NEW YORK — So let’s get this straight: There were no pools of sweat, no ice baths, no slick baselines.
The heat wave finally relented. At times, it was even cool. Not as cool as Naomi Osaka, but cool. The 20-year-old brewing star overpowered Madison Keys on Thursday night, 6-2, 6-4 to reach the US Open final.
This is the first time in the Open era a Japanese woman will be seen in the final of any Grand Slam. Osaka was also 1 year old when Serena Williams, her opponent Saturday, won her first Grand Slam (1998 US Open mixed doubles).
“What were you saying to yourself at the end there,” she was asked during the on-court interview after the win.
“This is going to sound bad, but I was just thinking I really want to play Serena,” said Osaka, smiling.
All the feels…@Naomi_Osaka_ punches her way to the final where she’ll face Serena Williams on Saturday…#USOpen pic.twitter.com/wyOs6qVEyS
– US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2018
Serena she gets. Williams has lost only one set in the entire tournament (H/T to Kaia Kanepi).
In the semis, she beat 28-year-old Anastasija Sevastova, thanks to stellar net play. In Serena’s on-court interview, she said. “I’ve been working hard on my volleys. I have won a few doubles championships, so I know how to volley. I just usually only come in only to shake hands.”
also look at this pic from 2015 pic.twitter.com/jt2kG2lcfB
– Ashley Holcomb (@ashleyxholcomb) March 21, 2018
Like Serena, Osaka has a tennis-playing sister, Mari. When asked about their rivalry during the press conference, Osaka said, “She beat me 6-0 until I was 15, so I don’t know if you could call it a rivalry if she could beat me 6-0.”
Naomi’s sister Mari is a tennis athlete as well and they credit playing tennis because they watched the Williams sisters growing up. Naomi is currently up 6-2 1-0 looking to play Serena in the finals pic.twitter.com/lkrbhNzdrx
– Ashley Holcomb (@ashleyxholcomb) September 7, 2018
The first thing Williams did after her win: Go spend time with her daughter.
“Did Momma win?” pic.twitter.com/DldSLLVtat
– Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) September 7, 2018
Celebrity spotting: “Grey’s Anatomy” creator Shonda Rhimes, “Orange is the New Black” star Uzo Aduba, Billie Jean King, former NBA player Jason Collins and actor Robin Roberts were seen among the crowd Thursday.
Serena heads to the finals! #usopen https://t.co/iJqpaRZlyY pic.twitter.com/M7j2iqC383
– shonda rhimes (@shondarhimes) September 7, 2018
A champion rooting for another champion — two-time FIFA World Player of the Year, Carli Llyod, was cheering for Williams courtside.
Serena is the best. @usopen #ontothefinal �� �� pic.twitter.com/RQViX1KrA1
– Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) September 7, 2018
More Americans made the final of the US Open today. The No. 3 duo of Jack Sock and Mike Bryan beat the Colombian pairing of Robert Farah and Juan Sebastián Cabal en route their second consecutive Grand Slam final of the year. (They won Wimbledon in July.) Bryan hopes to lift his 18th doubles major trophy, while Sock is going for his fourth.
What. A. Finish!@JackSock & @Bryanbrothers reach the #USOpen doubles final after defeating Cabal/Farah in a tight 3 setter! pic.twitter.com/1piINEvix6
– US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 6, 2018
CoCo Vandeweghe has had a disappointing year. “I would put 2018 into a dumpster and light it on fire,” she told ESPN.com recently. But maybe it’s not all bad. She made the women’s doubles final with Australian Ashleigh Barty, who upset No. 2 seeds Kristina Mladenovic and Timea Babos. Vandeweghe and Barty won Miami earlier this year and are becoming a dangerous doubles paring quickly.
It’s late, it’s hard.. We know.
Past his bedtime…
������#USOpen pic.twitter.com/XMTNl9561U
– US Open Tennis (@usopen) September 7, 2018