Somewhat fittingly, Poland's world No.1 Iga Swiatek will face Tunisia's tennis trailblazer Ons Jabeur in a US Open final to decide the women's grand slam player of the year.
Swiatek fought back from a set down and a service break behind in the deciding third set to defeat Aryna Sabalenka 3-6 6-1 6-4 in a roller-coaster second semi-final in New York on Thursday night.
Jabeur earlier crushed in-form Frenchwoman Caroline Garcia 6-1 6-3 to become the first African or Arab woman to ever reach a US Open final.
The contrasting victories will bring together the two most consistent major performers of 2022.
Reigning and two-time French Open champion Swiatek is bidding to become the first woman since Angelique Kerber in 2016 to capture two slams in a single season.
Jabeur is the first player to make the women's Wimbledon and US Open title matches since the great Serena Williams in 2019 - and only the third in more than a decade.
"It feels amazing," Jabeur said.
"After Wimbledon, there was a lot of pressure on me. I'm really proving that I can back up my results.
"The hard-court season started a little bit bad but I'm really happy I can make it to the finals here."
Swiatek and Jabeur have split their four previous meetings two apiece.
"It's always tough and I'm pretty sure it's going to be physical," Swiatek said.
"She has such good hands, she is solid on the baseline and when she's going in so I have to be careful.
"I don't know what's going to happen. Right now, I'm just going to enjoy being in the final."
Fair enough, too, after the top seed had to reel off the last four games to rally back from 4-2 in the deciding set to keep Sabalenka at bay.
"I needed to get it together," Swiatek said.
Either way on Saturday (Sunday AEST), sporting history will be made.
No Polish, Tunisian, African or Arab woman has ever won a US Open singles title.
At only 21, Swiatek will be playing for her third grand slam title and 28-year-old Jabeur her first after bursting Garcia's bubble in a comprehensive fashion.
Garcia had been riding a 13-match winning streak, a run that included hoisting the trophy in Cincinnati from qualifying.
But Jabeur dismantled her in little more than one hour, after there was a minute's silence at Arthur Ashe Stadium to honour the late Queen Elizabeth II.
HOW IGA SWIATEK AND ONS JABEUR MATCH UP AHEAD OF THEIR US OPEN FINAL:
1-IGA SWIATEK (POL) v 5-ONS JABEUR (TUN) 2-2
2022 Rome, clay, F, Swiatek 6-2 6-2
2021 Cincinnati, hard, R32, Jabeur 6-3 6-3
2021 Wimbledon, grass, R16, Jabeur 5-7 6-1 6-1
2019 Washington, hard, R32, Swiatek 4-6 6-4 6-4
ONS JABEUR
Age: 28
Ranking: 5
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US7,659,743 ($A11m)
Career titles: 3
Grand slam titles: 0
US Open win-loss record: 13-6
Best US Open result: final 2022
IGA SWIATEK (POL)
Age: 21
Ranking: 1
Plays: right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Career prize money: $US11,476,777
Career titles: 9
Grand slam titles: 2 (French Open 2020, 2022)
US win-loss record: 12-3
Best US Open result: final 2022.
