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New York: The US Open women’s final between American Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus has been postponed from Saturday night until Sunday due to an expected rainstorm and heavy winds, organisers announced.
The women’s final had been scheduled to start at 2300 GMT Saturday at Flushing Meadows. The start time for the women’s final was not yet decided. he men’s final is scheduled to be played on Sunday beginning 2030 GMT.
Meanwhile, Azarenka admitted Serena has “everything on her side” ahead of women’s singles final at the US Open.
It will be world No. 1 against fourth seed but there is no doubt it is the latter who is the favourite to win a fourth US Open title and a 15th Grand Slam singles crown.
Serena swatted aside Italy’s Sara Errani 6-1, 6-2 in the semi-finals and has dropped only 19 games on her way to the final.
The American also has the advantage of having won nine of her 10 previous meetings with Azarenka, who edged a much tighter contest against Maria Sharapova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
The last time Serena and Azarenka met, in the semi-finals of the Olympics last month, the world No. 1 managed only three games as Serena went on to add gold to her Wimbledon crown.
Azarenka said: “She’s the toughest opponent there is in the draw, and being in the final makes it even more difficult. If you look at our record — it says it all. I haven’t won in any of the last (seven) meetings, so I definitely need to find something to surprise her, because she’s in great form and feeling really confident right now. She has everything on her side.”
Serena simply overpowered the diminutive Errani, hitting 38 winners to six, and is now hoping — whatever the outcome of the final — that it plays out in a different fashion to last year’s final against Sam Stosur.
Serena was penalised for yelling out during a point and got into a furious row with umpire Eva Asderaki, for which she was later fined.
It was Serena’s second major controversy at Flushing Meadows after her infamous abuse of a lineswoman in her 2009 semi-final against Kim Clijsters.
The 30 year-old said wryly: “My goal this year was not to get in any fights. Hopefully I can make it. I grunted once and I thought, ‘I hope I don’t lose the point’. There’s still one match to go.”
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