22:41 GMT – Serena wins sixth US Open, 18th Grand Slam title – AFP IS NOW CLOSING THIS LIVE REPORT after Serena Williams won her sixth US Open title — and her 18th Grand Slam crown — with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki, a former number one still in search of her first major.
Williams earned the rare three-peat with her dominating performance on Sunday, having defeated Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in 2012 and again in 2013.
It was her sixth US Open title overall, after earlier wins in 1999, 2002 and 2008.
Williams, the world number one, is the oldest women’s US Open champion – a mark she already had earned last year.
Read on to find out how today’s final unfolded — and join me again tomorrow for the somewhat unexpected men’s final between Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Croatia’s Marin Cilic. Both are first-time Grand Slam finalists. The men’s championship match is due to begin at about 2100 GMT Monday.
22:35 GMT – Serena ‘so excited’ about win – After the match, Serena says that she is “so excited” and is “emotional” about being mentioned in the same group as Navratilova and Evert.
“Who am I? I never thought you would mention my name with such greats and legends,” Williams says.
Williams said she finally felt like she was in control “on match point” but admits she was “tight and nervous” for most of the match.
“I’ve been practicing really hard for six months,” she says. “I think it’s just now showing, all the hard work I’ve been doing.”
Serena signs a few autographs for fans before leaving the court.
22:21 GMT – Martina, Chrissie welcome Serena to 18 Club – Navratilova and Evert present Serena with an 18-karat gold Tiffany bracelet to commemorate her 18th Grand Slam title. Impressive line-up of champions at Arthur Ashe right now.
Serena hoists the winner’s trophy above her head, a giant smile on her face, and the crowd cheers.
22:19 GMT – Serena: ‘Wonderful feeling’ – Williams describes her win as a “wonderful feeling” and congratulates her friend Wozniacki. She says she needs to “go home and get fit” so she can battle the Dane in the Australian Open, the next Grand Slam early next year.
Serena gets emotional, tearing up as she thanks her family, coach and hitting partner.
22:17 GMT – Caro to Serena: Drinks are on you – Wozniacki, who is a good friend of Williams, says after the match: “You definitely owe drinks later.”
22:15 GMT – Serena joins Martina, Chrissie with 18 Slams – The 32-year-old Williams — the world number one — joins Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert as an 18-time major winner, four behind Open- era leader Steffi Graf and six off the all-time record held by Margaret Court.
Williams will retain her number one ranking when the new WTA list is released on Monday.
She is the second oldest Grand Slam champion at 32 years and 346 days. Navratilova was 33 years and 263 days old when she won Wimbledon in 1990.
22:12 GMT – Williams reigns supreme – Serena Williams is US Open champion once again, and for the third time in a row!
She earns her sixth US Open title — her 18th Grand Slam singles title — in convincing fashion, easily defeating Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3.
WILLIAMS WINS HER SIXTH US OPEN TITLE, BEATING WOZNIACKI, 6-3, 6-3
22:06 GMT – WILLIAMS 6-3 5-3 *WOZNIACKI (*Denotes upcoming server) – Serena holds, relying on her powerful serve to win a few easy points, including one at 116 mph. She seals the game with a crosscourt forehand into the open court that leaves Wozniacki standing still.
Williams is dialed in and one game away from her sixth US Open title. Can Wozniacki find the fire to mount a massive comeback?
22:01 GMT – *WILLIAMS 6-3 4-3 WOZNIACKI (*Denotes upcoming server) – Wozniacki holds at love, with another ace — her third.
Telling stat about her difficulties in today’s final: the only winners she has in the entire match are those aces.
The Dane is slowly running out of time, but hanging in the match, perhaps hoping Serena will lose her cool.
21:59 GMT – WILLIAMS 6-3 4-2 *WOZNIACKI (*Denotes upcoming server) – Easy hold for Serena, who is closing in on the title.
21:56 GMT – *WILLIAMS 6-3 3-2 WOZNIACKI (*Denotes upcoming server) – Caroline fires her second ace to notch another key hold of serve.
Williams is nevertheless still up a break in this second set.
21:54 GMT – Crazy stat – Wozniacki has hit only one winner during the entire match: an ace.
21:53 GMT – WILLIAMS 6-3 3-1 *WOZNIACKI (*Denotes upcoming server) – An easy hold for Serena, who is now three games away from the title.
Wozniacki seems to be struggling to muster up any momentum in her second Grand Slam final.
The match is not even an hour old.
