No. 1 Iga Swiatek Advances to Second Grand Slam Final of Year at U.S. Open

NEW YORK (AP) — On Saturday, with a U.S. Open championship on the line, Ons Jabeur will go up against No. 1-ranked Iga Swiatek, who grabbed the last four games, and 16 of the last 20 points, to come back and beat No. 6 Aryna Sabalenka 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the second semifinal.

The first step for Swiatek to turn things around came when she headed to the locker room after the first set — to use the bathroom and think about what to adjust on court.

“I needed to get it together,” said Swiatek, a 21-year-old from Poland who already owns two trophies from the French Open’s red clay, including one this year, but never had been past the fourth round on New York’s hard courts.

Sabalenka, meanwhile. dropped to 0-3 in Slam semifinals for her career and 12-11 in three-setters this year. She broke for a 4-2 lead in the third set — and 17 minutes it was over.

Swiatek has emerged as a dominant figure in women's tennis this year, with a 37-match winning streak and six titles. If she can defeat Jabeur, Swiatek will become the first woman since Angelique Kerber to win two major championships in one season.