Victoria Azarenka Rallies, Stuns Serena Williams to Reach US Open Final

 Victoria Azarenka spent her whole career falling short against Serena Williams in Grand Slams. For one set, it looked as if she'd bow out in embarrassing fashion again.

Then she fought back, shocked Williams and advanced to the 2020 U.S. Open final.

Azarenka earned a 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over Williams, moving on to her first Slam final since 2013. She will face off against Naomi Osaka, who defeated Jennifer Brady in a three-set thriller Thursday in the first semifinal match at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The win is her first against Williams in a Grand Slam and just her fifth in 23 matchups overall.

Williams opened the match with a dominant first set, needing less than a half hour to make light work of Azarenka, who looked overwhelmed. Azarenka double faulted four times alone in the first set and only hit 52 percent of her first serves in play, with Williams taking advantage and overwhelming the Belarusian on her own first serve.

It looked as if the second set would follow a similar script, with Williams pushing Azarenka to break point on her first service point. However, as became the story of the match, Azarenka would not fold under pressure. She fought back, taking her first service game before breaking Williams herself and taking control of the match while showing an unflappable demeanor.

When Williams went down with an ankle injury at the start of the third set, Azarenka spent nearly the entire injury timeout with her eyes closed, keeping her focus on completing the task at hand. She did just that, immediately breaking Williams to go up 2-0 and carrying that momentum through the remainder of the match.

The win was a testament to both Azarenka's mental fortitude and her incredible returning ability, as she never flinched at Williams' power after getting used to the pace in the first set. A visibly frustrated Williams seemed to be at a loss as she smashed returns that would have been winners against any other player in the field, only to see them calmly coming back at her.

Azarenka will again look to play the spoiler in Saturday's final against Osaka, the sport's rising face. Osaka has made headlines with both her play and her commitment to social justice causes in New York, wearing masks to honor several Black people who were victims of violence.

Azarenka is 1-2 all time against Osaka and will likely enter the final as an underdog.