21:51 GMT – A bit of perspective – From my colleague Dave James: When Serena made her US Open debut in 1998, Wozniacki had just turned eight.
A reflection on Williams’ durability and strength as a player, or a comment on the condition of the women’s game?
21:49 GMT – *WILLIAMS 6-3 2-1 WOZNIACKI (*Denotes upcoming server) – Wozniacki clings to life in the second set, holding serve when Williams cranks a crosscourt backhand wide.
Fun fact: Williams owns the longest span of years winning at least one Grand Slam title — 14. If she wins today, she will extend that streak to 15 years.
21:44 GMT – WILLIAMS 6-3 2-0 *WOZNIACKI (*Denotes upcoming server) – Williams consolidates the break, taking the game with another ace.
Serena is gaining confidence now. John McEnroe says: “She’s just putting on an exhibition.”
21:41 GMT – *WILLIAMS 6-3 1-0 WOZNIACKI (*Denotes upcoming server) – Williams is cruising right now, taking the early lead in the second set.
Serena even earns the lucky net cord bounce mid-game to earn a break point, and then converts when the blonde Dane pushes another forehand into the net.
21:35 GMT – WILLIAMS 6 *WOZNIACKI 3 (*Denotes upcoming server) – Serena takes the first set, as she moves one step closer to her third consecutive US Open title and 18th Grand Slam singles crown.
Williams seals the set with a backhand winner — and a pump of her fist.
FIRST SET TO WILLIAMS 6-3
21:31 GMT – *WILLIAMS 5 WOZNIACKI 3 (*Denotes upcoming server) – Wozniacki holds for the first time in the match. Serena will now serve for the first set.
21:25 GMT – WILLIAMS 5 *WOZNIACKI 2 (*Denotes upcoming server) – And finally, Williams holds serve when Wozniacki dumps a backhand into the net. Serena is one game away from taking the opening set.
21:22 GMT – *WILLIAMS 4 WOZNIACKI 2 (*Denotes upcoming server) – Another service break? That’s right. Williams is up a break once again.
Spotted in the crowd: TV camera picks out Andy Roddick. A respectful round of applause for the 2003 champion who remains the last American man to win a Grand Slam singles title.
21:21 GMT – Super Sunday for New York sports – From my colleague Dave James: the US Open women’s final is part of a busy Sunday of sports in New York.
Over in the Bronx, the Yankees are saying farewell to star shortstop and team captain Derek Jeter, who will retire at the end of the season, while in East Rutherford, New Jersey, the New York Jets are kicking off their NFL season against the Oakland Raiders.
21:17 GMT – WILLIAMS 3 *WOZNIACKI 2 (*Denotes upcoming server) – Topsy-turvy match so far for the servers – this is the fourth consecutive service break. Williams double-faults and we are back on serve once again.
Fun fact: Serena won the US Open in 1999, 2002, 2008, 2012 and 2013.
21:14 GMT – *WILLIAMS 3 WOZNIACKI 1 (*Denotes upcoming server) – Another break of serve and Serena is back in the lead.
Tennis legend John McEnroe, calling the match for CBS: “It’s clear that Serena is dictating virtually every point.”
He also talks about the “brutal force” of Williams’s groundstrokes.
21:08 GMT – Pageantry in motion – A bit more color from my colleague Dave James: as the last spectators make their way into Arthur Ashe Stadium, the Marines make their way out to slowfully and carefully refold the giant Stars and Stripes used to cover the court.
“Under, over, under,” bellows the company sergeant until the operation is completed, with just four of the 32 servicemen and servicewomen left to wheel away with the flag.
The very impressive procedure is somewhat drowned out by screams from the open-sided bar above, where a giant TV screen shows the San Francisco 49ers scoring a touchdown against the Dallas Cowboys.
21:06 GMT – WILLIAMS 2 *WOZNIACKI 1 (*Denotes upcoming server) – Wozniacki breaks back when Williams rips a backhand wide and we are back on serve.
Fun fact about Arthur Ashe Stadium: it seats 23,771, and it’s 105 feet from the court to the top seat in the stadium.
21:03 GMT – *WILLIAMS 2 WOZNIACKI 0 (*Denotes upcoming server) – Williams converts on her second break point with a clean forehand winner down the line to take the early lead.
Some early match jitters from Wozniacki. Her serve looks a bit shaky.
20:56 GMT – WILLIAMS 1 *WOZNIACKI 0 (*Denotes upcoming server) – Serena faces a break point in the opening game but swats it away with an ace. She then takes the game with a ferocious inside-out forehand.
