspired former world number one.
The American called on the trainer for an ankle problem early in the third set and struggled physically after that.
Victoria Azarenka, who has been a shadow of herself since her stop-start return from maternity leave in 2017 faces Japan’s 2018 champion Naomi Osaka in the final.
She would be appearing in her first Grand Slam final since 2013 following troubled times on and off the court.
Watch the match highlights below
Azarenka has been in fantastic form in recent weeks despite being written off prior to her victory in the Western & Southern Open just before the US Open, which also now includes winning 11 matches in a row.
“I have been working on finding a calm mind and keep the body going,” the Belarusian said in her on-court interview.
“She dug me in a big hole in the first set. I needed to find the energy to climb out of the hole and it wasn’t easy.”
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Williams had survived three-set battles consecutively against Sloane Stephens, Maria Sakkari, and Tsvetana Pironkova and took matters into her own hands in a pulsating start, crushing any suggestion of vulnerability.
Azarenka didn’t’ help herself much either with a nervy first service game and Williams needed no second invitation to crush her opponent’s weaker second serve.
She was 4-0 up in no time and wrapped up the first set in just 34 minutes.
It seemed a minor setback when Williams missed the chance to break for 2-0 in the second set, but that gave Azarenka a foothold as she went on to win the set.
Tied at one set each, it was Williams who needed to change momentum, and what she certainly did not need was an injury.
The 38-year-old clutched her left Achilles heel as Azarenka made it deuce in the second game of the deciding set. The Belarusian seized the opportunity and eventually broke Serena after a lengthy medical timeout.
Williams, however, didn’t go down without a fight as she tried to claw her way back into the game but Azarenka held her nerve superbly to seal victory with an ace for her first win over Williams at a Grand Slam in 11 tries.
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