NEW YORK - A new grand slam champion will be crowned at the U.S. Open after Sloane Stephens beat fellow American Venus Williams 6-1 0-6 7-5 in a rollercoaster of a semi-final on Thursday.

Stephens, who returned to competition at Wimbledon after nearly a year off because of a foot injury, recovered from a second-set meltdown to end ninth seed Williams’s hopes of reaching a third major final this year.

She will meet compatriot Madison Keys, who crushed CoCo Vandeweghe 6-1 6-2 on Thursday, in an all American final.

"I have no words to describe what I‘m feeling what it took to get here. The journey I took. I have no words,” said Stephens, who underwent foot surgery last February.

”If someone told me I’d make two semis and a grand slam final this year I would have passed out, which is what I feel like doing now. "I don’t know how I got here. Hard work, that’s it.”

The 24-year-old Stephens, 13 years younger than Williams, paid tribute to the seven-time grand slam champion.

”I‘m honestly just honoured to play at the same time as her. One of the greatest to ever play our game. She’s one of the greatest competitors and I‘m honoured to share the court with her and glad to play at the same time as her.

Despite her lack of match play this year, Stephens began confidently and broke for 3-1 when Williams netted a routine forehand and then went on to win the last three games of the set as the 37-year-old strangely appeared to struggle with serve.

Meanwhile, a ruthless Keys crushed Vandeweghe 6-1 6-2 on Thursday setting the stage for an all-American U.S. Open final that will see a new grand slam champion crowned.

It will be the first time two American women have played for the title since 2002 when Venus lost 6-4 6-3 to her younger sister Serena Williams.

”I feels amazing, these are moments growing up you dream about," said Keys. ”It was one of those days where I came out and I was in a zone and forced myself to stay there. ”I had to rise to the occasion and I‘m just happy to be in the final.

The final shapes up as an intriguing and unexpected one featuring two players who missed the start of the year as they recovered from injuries.

Keys, who was absent from the first two months recovering from wrist surgery, delivered an old fashion thrashing as she needed just 66 minutes to beat Vandeweghe, who also lost in the Australian Open semi-finals.

Agencies