20:54 GMT – Tweets a-plenty – Want to follow the players on Twitter?
Williams (@serenawilliams) has more than 4.5 million Twitter followers. On Friday, she said she was “madly deeply in love” with her fans.
Wozniacki (@CaroWozniacki) has nearly 700,000 followers. Her last tweet before the final? About the music she was listening to before heading to the stadium.
20:53 GMT – Coin toss – Tennis legend Billie Jean King, in shades and a purple jacket, handled the coin toss.
Serena won the toss and has chosen to serve.
20:50 GMT – Warm-up – Players are now warming up.
Serena is wearing a black and white leopard-print dress, accented with a red headband. Caroline is in a red and pink shirt-skirt combo.
20:43 GMT – Pre-match thoughts – Players are about to head onto the court.
Wozniacki: “I just have to play my best tennis.”
Williams: “I’m going to just try to hang in there and just do my best.”
20:40 GMT – Sunny skies – On-court conditions for the players: pleasant.
Weather in New York is sunny and mercifully free of the crushing humidity that has been a feature of the tournament, but which was swept away by Saturday’s spectacular thunderstorms.
20:38 GMT – History lesson – A bit of history from my colleague Dave James:
On this day in 1997, the first singles finals were played in the new Arthur Ashe Stadium with Martina Hingis beating Venus Williams and Pat Rafter taking the men’s title over Greg Rusedski.
Also on the same day in 2003, Andy Roddick won his only major title, beating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final — it remains the United States’ last men’s singles title at a Grand Slam.
20:37 GMT – Pre-match patriotism – Nick Jonas is singing “God Bless America”, accompanied by a string quartet, as Marines unfurl a giant American flag.
20:35 GMT – Tenacious Dane – Wozniacki has come on strong this season since the painful and public end of her engagement to star golfer Rory McIlroy.
She is 40-14 on the year, but 25-5 since the French Open, including a title in Istanbul in July.
20:34 GMT – Six-time lucky? – Williams is going for her sixth US Open singles title, an achievement that would put her on a par with legendary Chris Evert.
It would also be her 18th Grand Slam title – she is bidding to join Evert and Martina Navratilova at that mark. Only Margaret Court, Steffi Graf and Helen Wills Moody have more Grand Slam singles titles.
20:29 GMT – Marines at attention – From my colleague Dave James:
Thirty two US Marines have assembled in front of the media center ready to take part in the pre-match ceremonies.
One serviceman was carrying out running repairs to ensure a medal would stay on his uniform front.
20:27 GMT – Fans streaming in – From my colleague Rebecca Bryan: Arthur Ashe Stadium is gradually filling up as fans finish loading up on provisions in the food court to see them through what could be a long three-setter.
20:24 GMT – Tougher road for Caro – Wozniacki, the 10th seed, has had a more difficult road. She notched a major upset in the round of 16, defeating former champion Maria Sharapova in three sets.
The 24-year-old Dane then whipped Italy’s Sara Errani in the quarterfinals, 6-0, 6-1. Wozniacki advanced to the finals when China’s Peng Shuai dramatically retired from their semi-final with heat related illness. The Dane had been leading 7-6 (7/1) 4-3.
20:22 GMT – Serena’s road to the final – Williams, who will turn 33 later this month, has hardly been challenged in her run to the final. She has yet to drop a set.
The American quickly sent Italy’s Flavia Pennetta packing in the quarterfinals, winning 6-3, 6-2 in little more than a hour. In the semi-finals, she defeated Ekaterina Makarova of Russia, 6-1, 6-3.
20:16 GMT – Live from Flushing Meadows – WELCOME TO AFP’S LIVE REPORT on the US Open women’s final at Flushing Meadows between world number one and two-time defending champion Serena Williams of the United States, and world number 11 Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.
The match — which could see Williams win her 18th Grand Slam singles crown and her sixth US Open title — is due to start at Arthur Ashe Stadium shortly after 4:30 pm EDT (2030 GMT).
This is the 10th career meeting between the two players, with Williams holding a 8-1 edge, including two wins over Wozniacki in the run-up to the US Open in Montreal and Cincinnati.
Williams is 44-6 so far this year, but this is her first Grand Slam final of 2014. For Wozniacki, a former world number one, today’s final appearance marks a bit of a comeback. It is her second-ever Grand Slam final — she lost to Kim Clijsters here in New York in 2009.