Vika and Serena, together again

As you always wanted to see them.

Last year, Victoria Azarenka took Serena Williams right to the brink in the U.S. Open final. She served for the match, in fact, but--when doing so--made three consecutive errors and was broken. And that was pretty much that. In other words, she was done in by nerves.

This year, Azarenka has had to battle all kinds of tennis demons to even get to the final, while Williams has blasted her way through. It looks like a fifth U.S. Open championship for Serena is just a day away, but.....Azarenka could raise her level and make a real contest out of it.

Paths to the final:

WILLIAMS
1st round--def. Francesca Schiavone
2nd round--def. Galina Voskoboeva
3rd round--def. Yaroslava Shvedova
round of 16--def. Sloane Stephens (15)
quarterfinals--def. Carla Suarez Navarro (18)
semifinals--def. Li Na (5)

AZARENKA
1st round--def. Dinah Pfizenmaier
2nd round--def. Aleksandra Wozniak
3rd round--def. Alize Cornet (26)
round of 16--def. Ana Ivanovic (11)
quarterfinals--def. Daniela Hantuchova
semifinals--def. Flavia Pennetta

Today, top seed Sabine Ellerbrock and 2nd seed Aniek Van Koot both advanced to the women's wheelchair singles final. Van Koot and partner Jiske Griffioen, the top seeds, won the women's wheelchair doubles competition. They beat 2nd seeds Ellerbrock and Yui Kamiji in straight sets.

Martina Navratilova and Rennae Stubbs won the Women's Champions Doubles event when they defeated Chanda Rubin and Iva Majoli in straight sets.

Barbora Krejcikova and Katerina Siniakova won the junior girls doubles title, defeating Belinda Bencic and Sara Sorribes Tormo 6-3, 6-4. Krejcikova and Siniakova, the top seeds, also son the doubles titles at the French Open and Wimbledon.

Finally, in junior girls singles, Tornado Alicia Black of the USA advanced to the final when she defeated 7th seed Antonia Lottner today in the semifinals. Also advancing to the final was Ana Konjuh. Black is unseeded. Lottner took out top seed Belinda Bencic in the quarterfinals.