US Open 2020, women's semi-finals, LIVE tennis score: Naomi Osaka vs Jennifer Brady underway; Serena vs Azarenka to follow

05:18 (IST)

Jennifer Brady 4-4 *Naomi Osaka (* denotes next server)

Osaka wins the first point after keeping Brady on the run and continuously going to the open court. Brady makes it 15-15 with a blistering ace. An excellent forehand from Brady sees Osaka make an error. Brady wins another quickfire point and it's 40-15. Brady's defence looks a bit circumspect for a moment, as Osaka pushes her into an error. 40-30. Another error from Brady, and it goes to deuce.

Excellent first serve from Brady, she has advantage. And she holds!

05:12 (IST)

Jennifer Brady* 3-4 Naomi Osaka (* denotes next server)

15-0 to Osaka thanks to an ace. 30-0 with a great forehand that sails beyond the reach of Brady at the net. 40-0 now. Naomi Osaka's first-serve point percentage is excellent. Brady gets a point back after Osaka ends a rally with an error. Another error from Osaka, 40-30. Another error and it's deuce.

Brady is helped out hugely by the ball clipping the net, and she has advantage and break point. Osaka's first serve misses. The second serve is enough to make Brady fluff her return though, it's deuce again. Advantage Osaka after a great first serve. And she completes a hold with a backhand winner. She got down low for that, she was practically kneeling.

05:06 (IST)

Jennifer Brady 3-3 *Naomi Osaka (* denotes next server)

Huge forehand from Brady. She opens up her body and hits an excellent winner. The next serve is good, Osaka can't get her return across the net. Brady messes up a shot though, 30-15 to the American. She gets her first serve off and Osaka's return flies long. 40-15. Excellent work from Osaka to force an error out of Brady. Brady finishes with an ace.

05:02 (IST)

Jennifer Brady* 2-3 Naomi Osaka (* denotes next server)

Brady gets the first point on Osaka's serve. Osaka makes it level with a big first-serve. Oh my, what a peach of return from Brady. Great return down the line. She can't do it twice in a row though. Can't do it the third time either. Two poor returns from her makes it 40-30 for Osaka. And then an unforced error from the American. We're still on serve after five games.

04:59 (IST)

Jennifer Brady 2-2 *Naomi Osaka (* denotes next server)

Couple of fairly routine holds in the first ten minutes. Can Osaka change that? She gets the first point after Brady overcooks a shot. Oh no, double fault from Brady, 0-30 to Osaka. Brady claws a point back after an unforced error. Make that two. 30-30. Brady moves to 40-30 with a strong forehand. And an ace sees her hold.

04:55 (IST)

Monica Seles is all of us right now

Please do not call - text- email me starting at 7pm tonight as I will be glued to my tv watching the upcoming women's semi final matches . Is it 7 pm yet ??@usopen @WTA 🎾

— Monica Seles (@MonicaSeles10s) September 10, 2020

04:55 (IST)

Jennifer Brady* 1-2 Naomi Osaka (* denotes next server)

Excellent point from Osaka, her venomous forehand is too much for Brady, who commits an unforced error. 30-0 after another error. And now it's Osaka's turn to miscue a shot. Brady is really going for those forehands, she's whacking the fluff off of the ball. Osaka gets the next point though. And she finishes with a beautifully placed backhand.

04:52 (IST)

Jennifer Brady 1-1 *Naomi Osaka (* denotes next server)

Nervous schmervous, Brady begins with an excellent backhand winner across court! She tries to do the same with a forehand but it flies long. Naomi Osaka then hits a return straight into the net. Brady does the same after the first real rally of the match. 30-30.   Excellent work from Brady to win a point. She pushes Osaka wide and then whacks a forehand winner. Little bit of a break as Brady fixes a broken shoelace. I wonder if she still has the receipt, she should really get a refund for that. It's on the telly as well. Brady finishes with an ace.

04:48 (IST)

Jennifer Brady* 0-1 Naomi Osaka (* denotes next server)

Naomi Osaka draws first blood in the first game after Jennifer Brady shanks a return long. Wins the second point in similar fashion as well. And another unforced error from Brady. It's a shaky start from the American. Osaka wraps up the hold with a forehand winner.

04:37 (IST)

Both players are out onto the court!

via GIPHY

04:29 (IST)

Osaka's had a couple of real battles on her path to the semi-final!

04:24 (IST)

Jennifer Brady is yet to drop a set in this tournament!

04:17 (IST)

Brady and Osaka have faced each other just twice, with their last meeting coming in 2018

04:09 (IST)

Up first, Jennifer Brady of America takes on Japan's Naomi Osaka!

03:59 (IST)

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the US Open!

Today is Day 11 and our focus will be on the two women's singles matches in the evening session. First up will be Naomi Osaka and Jennifer Brady followed by a tantalising fixture between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. Watch out tennis balls, it is not going to be pretty! 

Serena Williams will play Victoria Azarenka in one women's semifinal - a rematch of the 2012 and 2013 US Open finals won by Williams - and Naomi Osaka will face Jennifer Brady in the other.

Williams is closing in on what would be her seventh US Open championship and record-tying 24th Grand Slam singles title overall. She has made it to the semifinals in each of her past 11 appearances in New York. Azarenka is a two-time Australian Open champion on a 10-match winning streak and back in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time in seven years. Williams leads Azarenka 18-4 head-to-head.

Williams, who turns 39 later this month, is coming off two three-set comeback victories in a row and hit 20 aces in her win against Tsvetana Pironkova in the quarterfinals.

Williams was the runner-up at Flushing Meadows each of the past two years; she lost to Osaka in the 2018 final. That was one of Osaka's two Grand Slam titles. Brady, meanwhile, had never been past the fourth at any major tournament until this week.

But she is playing as well as anyone since tennis resumed last month from its hiatus because of the coronavirus, winning the first WTA title of her career at Lexington, Kentucky.

Brady is a 25-year-old from Pennsylvania who helped UCLA win a college championship. She and Osaka have played twice, each winning once by a 6-4, 6-4 score, although Brady's victory came six years ago.

(With inputs from AP)

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