DON EMMERT/Getty Images Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka will clash in the U.S. Open final Saturday after they emerged victorious in their respective semifinals Thursday. Williams, the No. 17 seed, made light work of Anastasija Sevastova, 6-3, 6-0, in the evening's first showdown, and Osaka, the 20th seed, qualified for her first Grand Slam final with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Madison Keys to close out the night session. Those two will now clash for the second time with Osaka looking for a 2-0 lifetime edge against the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion. Date: Saturday, Sept. 8 Time: 4 p.m. ET TV: ESPN Live Stream: WatchESPN Preview Seth Wenig/Associated Press Saturday will be a clash of the old guard against the new guard—and it will likely be an introduction for many to Osaka. Video Play Button Videos you might like The show-stopping 20-year-old has seen her profile skyrocket since she defeated Williams in the first round of March's Miami Open, and she's looked like one of the most dominant players on tour since arriving in New York. Like Serena, Osaka has dropped a single set through six matches. And on Thursday, she appeared a cut above Keys—the 2017 U.S. Open finalist—when she saved all 13 break points she faced to set up a dream tilt against Serena: On the flip side, Williams figures to be quite fresh for her shot at revenge. The 36-year-old has played one match in excess of 90 minutes at the year's final major, and she looked downright dominant Thursday. After dropping the first two games of the opening set against Sevastova, Williams rebounded and won 12 of the next 13 games to put a bow on a thorough semifinal thrashing. But unlike Sevastova, a renowned counterpuncher, Osaka wields a fierce forehand that will allow her to throw some haymakers and flirt with an upset. However, she will be operating at a clear deficit in the experience department—especially on a stage of this magnitude. Naturally, that will make Williams a heavy favorite. Osaka, though, can't be discounted entirely given her ability to regularly launch first serves in excess of 105 mph and hang with big hitters from the baseline. Don't be surprised if this one goes the distance.<doc-sep>TPN/Getty Images Serena Williams will look to move one step closer toward capturing her seventh U.S. Open title when the women's semifinals get underway under the bright Big Apple lights Thursday night. Williams, the tournament's No. 17 seed, will square off against the 19th-seeded Anastasija Sevastova with a spot in the final on the line. The other semifinal will pit the 20th-seeded Naomi Osaka against No. 14 Madison Keys. Here's a look at when and where you can catch all the action from Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York. Women's Semifinal Schedule No. 17 Serena Williams vs. No. 19 Anastasija Sevastova, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN) No. 14 Madison Keys vs. No. 20 Naomi Osaka, 9 p.m. ET (ESPN) Both matches can be live-streamed on WatchESPN. Video Play Button Videos you might like Preview As always, all eyes will be on Williams. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has rounded into tip-top form at the year's final major, and she's dropped a single set (versus Kaia Kanepi in the fourth round) en route to a spot in the semis. Most recently, Serena dispatched the eighth-seeded Karolina Pliskova 6-4, 6-3 in a dominant quarterfinal display that lasted all of 86 minutes. Williams will try to keep those scalding stylings alive in her first-ever meeting versus Sevastova—who has been terrific in her own right. After going the distance with Ekaterina Makarova in the third round and Elina Svitolina in the fourth round, Sevastova broke out and stunned defending champion Sloane Stephens 6-2, 6-3 in blistering conditions on Tuesday. "I've seen her play a lot," Williams said, according to WTATennis.com's David Kane. "She's been playing really well for actually a long time. So obviously I know her game really well. She clearly knows mine. So she's definitely someone that gets a lot of balls back and something I have to be ready for." The evening's final match will feature Osaka and Madison Keys. Still 20 years old, Osaka stormed into her first career Grand Slam semifinal with a swift 6-1, 6-1 defeat of Lesia Tsurenko on Wednesday. Like Williams, she has dropped just one set since arriving in New York City. Combine that consistency with a title at Indian Wells in March, and Osaka has seemingly found her footing before her prime has even started. "Now I feel like the state of mind that I have here is, it's like—I don't feel pressure, so I feel a little bit like I'm used to it," Osaka said Wednesday, per WTATennis.com's Alex Macpherson. "In Indian Wells I got a bit distracted if I'm in the lead. And now I feel like I'm finding it easier to try to close it up as quickly as I can." In order to keep things rolling, Osaka will have to achieve a breakthrough against Keys. The 23-year-old is 3-0 lifetime versus Osaka, including a meeting in the round of 32 at the 2016 U.S. Open that went three sets. Most recently, Keys defeated Osaka in straight sets at this year's French Open. And based on the 6-4, 6-3 win Keys secured over Carla Suarez Navarro on Wednesday, she figures to be a tough out as Osaka hopes to stand in the way of her return trip to the U.S. Open final.