4 best US Open women's finals in the Open Era

Arjun
A packed Arthur Ashe stadium at the 2016 US Open final
A packed Arthur Ashe stadium at the 2016 US Open final

The US Open has a special place in history, especially for women's tennis. It was here that the legendary Billie Jean King spearheaded a campaign for gender rights, demanding equal pay for women who competed at the Open.

Her boycott threat in 1973 prompted the authorities to make the US Open the first among the Grand Slams to award equal prize money to men and women. It would take almost three decades for the other Grand Slam tournaments to follow suit.

The US Open is also the only Grand Slam to allow 16 women's qualifiers to enter the main draw instead of the norm of 12 which is followed by other Grand Slams. What makes the most watched Grand Slam tournament even more unique is that it offers the highest prize money among all the Majora.

Since 1887, athletes from 17 different nations have won the US Open, and American duo Chris Evert and Serena Williams lead the pack with 6 titles each in the Open Era. Arthur Ashe Stadium has been witness to many great match-ups over the years, and we delve into 4 of the best final encounters:

#4 Serena Williams vs Victoria Azarenka (2012)

Serena Williams with the 2012 US Open trophy
Serena Williams with the 2012 US Open trophy

The 2012 US Open title came 13 years after Serena WIlliams won her first US Open, at the age of just 17. Belarussian Victoria Azarenka, the winner of the Australian Open that year, was the number 1 ranked player in the world and the top seed. But Serena had reeled off back-to-back wins in London - first at the Wimbledon Championships and then at the London Olympic Games - to come into the tournament as the favorite.

Serena breezed her way to the final without dropping a single set, including notching up a double bagel victory in the 4th round. Azarenka's path to the final was not so straightforward as she faced a difficult week, needing 3 sets each to beat Samantha Stosur and Maria Sharapova in the quarter-final and semi-final respectively.

In the final, Azarenka struggled on her serve, not landing a single ace and winning only 55% of her first serves. On the other hand, Williams won 77% of her first serves and notched up 13 aces.

A double break of the Azarenka serve gave Serena the first set and the scoreline was matched by Azarenka in the second to level the match. In the third set, Azarenka raced to a 5-3 lead. But at 5-4 and serving for the match, she couldn't hold her nerve as a spirited Serena, buoyed by the home crowd, broke Azarenka twice to win the match 6-2, 2-6, 7-5.

#3 Martina Navratilova vs Chris Evert (1984)

Martina Navratilova with the 1984 US Open Trophy
Martina Navratilova with the 1984 US Open Trophy

The two American legends Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert, with 18 Grand Slam wins each, faced off against each other 80 times over two decades. Theirs was an intense rivalry matched with great camaraderie.

Although the first 6 years of their rivalry went in favor of Evert, Navratilova was the dominant force when the two leading ladies crossed their mid 20s. Navratilova had come into the 1984 US Open final beating Evert in all 12 of their previous meetings.

The 1984 US Open final represented the 61st meeting between the two rivals, and Navratilova was on a 54-match winning streak. Breaking the Navratilova serve in the 5th game, Evert held on to win the first set 6-4.

In the 10th game of the second set, she trailed by 4-5 on the Navratilova serve and had two break points, but Navratilova bailed herself out of the tricky situation and won the set.

The third set was no different from the first two, as Navratilova won by a single break of serve to win the US Open. Her winning streak would extend to 74 before losing to Helena Sukova in the Australian Open the following year.

#2 Serena Williams vs Victoria Azarenka (2013)

2013 US Open Champion Serena Williams
2013 US Open Champion Serena Williams

The 2013 US Open final was a repeat of the 2012 US Open final between two of the best baseline strokemakers that the game of tennis has ever had. The only difference this time was that Serena Williams was the top seed and Azarenka was the 2nd seed.

The path to the final was pretty straightforward for Serena, just like in 2012. But Azarenka needed to win two 3 set matches, in the 3rd round and 4th round, both occasions needing a comeback from a set down.

Having taken the first set 7-5, Serena lead by 4-1 in the second. She served for the match twice, at 5-4 and 6-5, only to see Azarenka claw her way back each time.

Azarenka took the set to a tiebreak which she eventually won 8-6.

Two of Azarenka's 7 double faults in the match came when she was trailing 1-2 in the third set. Serena on the other hand had 9 aces, including a 126 mph ace down the T.

A second break of the Azarenka serve followed when Serena was leading 4-1 and she served it out with a 106 mph ace. It was Serena's 5th US Open crown and her second successive win over Azarenka at the US Open Final.

#1 Steffi Graf vs Monica Seles (1995)

Steffi Graf with the 1995 US Open trophy
Steffi Graf with the 1995 US Open trophy

Monica Seles came into the 1995 US Open in what was only her second tournament since a two and a half year absence from the tour. She had been sidelined since April 1993, when she was stabbed in Hamburg by a maniac.

Steffi Graf too faced problems of her own as she had to repeatedly duck the German press who wanted her reaction to the allegations that her father Peter Graf did not pay tax on her earnings.

In fact, Graf's worries were compounded as she was forced to get an MRI done the day before the final on her aching foot.

At 6-5 in the first set tiebreak, Seles thought she had the set with an ace, but a late call from the chair umpire meant that wasn't to be the case. Graf saved the set point and eventually took the set.

Seles bagelled Graf in the second set, winning it in just under half an hour. With Graf serving at 5-3, 40-15 in the decider, Seles belted a forehand winner off a service return to stay in contention.

But Graf had the last laugh as she won her second match point to win her 18th Grand Slam title. She described the result as the most satisfying of all the Grand Slam titles that she had won until then.

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