Crowd favourite Serena Williams will meet Serbian Jelena Jankovic in the final of the US Open on September 6 in a match whose winner will be crowned world number one when the new rankings are announced next week.

Williams, seeded fourth, returns to the final of the Grand Slam she has won twice in her career for the first time since 2002, having defeated Russia's Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2 in the semi-final on Arthur Ashe stadium.

Safina, one of the top players on the WTA tour this year, who had a chance to go top of the rankings with a win at Flushing Meadows herself, looked flustered in the strong wind that swept the court, committing error after error and repeatedly yelling at herself during the match.

Her compatriot Elena Dementieva fared no better against second-seeded Jankovic, losing in straight sets (6-4, 6-4). Jankovic, who was briefly world number one in August, reached her first Grand Slam final at Flushing Meadows.

Jankovic and Williams have met six times over time, splitting the series evenly 3-3, including one match apiece so far this year.

The final is scheduled to be played on September 6, but could be delayed by tropical storm Hanna, which has been forecast to hit New York with heavy rain. If it is washed out, the final would be played a day later.