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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

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NEW YORK - Serena Williams wound up and smacked a shot directly at Dinara Safina early in the second set of their U.S. Open semifinal.

The ball hit Safina near her shoulder, ending the point, and she quickly turned her back to the net, muttering as she walked away, ignoring Williams' attempts to apologize.

Not much later Friday, Williams tried again to say "Sorry," except this time both players were standing at the net after the American wrapped up a 6-3, 6-2 victory. Now Williams can take aim at a third championship at Flushing Meadows and ninth Grand Slam title overall.

Hard to believe her very first major title came in 1999 at the U.S. Open.

"I just am excited to obviously still be here," Williams said, "and, 10 years later, still putting up a major fight."

It's her first U.S. Open final since 2002, when she beat older sister Venus. This time, they met in the quarter-finals, and Venus offered advice about facing Safina, then sat in the stands Friday, cheering. The siblings' parents, who also serve as their coaches, were there, too, after skipping the all-Williams match.

"I was thinking to myself, 'OK, if you're going to beat your sister, you have to go all the way,'" said their mother, Oracene Price.

Next up for Williams: Jelena Jankovic.

"Overall, she's, I think, the strongest player on the tour, together with her sister," said the second-seeded Jankovic. "Nobody has the power that they have. We cannot compare."

Jankovic eliminated Olympic gold medallist Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-4. It will be Williams' 12th Grand Slam final, and Jankovic's first, and in addition to the silver trophy at stake, the winner will rise to No. 1 in the rankings next week.

The final is scheduled for tonight, but forecasts calling for rain much of the day prompted tournament organizers to announce contingency plans that could include postponing the match until Sunday.

"I'm ready to play tomorrow. Hopefully we can," Williams said. "If not, I'll be ready for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday - doesn't matter."