Serena Williams stands on the cusp of history, heading into the US Open Final on the weekend. Seeking to equal Margaret Court with 24 Grand Slam title Serena has one more hurdle to clear. 

Serena Williams was a bit shaky at the start of her us open semifinal, and for all of six minutes she was tense.

However, she spent the next hour playing flawlessly, particularly up at the net, grabbing 12 of 13 games to beat no. 19 seed Anastasija Sevastova of Latvia 6-3, 6-love and reach her ninth final at flushing meadows and 36th at all grand slam tournaments.

Said Serena, “I’ve been working hard on my volleys. I have won a few doubles championships so I know how to volley,” Williams said with a laugh, before adding this punch line: “I just usually come in only to shake hands.”

With one more victory, Williams will earn her seventh us open championship and her 24th major singles trophy, equaling Margaret court for the most in tennis history. Williams already owns the mark for the most in the half-century professional era; court won some of hers against amateur competition.

Williams had lost in the semifinals in her previous two trips to New York — against Roberta Vinci in 2015 while bidding for a calendar-year grand slam, and against Karolina Pliskova in 2016.

A year ago, Williams missed the US open because she gave birth to her daughter, Olympia, during the tournament. She then dealt with complications related to blood clots.