All is now set for the women’s final at the 2017 US Open with two Americans making their maiden Grand Slam final, Sloane Stephens and Madison Keys.
After missing 11 months to a foot injury, Sloane Stephens only returned to action at Wimbledon, ranked 957th. With a run of 14 wins in 16 matches, Stephens is through to her first major final.
The 24 year old came from a set down to beat world number 9 Venus Williams 6-1 0-6 7-5 in the first semi-final.
Stephens becomes only the fourth unseeded woman to reach the US Open final in the Open era.
37 year old Williams, misses out on returning to the US Open final 15 years after her last, and the seven-time Grand Slam champion will end 2017 without a major title despite reaching two finals and a semi-final.
Madison Keys outclassed her friend Coco Vandeweghe to a 6-1, 6-2 victory.
The world number 16 who has had two wrist surgeries this year gave Vandeweghe no chance to advance to her first major final.
Neither Keys nor Stephens had gone beyond a semi-final of a major prior to the event at Flushing Meadows but both will now have a chance to make history on Saturday.
The duo will give the US its first All-American final since the Williams sisters in 2002.
It is also the first all-American U.S. Open final not involving one of the Williams sisters since Martina Navratilova beat Chris Evert in 1984.
The men’s semis will take place later tonight as Kevin Anderson takes on Pablo Carreno at 9pm while Rafael Nadal faces Juan Martin Del Potro at 11pm.
