By DPA,
New York : Jelena Jankovic and Serena Williams overcame devilish wind which signalled the approach of weekend rain as they set up a final at the US Open with straight-set wins.
Jankovic broke through into a final at a major on her fifth attempt, reaching a Grand Slam title shot for the first time with a 6-4, 6-4 defeat of Olympic champion Elena Dementieva Friday.
Williams got an early break back from Dinara Safina, then slowly began to squeeze the Russian for a 6-3, 6-2 victory in one hour, 29 minutes as she aimed for her first title since winning the Australian Open in 2007.
Williams and Jankovic will also be bidding for the number one ranking. The American has reached the final at her home Grand Slam for the first time since 2002 when she beat her sister Venus for the trophy.
The American will be looking for a ninth Grand Slam trophy, while Jankovic is after her first. She and Jankovic stand a level 3-3 in their career series, the American winning their last meeting in the spring Miami final.
“I thought it was so windy, so I didn’t go as many winners,” said Williams, with just five unforced errors in the first set. “It’s so awesome to be in the final here.
“I’ve had a great summer. An American in the final here is really exciting. Jelena is playing well, neither of us have anything to lose tomorrow.”
“I want to win a Grand Slam, and this is why I came here,” said the second-seeded Jankovic. “Not having injuries, not having some problems, is giving me a good opportunity to be here, so I’m really thankful for that.
“Mentally I feel I’m a lot stronger, I really believe in myself. I think it’s about time for me to make that step forward to break that barrier and go a long way.”
Heavy rain from Tropical Storm Hanna in the Atlantic could bring poor conditions for the concluding weekend, a threat that organisers are closely watching.
“The USTA has several contingency plans in place depending on the time and duration of the inclement weather,” a statement from the officials said. “Those plans will be implemented and communicated as the forecast develops.”
The loss eliminated Dementieva from the race for the top ranking. Jankovic said that blustery conditions and a difficult opponent made victory tough.
“Elena’s a great champion and she kept running me down,” said the winner, now 18-4 at the event. “I’m very very happy to be in the final.”
Dementieva, the 2004 New York finalist, came into the semi-final with victories in 16 of her last 18 matches.