Bianca Andreescu beats Serena Williams in US Open women's final – as it happened

That’s all for today. Thanks as always for following along with us and be sure to read Kevin Mitchell’s full match report here.

Here’s a look at the final stats from today’s final. In the end it was Williams’ erratic first serve, which she was only able to get in 34 of 77 times (44%), which did her in.

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Andreescu breaks in 12th game of second set!

Second set: Williams 3-6, 5-7 Andreescu

Williams falls behind love-15 on another unforced error off the backhand, but pounds a forehand winner early in the next point for 15-all. Now a massive return winner by Andreescu pulls her within two points of the finish line at 15-30. Another backhand unforced error by Serena makes it 15-40 and Andreescu will have two more championship points. Williams saves the first with her ninth ace of the match, a 101mph tracer out wide. But Andreescu is able to rip a forehand return winner down the line on the second to win the match and the championship! She drops her racket at the baseline before walking to the net, shaking hands with Williams, then collapsing supine onto the service court.

Second set: *Williams 3-6, 5-6 Andreescu (*denotes next server)

Andreescu wins the first point early behind a big first serve, but then makes her third double-fault of the day for 15-all. Another early winner for Andreescu is punctuated with a “Come on!” followed by a 103mph ace down the middle. Williams pulls one back for 40-30 when Andreescu makes her 17th unforced error (compared to 17 winners), but she nets a backhand on the next point and the Canadian has managed to steady herself going into the changeover.

Second set: Williams 3-6, 5-5 Andreescu* (*denotes next server)

Williams serving to stay in the tournament. She opens with her seventh ace of the match, crunching an 118mph offering down the middle. But she follows with a double fault for 15-all. Now a 119mph ace for Williams, also down the middle. And now another double fault for 30-all! No points yet played in what could be the final game of the tournament for both. Now Andreescu is jammed on a second serve and frames the return, giving Serena a game point. And Williams holds when Andreescu sends a forehand return long. Bedlam inside Ashe! Four games on the trot for Williams and Andreescu needs to sort it out.

Williams breaks in ninth game of second set!

Second set: *Williams 3-6, 4-5 Andreescu (*denotes next server)

Oh boy. Andreescu mixes in a pair of forehand unforced errors at the most inopportune time to fall behind love-30 as pandemonium breaks out between points inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. Now Williams hits a forehand volley winner down the love for love-40 and she will have three points to break and get back on serve in the second set! And she needs only one! Andreescu goes wide with a forehand down the line and we’re back on level terms in the second!

Second set: Williams 3-6, 3-5 Andreescu* (*denotes next server)

Williams gives the crowd a thrill in racing ahead 40-love, inluding a 107mph ace down the middle. Andreescu pulls one back but Williams closes it with a 103mph service winner out wide. A massive standing ovation for Williams at Ashe ... but Andreescu will now serve again for the title.

Williams breaks in eighth game of second set!

Second set: *Williams 3-6, 2-5 Andreescu (*denotes next server)

Andreescu falls behind love-15 but Andreescu raips a pair of winners and she’s two points from the title. Williams than wins a highly entertaining 10-stroke rally to push it to 30-all, but Andreescu answers with a big serve to force a championship point. Williams saves it by forcing her opponent into an error with a big forehand then does it again for a break-point chance. But she tries a cheeky drop shot early in the rally and puts it into the net for deuce. Oracene looks stressed. An extended rally on the next point ends with Williams pounding a forehand winner into the corner and she will have another break-point chance. Strangely, the lights have just gone out over Ashe. Yet they continue and Williams is able to break with a big backhand from the baseline.

Andreescu breaks in sixth game of second set!

Second set: Williams 3-6, 1-5 Andreescu* (*denotes next server)

As big as service game as it gets for Williams, but she falls behind love-15 and then 15-40. The Canadian teenager is five points from the championship. Williams saves one of the two break points, but is forced into an error on the second and Andreescu will serve for the championship.

Second set: *Williams 3-6, 1-4 Andreescu (*denotes next server)

Andreescu holds easily and it’s back on Serena’s racket.

Andreescu breaks in fourth game of second set!

Second set: *Williams 3-6, 1-3 Andreescu* (*denotes next server)

Andreescu makes an unforced error on the forehand side, only her ninth of the day (compared to 13 winners), but the Canadian answers with two quick points for 15-30. Williams has missed nine first serves in a row. Williams then responds with a backhand winner, followed by a 119mph ace down the middle for game point. But now Williams makes her fifth double fault for deuce! Now another unforced error by Williams gives Andreescu a point to break right back ... and Andreescu rips a forehand into the corner that Williams can’t get back in play. Oh dear. Andreescu is back ahead a break.

Williams breaks in third game of second set!

Second set: *Williams 3-6, 1-2 Andreescu (*denotes next server)

Just when it seems Andreescu is about to race away, she double-faults at 30-all to give Williams only her second-break point chance of the afternoon. Andreescu saved the first back in the opening set with an ace; let’s see what she does here. And Andreescu saves it with a backhand early in the point Williams can’t return. Williams then hits a volley winner to set up another break chance but Andreescu saves that one, too. Now a third break-chance for Williams and the crowd seems like it’s ready to burst. And WIlliams stops in the middle of a baseline rally to challenge an Andreescu groundstroke but it’s ruled and it’s a third break point saved. A big return by Williams sets up a fourth break-point opportunity ... and Williams finally breaks with a forehand netcord winner! Signs of life from the 23-time major champion!

