NEW YORK (AP) — Kim Clijsters is one win from her second straight U.S. Open title after beating Venus Williams in three sets for her 20th straight victory at Flushing Meadows.
Clijsters will play seventh-seeded Vera Zvonareva for the championship Saturday night. Zvonareva reached her second straight Grand Slam final, defeating top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki 6-4, 6-3 on Friday.
The second-seeded Clijsters won 4-6, 7-6 (2), 6-4 to beat Williams for the fifth straight time. She broke Williams with a perfect backhand lob to allow herself to serve out the match.
Clijsters is seeking to become the first woman since Williams in 2001 to successfully defend her U.S. Open title. She also won the tournament in 2005.
The 30-year-old Williams, seeded third, was trying to reach her first U.S. Open final since 2002.