<doc-sep>Jason DeCrow/Associated Press The women's semi-finals of the 2018 U.S. Open will be played on Thursday, as both Serena Williams and Madison Keys will be in action at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. Williams will take on Anastasija Sevastova to open the evening session at 7 p.m. ET (midnight BST) before Keys faces off with Naomi Osaka. ESPN and Tennis Channel will carry full coverage for American fans, while British lovers of the sport can tune in through Amazon Prime. You can access live streams via the ESPN player, the Tennis Channel's official website and Amazon Prime. Sevastova enters the semi-finals playing some of the best tennis of her career and coming off a major upset win over defending champion Sloane Stephens. The 28-year-old blasted her way past Stephens in two short sets, advancing to the final four at a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. It's been quite the turnaround for Sevastova: Williams had to overcome some early adversity to beat Karolina Pliskova in the quarter-finals, and for the second match in a row, the 36-year-old managed to elevate her play when she needed to the most. Video Play Button Videos you might like Her mental strength could be tested yet again in the semi-finals, as Sevastova has an uncanny ability to frustrate opponents. Her game is built around trickery and limiting mistakes, and it has worked well this year, with a win in Bucharest and finals appearance in Mallorca. She also has a tendency to get emotional, per tennis writer Tumaini Carayol, and it has distracted opponents in the past: At times, Williams has looked unplayable at Flushing Meadows, combining phenomenal work from the baseline with great defensive efforts. If she can hit her top level and maintain it, the American should win this encounter, but she has suffered drops in form in each of her past two matches. The other semi-final will feature two of the sport's best young talents, in what could be a preview of a great rivalry for years to come. Keys, 23, is unbeaten in two meetings with Osaka, 20, and both carry tons of momentum into this match. Keys beat Carla Suarez Navarro in her quarter-final outing, while Osaka demolished Lesia Tsurenko, losing just two games. It took her less than an hour: Both rising stars stand out for their power and willingness to exchange from the baseline, setting up a tantalising clash from a stylistic perspective. While many fans will tune in to watch Williams, it should be worth hanging around for the late match as well.<doc-sep>
TPN/Getty Images Anastasija Sevastova stands between Serena Williams and yet another U.S Open final on Thursday, as the semi-finals for the 2018 edition of the tournament begin. Williams has won at Flushing Meadows six times already in her career and has been in excellent form so far at the competition. Sevastova is an underdog, although not someone to take lightly, as she knocked out defending champion Sloane Stephens in the quarter-finals. In addition to that tussle, Naomi Osaka will be seeking to continue her surprise run into the latter stages of this Grand Slam event up against last year's finalist Madison Keys. Here is the schedule for the women's semi-final matches, a prediction for each and a preview of what to expect from this pair of absorbing encounters. Thursday Schedule—Women's Semi-Finals Video Play Button Videos you might like Arthur Ashe Stadium (17) Serena Williams* vs. (19) Anastasija Sevastova (20) Naomi Osaka* vs. (14) Madison Keys *Picks to win In the United States, ESPN (live stream at ESPN Player) and the Tennis Channel will provide coverage. For viewers in the UK, the matches will be streamed live on Amazon Prime. Serena On Brink of More History at U.S. Open Jason DeCrow/Associated Press Aside from one wobble in the fourth round against Kaia Kanepi, so far at the 2018 U.S. Open it's been plain sailing for Williams. Her previous win over eighth seed and former world No. 1 Karolina Pliskova was arguably her best performance of the tournament. In a 6-4, 6-3 win for the American there was never any real danger of her relinquishing her grip on the contest. Tom Perrotta of the Wall Street Journal commented on how the American seems able to accelerate through the gears when the situation demands: Given the players remaining in the draw, this feels like the best chance Williams has had of winning a Grand Slam since returning to the sport after pregnancy. Sevastova is not a player to take lightly, though, as was evident in the previous round when she cruised to a straight-sets win over Stephens. The Latvian has never made it this far in a Grand Slam before and will be desperate to rise to the occasion of playing against an iconic player like Williams. Sevastova is always fascinating to watch too. As noted by tennis journalist Tumaini Carayol, she's not someone who hides her emotions when out on court either: The other semi-final also sees a competitor enjoying her best run at a Grand Slam in the shape of Osaka. The Japanese player has shown talent from an early age but few would've anticipated the 20-year-old to make it quite so far here. Osaka didn't appear daunted by the stage in the quarters either, dropping just two games on her way to victory over Lesia Tsurenko. American tennis icon Billie Jean King commented on her show of delight following the biggest win of her career on Wednesday: Keys has also slipped into an impressive groove in recent days, breezing past Dominika Cibulkova in the fourth round and then turning in a similarly dominant display in Wednesday's showdown with the dangerous Carla Suarez Navarro. The American appears to be developing a familiarity with the big stage at Flushing Meadows, and with last year's conquerer eliminated she will view the final Grand Slam event of 2018 as a massive opportunity to win a major for the first time.