Jelena Jankovic will face Serena Williams in her pursuit of winning career first grand slam title in the final of U.S. Open 2008. Jelena Jankovic vs Serena Williams match is scheduled to take place tonight (6 September) in the evening session, but if Tropical Storm Hanna hits New York, causing heavy shower as was forecast, then the match would take place on Sunday, 7 September. Both the players are determined to win the title. Serena is gearing up to win her first U.S. Open title in six years since winning the tournament in 2002, while Jelena Jankovic will be ready to come out with all her strength to win her career fist grand slam title. Given the fact that the winner of the tournament will replace Ana Ivanovic in the top of WTA ranking. So, Serena and Jankovic both will be desperate to win the title.

Match: Jelena Jankovic vs Serena Williams, Women’s Singles Final, U.S. Open 2008

Date: 6 September 2008, Friday

Venue: Flashing Meadow, USA

Live on: Ten Sports

Serena Williams reached the final after clinching an easy victory over sixth seed Dinara Safina in the semi final. The straight set victory came in 1hour and 28 minutes for Serena, even though the American got a poor start. In the first semi final, Jelena Jankovic also pulled off a straight set victory over fifth seed Russian Elena Dementieva, but Jankovic did not have as easy an encounter with Dementieva as Serena Williams had against Dinara Safina in the semi final.

Jankovic has been one of the most consistent performers on WTA tours over the last couple of years. Determinism and confidence are the two strong sides of the Serbian who will play her first grand slam final against Serena Williams in the U.S. Open 2008. Despite her niggling injures, Jelena Jankovic has kept herself among the top players on the tour for last few years. She knows how to produce top class performance, despite having lots of limitations in her skill and style. However, she has always been underachieved in terms of success on the courts.

Former world no. 1 Serena Williams, on the other hand, is the only active player in WTA tour who has won titles in all four grand slam tournaments- meaning she holds the prestigious career slam under her belt. The main strength of Serena Williams is her immense power and strength. Both Serena and her sister Venus are credited for pioneering power-based tennis in women’s circuit. She is a player with sheer versatility. Serena is equally comfortable in playing forehand and backhands. Her strong quick services are as effective as her ground shots. She can produce forehands, backhands, volleys etc. pretty effectively from the baseline as well as in the net.

Jelena Jankovic vs Serena Williams: Head to Head

The two players faced each other six times so far with both of them winning on three occasions each. Last time they faced was in the final of Miami Open 2008 where Serena won the three-set match. The faced each other in grand slam twice: both times in Australian Open. In 2007 Australian Open, Serena defeated Jankovic in the round of 16, but this year Jankovic defeated Serena in the quarter final of Australian Open.

What the Players are Thinking?

Serena Williams thinks that Jankovic will be under pressure to win her first grand slam tournament, claiming she has nothing to lose against Jankovic.

Telegraph reported:

“I have nothing to lose,” Williams said before turning the heat on her opponent.

“She has a lot of pressure to win her first Grand Slam and I am just enjoying every moment.”

“I don’t know too many people on the tour that can hang in there as much as she can,” Williams said. “She’s playing well and she’s just going for glory.”

Jelena Jankovic is happy that she does not have any injury now and feels healthy. The injury-pronged player also indicates that this has been the first grand slam tournament that she has not picked up any injury. However, she also thinks that if Serena appears with her best form then she might have to struggle in the final.

BBC reported:

“To be honest, this has been the first Grand Slam that I don’t have any injuries, that I don’t have any issues bothering me,” she said……..

“Overall, she’s, I think, the strongest player on the tour, together with her sister. Nobody has the power that they have. We cannot compare.

“At least I cannot compare to any of them, you know, with their strength. They’re great athletes, really. I’m a little athlete. They move really well. They hit the ball so hard.

“If you want to really win when they’re in form, you really have to be on the top of your level and you really have to go for every shot and really have to run a lot.

“So it will be difficult, but it’s doable.”

Online Live Score and Updates

Here, I am giving some online live score websites from where you can get the online live sore and updates of the match:

Gooners Guide

Tennis.com

US Open.org

Online Score

Live Score

Sportsline

Flash Score

ESPN Tennis

Who is favorite in the match? I think, this is too hard a question even for an expert better to answer. With two quality players gearing up to go all the way to win, it seems that a classic match is waiting there in Flashing Meadow for the tennis fans. I would just play it safe claiming that the player who will play well in the final will emerge as the winner. However, one thing is for sure that consistency and power will be pitted against each other when Jelena Jankovic takes on Serena Williams in the final of U.S. Open 2008.

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