US Open Tennis 2020: TV Schedule, Live Stream for Women's Semifinals

The four U.S. Open women's singles semifinalists have 27 Grand Slam titles between them. 

Serena Williams accounts for 23, while Victoria Azarenka and Naomi Osaka have two each. Jennifer Brady is the only one of the four searching for her first major crown. 

Brady may be in the best form of the quartet since she has handled each of her opponents with ease at the USTA National Tennis Center. Azarenka, Williams and Osaka have participated in at least one three-set match. 

Brady and Osaka kick off Thursday night's festivities inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, but most of the buzz in the buildup to the women's semifinals will circle around the second match.

Williams and Azarenka will square off for the 23rd time in their careers and for the fourth time at the U.S. Open.

U.S. Open Women's Semifinals Schedule

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN.com or ESPN app

Picks

No. 28 Jennifer Brady over No. 4 Naomi Osaka

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Brady had the easiest path to the final four of the quartet of players left in the draw. 

The 28th-seeded American has not lost a set, and she lost five games in each of her last two matches. 

In the fourth round, she knocked out three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber with ease. Her quarterfinal opponent, Yulia Putintseva, failed to make a dent in Brady's service game. 

The key to winning Thursday's first semifinal is accuracy on first serve. Brady put 63 percent of her first serves in play Tuesday, while Osaka had 47 percent of her first serves returned in her quarterfinal win over Shelby Rogers. 

If Osaka struggles on first serve yet again, Brady could find the opening for break-point opportunities and could take the first set from the 2018 U.S. Open champion.

Winning the opening set is vital for Brady since she carries less experience than the two-time Grand Slam champion, and it would help calm whatever nerves she faces in her first major semifinal. 

The other key for Brady is to cut down her unforced errors. She had 24 against Putintseva, but she had just 14 in the triumph over Kerber. 

If Brady plays a fairly clean match, it could lead to more breaks of Osaka's serve. Brady is 9-for-17 on break-point opportunities in the last two rounds. 

If the American succeeds in that aspect of the match and is steady on her serve, a Grand Slam final berth could be in her future.

No. 3 Serena Williams over Victoria Azarenka

Seth Wenig/Associated Press

Williams and Azarenka have a storied history in New York. 

The two players met in the 2012 and 2013 U.S. Open final, both of which went three sets. They have met a total of 10 times at Grand Slam tournaments. 

Williams holds an 18-4 advantage in head-to-head play over Azarenka, but all four of Azarenka's victories have come in tournament finals. 

Given how well both players have performed in New York, we are likely to see three sets out of this semifinal. 

Williams was pushed to a third set in each of her last three matches. On Wednesday, she rallied to beat Tsvetana Pironkova after losing the first set. 

If the third-seeded American plays like she did in the final two sets against Pironkova Thursday, she could have the advantage over Azarenka. 

Williams produced 13 aces, won four of nine break points and took 30 of the 40 points on her first serve after losing the first set. 

Azarenka is coming off her most dominant performance of the tournament against Elise Mertens in which she created 11 break-point chances and won 66 percent of her receiving points. 

Those numbers are expected to decrease with Williams on the other side of the net, which means Azarenka needs to be near perfect on her serve. 

Even in a match in which Azarenka lost a single game, she won 66 percent of her first-serve points and won half of her 16 second-serve points. 

If Williams finds a weakness in Azarenka's service game at some juncture of the match, she could have the advantage and move one win away from her 24th Grand Slam title. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from USOpen.org and WTATennis.com