Naomi Osaka Outlasts Jennifer Brady in 3 Sets to Reach 2020 US Open Final

For the second time in three years, Naomi Osaka is headed to the U.S. Open final. Whether she'll meet the same legend in said final will be determined later Thursday.

Osaka earned a 7-6 (1), 3-6, 6-3 win over Jennifer Brady in their semifinals clash, potentially setting up a 2018 rematch with Serena Williams, who plays Victoria Azarenka in the night's second match.

Brady, who was making her first appearance in a Grand Slam semifinal, acquitted herself well with a strong power game but could not quite keep up with Osaka's all-around brilliance. 

The pair traded service points in the first set, with Brady having the set's lone chance to break before heading to a tiebreak. Osaka took control of the match in that tiebreak, overwhelming Brady at 7-1 and carrying that momentum into the second.

After seven more trades of serve, Brady finally got her break. She quickly closed the second at 6-3 and appeared to be more in control emotionally than Osaka, who was clearly growing frustrated with her inability to even sniff a break point. Osaka's final shot of the second was a wild flail that went well out, as she muttered to her self walking to her chair for the break between sets.

It appears that short break was all Osaka needed to compose herself and steady her game. The two-time major winner came out with her emotions fully on display, screaming at herself after getting a key hold of serve to move to 2-1 and then making light work of Brady to get her first break of the match to move ahead 3-1. Brady made a critical error on break point by not challenging her return called out by the line judge; replay showed the shot was in.

Osaka, who has now won 10 straight matches, largely cruised through the remainder of the set holding serve. 

"I just felt like I wanted to come out of quarantine being positive and not really caring if I win or lose, just knowing that I put in 100 percent effort," Osaka, wearing a mask honoring Philando Castile, said in her post-match interview.  

Osaka will likely enter as the favorite against either Williams or Azarenka. She holds a 2-1 lead in head-to-head matchups against both women, highlighted by her 2018 triumph over Serena. Williams defeated Osaka in their last match at the 2019 Canadian Masters.

Azarenka and Osaka were slated to play in the Western & Southern Open final last month before Osaka withdrew due to a hamstring injury. Their only other match on hard courts came at the 2016 Australian Open, which went in Azarenka's favor