Andreescu breaks in second game of second set!

Second set: Williams 3-6, 0-2 Andreescu* (*denotes next server)

A big service game for Williams and she opens it with her 15th, 16th and 17th unforced errors of the afternoon, all off the forehand side. Now she double-faults. Williams didn’t make a first serve in the game and now Andreescu has taken an early break lead in the second.

Second set: *Williams 3-6, 0-1 Andreescu (*denotes next server)

The biggest issue for Williams is a first-serve percentage that’s been falling precipitously throughout the match. It was down to 21-of-42 (50%) at the end of the first set. She needs to get that number up. Andreescu is serving to open the second. She races out to 30-love, is pushed to 30-all, then pounds and overhand winner followed by an unreturnable serve for the hold, punctuated by a “Yes, let’s go! Come on!”

Andreescu breaks in ninth game of first set!

First set: Williams 3-6 Andreescu

Andreescu pushes Williams to 30-all and then deuce, then rips a forehand winner early in the point for a set point on the American’s serve. A big moment here. Williams faults ... and then hits the net for a double fault! Oh dear! Williams has been broken and has dropped the first set to the Canadian teenager!

First set: *Williams 3-5 Andreescu (*denotes next server)

Andreescu opens this crucial eighth game with her third of the day, a 109mph ace down the pipe. Williams rips off two quick points before Andreescu answers for 30-all. Now Williams pounces on return for her first break-point chance of the match at 30-40 ... but Andreescu coolly crunches a 103mph ace out wide to brush it aside, followed by an unreturnable serve than a forehand winner from the baseline to hold. An emphatic response by the teenager! Now Williams will serve to stay in the opening set.

First set: Williams 3-4 Andreescu* (*denotes next server)

Williams wins the first two points but Andreescu, who’s returning beautifully and with confidence in taking the ball early, pushes it to 30-all. Now Andreescu gets the best of Williams on an eight-shot rally, pressing Williams’ backhand with flat groundstrokes and the slice until Williams sends a shot wide, and the Canadian will have another break-point chance. Williams saves it with a 106mph ace down the middle but another unforced error off the backhand gives Andreescu another chance for a double-break lead. This time Williams saves it when Andreescu dumps a backhand into the net, but the teenager stakes yet another break chance when Williams misfires again off the backhand. Break point No 3 in this game and Williams saves it with a forehand winner! Now an Andreescu forehand winner sets up a fourth break point and Williams saves it with a 107mph ace down the middle. Yet another forehand winner for Andreescu stakes a fifth break point and Williams saves that one when she forces Andreescu into an error with a crisp backhand. Finally Williams earns a game point in the 15th point of this marathon and holds with a forehand winner in the 16th. Williams saved five break points in that game, but she remains a break behind her Canadian opponent.

First set: *Williams 2-4 Andreescu (*denotes next server)

Andreescu continues to target the backhand side and Williams continues to miss them, winning the first two points of the game. The Canadian is 9-for-11 (82%) on first-serve points won, a promising sign early and a number she’ll need to keep up. Williams rips a backhand winner down the line for 30-15, then Andreescu makes her first double fault of the day for 30-all. But the teenager answers with a 111mph ace and an unreturnable serve to hold.

First set: Williams 2-3 Andreescu* (*denotes next server)

Williams hits an overhead winner at the net and crunches a 105mph ace down the middle on her way to another commanding hold, but she’s still playing from behind here in the opener.

First set: *Williams 1-3 Andreescu (*denotes next server)

Andreescu falls behind love-15 on her serve, but rattles off four quick points for the comfortable hold. Williams chips in her seventh and eighth unforced errors. She looks every bit as composed before this pro-Williams crowd of more than 23,000 as she has throughout her run to today’s final.

First set: Williams 1-2 Andreescu* (*denotes next server)

Williams gets the crowd into it with three straight winners for 40-love. Andreescu pulls one back when Williams makes another unforced error off the backhand, but the American answers with a forehand winner at the net to get on the board.

First set: *Williams 0-2 Andreescu (*denotes next server)

Andreescu backs up the break in convincing fashion, including a 102mph ace out wide. Williams’s backhand misfiring a touch early on.

Andreescu breaks in first game of first set!

First set: Williams 0-1 Andreescu* (*denotes next server)

Andreescu won toss and interestingly elects to receive. Williams races ahead to 40-15, but then makes unforced errors off the backhand then the forehand for deuce. Williams then double-faults ... then double-faults again to gift the Canadian the break in her opening service game!

The players have emerged from the tunnel. They’re going through their warm-ups and we should be under way shortly!

Here’s a look at how today’s finalists compare. The nearly 19 years between Andreescu and Williams is the largest age difference ever in a women’s grand slam final, eclipsing the previous mark set by 1991 US Open finalists Martina Navratilova and Monica Seles, who were born 17 years and 45 days apart.

The pair met once before at last month’s Toronto final when Williams retired with a back injury trailing 1-3 after just 19 minutes.

Hello and welcome to today’s US Open women’s final between Serena Williams and Bianca Andreescu. It’s a cracker of a championship match between the six-time US Open champion, who’s bidding for a 24th major title to tie Margaret Court atop the all-time leaderboard, and the hottest young player on the WTA tour, who is aiming to become the Canadian woman to win a grand slam in the Open era and the first teenage major champion since Maria Sharapova at the 2006 US Open.

We’re a little more than a half hour from the start of today’s match. Plenty more to come between now and then!

Bryan will be here shortly. Here’s some pre-game reading: