SLOANE STEPHENS ended Venus Williams’ US Open dream as the new generation of American players came of age.
Stephens, 24, beat 37-year-old Williams 6-1 0-6 7-5 and will play Madison Keys, 22, in the final after Keys overcame Coco Vandeweghe in the other semi.
It was 60 years ago that Althea Gibson became the first black woman to win the US Open, having achieved the same feat at Wimbledon earlier in the year.
Stephens reflected on the anniversary and on the trail blazed for her and Key by the older Williams sister.
Stephens said: “I don’t think there is any other word to describe it than ‘amazing’ for me and Maddie.
“Obviously, Venus, we are following in her footsteps. She’s been here. She’s represented the game so well as an African-American woman.
“Maddie and I are here to join her and represent just as well as Venus has in the past and honored to be here.
“Honestly, she’s one of the greatest competitors and I’m just honoured to share the same court as her tonight and honoured to be able to play at the same time as her.’
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Williams was trying to reach a remarkable THIRD Grand Slam final of the year but Stephens’ story was just as compelling.
At the end of July, Stephens was ranked world No 957 as she tried to make her comeback from a foot injury which had sidelined her for months.
During her recovery she went to Chicago to see her coach Kamau Murray coach children. She said: “I love kids, so I love going to a club and being able to hang out and teach kids tennis and help whenever I can.
“When I was at a low point and I had a cast on and I had to sit down in a chair, being around kids who love tennis and have no idea what’s going on and just love you because you’re just super cool and good at tennis, I think for me that was just awesome.
“I really enjoy the game of tennis, and I think seeing other kids and things like that really kind of lifted my mood when I wasn’t in such a great place.”
After sharing two lopsided sets, Stephens and Williams played a titanic third.
Williams, who was in no mood in defeat to discuss her positive influence on American tennis, said: “I continued to play aggressive and continued to play the kind of match that it takes to win.
“Just made too many errors there at the end.”
The other semi final was much more one-sided, with Keys winning 6-1 6-2 in barely an hour.
Keys said: “These are the moments growing up that you dream about, and, you know, to be sitting here as a US Open finalist, it feels really amazing.
“I played really, really well. It was kind of one of those days where I came out and I was kind of in a zone, and I just kind of forced myself to stay there.
“I knew I was going to have to play really well in order to beat her, and, you know, I feel like once things started going, it just kind of fell into place.”
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