Two women with the flair to carry a moment will intersect in one momentous night inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. For Serena Williams, it’s a return to a US Open final after an absence whose duration of six years pretty much rates as startling. For Jelena Jankovic, it’s a first try at a Grand Slam final just one month after her single week at No. 1 drew lampooning because she never had graced such a stage.

For both, it’s a chance to reclaim No. 1.

Williams, 26, could state her longevity by returning to No. 1 after bouncing around beneath the throne for five years since toppling in 2003. She could extend her family’s improbable story by claiming a 16th Williams Grand Slam singles title, nine for herself and seven for her sister, Venus.

“I’ve been way more consistent,” said Serena, whose sister Isha Price has noticed the return of her joy five years after the murder of their sister, Yetunde Price.

“Playing a lot more, having more consistent results, and just putting in the effort ... it’s like I think my results are finally showing,” Williams said. “You know, if I don’t practice, then it’s like my mind goes nuts.”

Jankovic, 23, might take her first Grand Slam trophy if she plays the kind of defence that felled Olympic champion Elena Dementieva in the semi-finals. She could bring her homeland a third Grand Slam singles title this year, with Novak Djokovic having won the Australian Open and Ana Ivanovic the French. “I know that I can do it, and that’s what matters,” said Jankovic.

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