Serena back on top after several years of mediocrity

Serena won the Australian Open in January 2007 despite sinking to a ranking of 81. She showed that even when not playing well coming into a tournament, she and her sister are so far superior to the rest of the field that they can win when things aren't going right.

"Overall," said Jankovic of Williams, "she's the strongest player on tour, together with her sister. Nobody has the power they have. I cannot compare to either of them with their strength. They are great athletes, really. I'm a little athlete."

But little or big, Serena and Jelena have split the six games they've played against each other and are 1-1 in 2008.

Jankovic, although a Serb, is virtually an American. She has taken lessons at the Bollettieri Academy in Florida and owns a home down there.

She has a wonderful sense of humor. For example, when one of the shuttle drivers told her that many of the other competitors complain about the New York traffic even though there's nothing the drivers can do about it, Jelena laughed.

"He told me, 'It's easy to laugh when you're No. 2.' But I was laughing when I was 1,000. But maybe I laugh a little bit more now," she said.

The U.S. Open winner becomes No. 1 in the rankings, where Serena was for a long while in the early 2000s but not since 2003, and where Jelena was briefly a few weeks ago.

"Becoming No. 1 is not my goal," said Serena, "but to win another Grand Slam."

She has eight titles, one more than her sister.

The thinking is that when the final is finished -- it's scheduled for Saturday but might be delayed because of a predicted storm -- Serena will have nine. And that top ranking.

Asked if she expected to beat Jankovic, Serena said, "I feel like I have nothing to lose. I'm playing someone ranked higher than me. She has a lot of pressure trying to win her first Grand Slam."

Indeed. The moment is at hand for Jankovic. She has played well enough to get to the last round, showing the tenacity that so many women players lack. Yet she hasn't played as well as Serena, who has gone through six matches without dropping a set.

"I've been working hard," said Serena, "and the results are showing. I've been paying the price, whatever that means."

What that means is that you make the most of your skills or someday you look back with regret. At this moment, Serena can look forward with anticipation.