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Iga Swiatek yet got to conscionable Serena Williams astatine this US Open.

Ons Jabeur yet got to conscionable Andy Roddick.

With those items crossed disconnected their to-do lists, Swiatek and Jabeur volition effort to instrumentality attraction of different important concern - winning a title - erstwhile they play each different Saturday successful the archetypal last astatine Flushing Meadows for each.

Swiatek, a 21-year-old from Poland who is ranked No.1, and Jabeur, a 28-year-old from Tunisia who is No.5 and volition emergence to No.2 connected Monday, person been the 2 ascendant figures successful women's tennis successful 2022. So it surely seems fitting that they are the past 2 players competing astatine the year's past Grand Slam tournament.

It is the benignant of year-long occurrence from 1 oregon 2 players the WTA has not seen lately, particularly arsenic Williams coiled down her career.

The closest happening to a subordinate asserting herself implicit the past mates of seasons had been Ash Barty, who won 3 majors and led the rankings earlier abruptly retiring astatine property 25 successful March. Swiatek succeeded her astatine No.1 amid a 37-match unbeaten tally that was the longest connected the women's circuit successful a quarter-century.

"Before, we conscionable had Serena, you know? Serena cannot play each the tournaments, and she was beauteous consistent. That truly inspired a batch of players," Jabeur said. "Yeah, decidedly it is amended for america to beryllium accordant and bash large results. We are trying to bash that. Iga did animate america with her winning streak, and we are going to proceed fighting."

The 2 finalists, whose head-to-head is tied 2-all, are archetypal and 2nd connected the circuit successful lucifer wins this season: Swiatek is 54-7, Jabeur is 44-13.

They besides are archetypal and 2nd successful finals reached this season: Swiatek is into her seventh, Jabeur her sixth.

One large difference, though, Swiatek is 6-0 successful those finals - and has won 9 successful a enactment wide - portion Jabeur is 2-3.

"Iga ne'er loses finals," Jabeur said, "so it's going to beryllium precise tough."

Another large difference: Swiatek already owns 2 expansive slam trophies, from the French Open successful 2020 and this June. She tin go the archetypal pistillate since Angelique Kerber successful 2016 to cod 2 large titles successful 1 season.

Jabeur mislaid her lone erstwhile Slam rubric lucifer astatine Wimbledon successful July, erstwhile she became the archetypal Arab pistillate and archetypal African pistillate to scope a large last successful the nonrecreational era, which started successful 1968.

She made it 2 successful a enactment with an easy-as-the-score-looks 6-1, 6-3 triumph implicit Caroline Garcia successful the semifinals connected Friday greeting (AEST). Swiatek had to enactment overmuch much effort into her semifinal win, coming backmost from a acceptable down, past doubly from a interruption down successful the third, to bushed Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 by taking the past 4 games and 16 of the past 20 points.

Swiatek besides needed to overturn a one-set shortage successful the 4th round, and is rather adept astatine making in-match adjustments erstwhile she needs to. That wasn't ever the case, but she's made advancement successful that country with the assistance of a sports psychologist, Daria Abramowicz, who travels with her.

"Earlier, I felt similar my emotions benignant of were taking implicit and I was panicking a small spot erstwhile I was losing. For sure, I grew up, I learned a lot. And the enactment we've enactment successful with Daria, for sure, helped," Swiatek said.

"Right present it's conscionable easier for maine to really logically deliberation what I tin change. And I consciousness similar I person much skills to bash that than 1 benignant of mode to play."

Two weeks ago, earlier the US Open began, she proudly posted connected societal media a photograph of her and Williams, with Swiatek penning that she "finally recovered the courage" to talk to the 23-time Grand Slam champion.

And Jabeur was conscionable arsenic thrilled astir getting to speech to - and hug - her idol, Roddick, the 2003 US Open champion who was the past American antheral to triumph a tennis major.

"I didn't know: Should I shingle his hand? Hug? I don't know. But I went for the hug, of course," Jabeur said. "He was precise nice. He told maine he's pursuing maine and supporting me, which is incredible."

Asked by a newsman wherefore she became a instrumentality of Roddick years ago, Jabeur mentioned his service and his personality.

Oh, and 1 much thing.

"He's handsome, also. I had to accidental that," she said with a wink and a smile. "Don't archer my husband."