Canadian teenager Andreescu to face S Williams for US Open title

Andreescu on Thursday saved a set point in the first set and rallied from 5-2 down in the second to defeat Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 7-6(3), 7-5 for her maiden Grand Slam final while 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams had an easy time in the semifinal, defeating No.5 seed Elina Svitolina of Ukraine 6-3, 6-1.

The American, who last won Grand Slam title at the 2017 Australian Open, has reached three major finals since marrying and giving birth to daughter, Alexis Olympia, all in the hopes of tying Australian great Margaret Court's all-time record of 24.

"I definitely would still be playing if I had already passed it. I've had so many chances to pass it and to have a lot more, but it's cool because I'm playing in an era, like five eras with so many amazing players," said Williams.

"If you look at the span of the career, the players I've played, it's amazing that I was able to get this many."

Dropping just one set en route to the semifinals, Williams has only looked stronger with each win, allowing Chinese number one Wang Qiang just one game in the quarterfinals.

Svitolina, who's playing her second straight major semifinal after reaching her first two months ago at Wimbledon, looked hot at the beginning of the semifinal, but still could not maintain consistency against the powerful Williams.

Svitolina started on fire, engineering three break points in the opening game, but Williams saved all three and flipped a 40-0 deficit in the following game to earn an essential break.

After battling the first two games in 16 minutes, Williams remained in control for the remainder of the opening set, saving three more break points and ultimately serving it out on her first set point.

Taking the momentum into the second set, Williams raced out to a double break lead at 5-1, and never looked back.

Williams struck 33 winners to just 20 unforced errors, hitting six aces and dropping just four points behind her first serve. While Svitolina failed to convert on all her six break points and just had 11 winners.

Standing between Williams and a 24th major title will be the 19-year-old Andreescu, who also has a chance to make history.

Andreescu is just the second women's Grand Slam finalist from Canada -- after Eugenie Bouchard at Wimbledon in 2014 -- and will bid to become the first teen Grand Slam champion since Maria Sharapova won at Flushing Meadows in 2006.

Andreescu never held a break point in the first set against Bencic, but won it in a tiebreak after saving all six break points against her, then fought back from a double-break down in the second set to reel off the last five games of the clash and claimed the victory after two hours and 12 minutes of play.

"If someone had told me last year that I would be in the final I would have said you are crazy," Andreescu said. "It is just surreal. It is a dream come true to play Serena in the final of the US Open."

In their only previous meeting, Williams and Andreescu faced off in the Rogers Cup final earlier last month, but the match ended abruptly after Williams was forced to retire due to an upper back injury.