US Open women’s semi-final: Jennifer Brady v Naomi Osaka – live!

That’s all for today. Be sure to check back shortly for Tumaini Carayol’s full match report.

“The road to the final, I have to beat the best players and definitely today was that day,” says Azarenka, who hit 25 winners against 18 unforced errors (compared to 35 and 28 for Williams, respectively).

Asked whether she felt nerves at the end of the match playing in the same stadium where she was broken by Williams while serving for the 2012 US Open title, Azarenka is to the point.

“Hell no,” she says. “I was young. My ego was way too big. Now it’s a little bit smaller. And the results are coming.”

Beautiful.

Asked what it means to return to the US Open final as a mother, Azarenka says: “You have many things you can do in your life. Being a parent is, to me, the most important thing in my life. But I’m a tennis player on the court, I want to go after my dreams, my personal dreams, and inspire my child. So I hope women around the world know that they can do anything because being a parent is the toughest thing. Once you can balance that, you can do anything.”

Third set: Williams 6-1, 3-6, 3-6 Azarenka

Azarenka wins two quick points, the second on a nine-shot rally that runs Williams ragged, and she’s two points from the US Open final. Williams gets one back with a blistering cross-court forehand winner. Then Azarenka double-faults for 30-all. Uh-oh. But Azarenka, who’s had trouble closing out matches against Williams on her racket in the past (2012 US Open final, anyone?), manages to dig in,. She crushed a 109mph serve down the middle that Williams can’t return for match point. And Azarenka pounds a 93mph ace out wide to complete the comeback. It will be Azarenka v Osaka on Saturday for the title!

Third set: Williams 6-1, 3-6, 3-5 Azarenka*

Williams keeps the scoreboard pressure on with another hold and Azarenka will serve for a spot in the final.

Third set: *Williams 6-1, 3-6, 2-5 Azarenka

Azarenka cruises to an easy hold and Serena will serve to stay in the tournament.

Third set: Williams 6-1, 3-6, 2-4 Azarenka*

Williams holds comfortably, putting the pressure back on Azarenka. Meanwhile, Ashley from Virginia emails to ask:

When is the last time both USO women’s semifinals went three sets?

Looks like tonight is the first time this has happened since the 2006 US Open when Maria Sharapova won 6-0, 4-6, 6-0 over Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin won 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 over Jelena Jankovic.

Third set: *Williams 6-1, 3-6, 1-4 Azarenka

Williams pushes it to 15-30 on Azarenka’s serve. It’s a bit of an opening for Williams but Azaranka digs in. She gets lucky with a netcord winner to end a grueling 15-shot rally, then wins the next two points to hold and stay out in front.

Third set: Williams 6-1, 3-6, 1-3 Azarenka*

Azarenka wins the first point on Williams’s serve. Williams grunting louder than ever, almost to the point of hindrance. She wants this badly. Serving at love-15, she wins the next four points to hold and end Azarenka’s string of five straight games, punctuating the game with a loud “Come on!”

Third set: *Williams 6-1, 3-6, 0-3 Azarenka

Azarenka hits back-to-back first serves that Williams can’t get back into play. Williams pushes her to 30-all but Azarenka closes out the hold with another big serve followed by a 90mph ace out wide.

Azarenka breaks in second game of third set!

Third set: Williams 6-1, 3-6, 0-2 Azarenka*

The game resumes with Williams serving at deuce to avoid going down a breeak (with a whole lot more tape on that left ankle). Williams misses on a backhand early in a rally and Azarenka has a break point. Williams saves it with a backhand winner, but Azarenka wins the next point when she rushes to the net and Williams puts it into the net (when Azarenka was open for the pass). A second break point for Azarenka and this time she converts thanks to Williams’s 22nd unforced errror.

Third set: *Williams 6-1, 3-6, 0-1, 40-40 Azarenka

Williams races to 40-love going backhand volley winner, 111mph ace out wide and 117mph unreturnable serve. But Azarenka pushes it to deuce after a Williams error followed by a pair of winners. And Williams is grabbing her left ankle after that point. She calls for her trainer. She’s limping to her chair. Patrick Mouratoglou is on his feet. Azarenka has returned to her chair and is sitting there with her eyes closed, trying to keep focus.

Third set: *Williams 6-1, 3-6, 0-1 Azarenka

Serena looking to take charge early, going ahead love-30 on the serve of Azarenka, who’s breathing heavy after these physical points. But Azarenka wins four points on the trot, closing out the hold with a forehand winner at the net.

Azarenka breaks in ninth game of second set!

Second set: Williams 6-1, 3-6 Azarenka

A suddenly error-prone Williams goes down love-15 then 30-40 and Azarenka has a pair of break and set points. And she needs only one of them, crushing a backhand winner! We’re headed to a third and deciding set.

Both players hit 12 winners in the second set, but Williams made eight unforced errors compared to Azarenka’s one.

Second set: *Williams 6-1, 3-5 Azarenka

Serving at 30-15, the longest rally of the match breaks out with Azarenka running Williams from corner to corner over 21 shots before Vika puts it away with a blistering forehand winner into the corner. Williams pushes it to deuce to make her opponent think about it, but Azarenka responds with a forehand passing winner followed by a 93mph ace out wide to close out the hold. Williams to serve to stay in the second set.

