Finally Jelena Jankovic has reached her first Grand Slam final after defeating Elena Dementieva 2-0 (6:4, 6:4) in the U.S. Open semis.

"As you can see, I have tears in my eyes," Jelena said in a courtside interview after wrecking the grand slam dreams of the Olympic champion. "I am a little bit emotional to be in the final."

"This has been the first grand slam (this year) that I don't have any injuries or don't have any issues bothering me," Jankovic told reporters.

"(In the past) I wasn't thinking about tennis, I was thinking: 'Oh, my God, this is hurting. This is bothering me.' So I was really struggling.

"I started with a lot of injuries. It was like a chain, going from one injury to another. I had some kind of bacteria for like three or four months where I was blowing my nose the whole time and I couldn't breathe and all these problems.

"Now I'm healthy and I really want to do well. I'm really focused, I really believe in myself and I'm really going one match at a time. I'm happy to be in the final for the first time."


Jelena was better than Dementieva in the windy conditions and felt she benefited by holding a mental edge.

"Mentally, I feel I'm a lot stronger because I really believe in myself," she said.

"I really want to do this and I think it's about time for me to make that step forward to break that barrier and go a long way.

"I want to win a grand slam and this is why I came here. Not having injuries, not having some problems, is giving me a good opportunity to be here, so I'm really thankful for that."

In the final Jelena will face two-time U.S. Open champion Serena Williams who downed Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2.

It will be Williams' 12th Grand Slam final, and Jankovic's first.

"Overall, she's the strongest player on the tour, together with her sister," said the second-seeded Jankovic. "Nobody has the power that they have. We cannot compare."

With Tropical Storm Hanna getting closer and rain in the forecast, tournament organizers made contingency made that could mean postponing the match until Sunday.

"I'm ready to play tomorrow. Hopefully we can," Williams said. "If not, I'll be ready for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday -- doesn't matter."

"I'm going to try my best and that's all I care about," Jankovic said, "even if it's tomorrow or next day or in a week."


(source The Associated Press,
photo/Jim McIsaac/Getty Images, Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

US Open final - Jelena or Serena?