US Open 2019 Women's Singles Final: Serena Williams vs. Bianca Andreescu

On day 11 of the US Open 2019, Serena Williams dominated the court, as she beat Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-1 to reach her 10th US Open Final. She will be facing 19-year old Canadian Bianca Andreescu in the final on Saturday at Flushing Meadows. Serena is standing on the verge of creating history, as she is only one win away from tying the 24 Grand Slam record of the former Australian World No. 1, Margaret Court.

On the other hand, Andreescu became the first Canadian woman to feature in the US Open Final and the second one to ever play a Grand Slam final. Eugenie Bouchard was the first Canadian woman to reach a Grand Slam final in Wimbledon, 2014. Andreescu beat Swiss player Belinda Bencic in a spectacular semi-final game at Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York. The Canadian was trailing 2-5 in the second set but held her nerves until she won the match, 7-6 (7-3), 7-5.

Serena looked dominant right from the start of the match as she pounded her opponent, Svitolina in straight sets without allowing the latter to recover from early strikes. After securing her spot in the final, Serena expressed her joy but also mentioned that she isn't feeling anything special because of her appearance in the final.

She continued to say that being emotional about the victory would create a lot of pressure around her, including expectations of clinching the title. She enjoyed the moment and didn't want to worry too much about the outcome awaiting her in the Saturday outing against the young Canadian tennis sensation.

Serena, over the years, has been an inspiration for many. But her recent past suggests that she is not the player she once used to be. This is evident by the fact that out of the first 25 Grand Slam finals of her career, Serena won 21 of them. However, she only won two out of the previous seven Grand Slam finals. Since she gave birth to her daughter; Olympia, on September 2017, Serena ended up on the losing side on all three Grand Slam finals that she appeared in.

Aside from any Grand Slam, Serena hasn't won any title since her return to the tennis court, post-pregnancy. It seems that time is not on her side. However, this tournament saw her dominate the court. If it were any other player, one would say that reaching a final is already an achievement in itself.

Serena will turn 38 later this month. Before that milestone, she would certainly be looking forward to adding her 24th major silverware to her trophy cabinet. According to the New York Times, Serena is already feeling the pressure, although she wants to stay calm and relaxed before the final. The stakes are high and only time will tell who can triumph on the occasion of the US Open 2019 Final; the established icon or the young ruthless talent.