Second set: Williams 6-1, 3-4 Azarenka*

Now it’s getting interesting. Williams, whose timing has gone off in the last few games, goes down 15-30 then 30-40 on her serve, giving Azarenka another look at a break point. Williams saves it with an unreturnable serve. She faces a second break chance a few points later but saves that, too, before escaping with the hold.

Second set: *Williams 6-1, 2-4 Azarenka

Azarenka backs up the break in business-like fashion with Williams failing to get a single return in play.

Azarenka breaks in fifth game of second set!

Second set: Williams 6-1, 2-3 Azarenka*

Well, well, well. Williams makes a pair forehand unforced errors to go down love-30 on her serve, then Azarenka hits a backhand winner for 40-15 and a pair of break points. But she needs only one of them, ripping another backhand winner to nose ahead in the second set. Six winners against zero unforced errors for Azarenka this set.

Second set: *Williams 6-1, 2-2 Azarenka

Azarenka holds at love. She’s won the last seven points on her racket. She’s looked sharper over the last few games, taking the ball earlier and getting deeper into the rallies.

Second set: Williams 6-1, 2-1 Azarenka*

Azarenka pushes Williams to 15-30 on her serve, but Serena rattles off three quick points including a 102mph ace to hold. The final point was the highlight: a grueling 15-stroke rally ending with Serena ripping a forehand winner from the middle of the court.

Second set: *Williams 6-1, 1-1 Azarenka

Azarenka goes down love-15 and 30-40, but saves the break point when Williams can’t get a second serve back in play. Then Azarenka follows with her sixth and seventh winners of the night to close out the hold.

Second set: Williams 6-1, 1-0 Azarenka*

Williams holds at love to open the second set, crushing aces of 118mph and 111mph down the middle.

Williams breaks in seventh game of first set!

First set: Williams 6-1 Azarenka

Azarenka wins the first three points and, while it’s unlikely she will come back to win the first set, it seems as if there will be some positive takeaway from how she’s ending it. Then disaster strikes. Williams rattles off four points on the trot and suddenly Azarenka is set point down. She saves it but faces another moments later and this time Williams pounces, hitting a forehand winner at the net for the break and the set.

First set: Williams 5-1 Azarenka*

Azarenka showing fight and a bit more confidence in the rallies. Williams goes down love-15 then 15-30 on her serve, but cracks her first ace of the night for 30-all. Then Azarenka comes to net eary in the point and slots a forehand volley winner for her first break-point chance of the match, but wasted it after spraying a backhand up the line for deuce. Williams holds from there and Azarenka will serve to stay in the opener.

First set: *Williams 4-1 Azarenka

Azarenka plays her best point of the night so far, pushing Williams from corner to corner during a 14-stroke rally, yet bad netcord luck costs her for love-15. She wins the next two points but Williams rips her eighth winner of the night for 30-all. Another spot of pressure for Azarenka, but she rattles off two quick points to hold and finally get on the board.

First set: Williams 4-0 Azarenka*

A straightforward hold for Williams, who’s won all seven of her first-serve points and leads four games to none after only 14 minutes.

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First set: *Williams 3-0 Azarenka

Azarenka goes down 15-30, but slots a gorgeous backhand passing winner at the end of a 11-shot rally for 30-all. Williams, who’s been going big early in these points. then crushes a forehand winner for another break chance … and she converts it when Azarenka makes another unforced error from the baseline. A nightmarish start for Vika, who goes down a double break before the first change of ends.

First set: Williams 2-0 Azarenka*

Williams is matching Azarenka’s shaky start with two double faults to go down 15-30, but she serves her way out of trouble with two unreturnable serves followed by a 110mph service winner down the middle to back up the early break.

Williams breaks in first game of first set!

First set: *Williams 1-0 Azarenka

Azarenka’s first major semi-final in seven years is off to a shaky start. She wins the first point when Williams misfires on a backhand early in baseline rally but is broken from there, making two double faults.

“It means a lot for me,” Osaka says of her return to the US Open final. “I kind of consider New York my second home. I really love the atmosphere even though sadly there’s no people here, I feel like this court really suits me well.”

When asked what’s been most gratifying about the reaction to her decision to wear masks displaying the names of black Americans unjustly killed at the hands of police or civilians, Osaka is to the point.

“For me I feel like just knowing that I’m reaching people,” she says. “I feel like in this bubble I’m not really sure what’s going on in the outside world. Even a couple days ago when I got the video messages [from the parents of Trayvon Martin and Ahmaud Arbery], for me it was really touching. Me and everyone I know cried. Just knowing that people are hearing my voice.”

Third set: Brady 6-7, 6-3, 3-6 Osaka

Brady wins the first point with a sharply angled forehand that Osaka can’t get into the court. Osaka wins the next with a massive backhand for 15-all, but makes her first double fault of the night for 15-30 and Brady is two points from the break. But Osaka comes back with a 116mph service winner then a forehand winner off the ground for match point. And Osaka converts it with a curved serve that Brady can’t get back. She’s back into the US Open final for the second time in three years!

Third set: Brady 6-7, 6-3, 3-5 Osaka*

Brady holds and Osaka will serve for a place in Saturday’s final.

Third set: *Brady 6-7, 6-3, 2-5 Osaka

Brady is running out of chances to level this match with Osaka giving no quarter on her serve. Another comfortable hold for the 22-year-old and Brady will serve to stay in the tournament after the change of ends.