They came, they saw, they conquered.
For the second time in three Grand Slams, there will be two Russian women in the final after Elena Dementieva and Svetlana Kuznetsova put out Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport respectively at the U.S. Open on Friday.
The U.S., therefore, does not have a finalist in either singles event here for the first time since 1988.
"It really surprised me as much as it surprised you," Dementieva told reporters after edging American Capriati 6-0, 2-6, 7-6.
"I know that there are a lot of us and we play very good, but to see another Russian final in a Grand Slam, two Grand Slams already won by Russian girls (this year), that's amazing. It's unbelievable to me."
Davenport was the first of the two Americans to bow out on Friday after her injury jinx returned at the worst possible time in her 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 defeat by Kuznetsova.
But the best was saved for last as eighth seed Capriati suffered yet another heartbreaking semi-final reverse.
It was the third time in four U.S. Open semi-final appearances that Capriati had gone out in a third-set tiebreak.
BIGGER POINTS
"It's not really sunk in yet," a dejected Capriati said. "Of course it's disappointing but I didn't give it away, she just played better on the bigger points.
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Few who saw her defeat here by Justine Henin-Hardenne last year, when she let slip a 5-2 third-set lead and was 10 times within two points of victory, would have believed the scenes as the American served for the match at 6-5 in the tiebreak only to be broken.
With strong winds ripping around the Arthur Ashe Stadium, a strangely tentative Capriati won only five points as the Russian sixth seed, who reached her first Grand Slam final at Roland Garros this year, roared through the opening set in 17 minutes.
True to form, the American dug deep and as Dementieva tightened up, so her faltering delivery haunted her, with five double faults more than a contributing factor as Capriati levelled the match.
As the rallies grew longer and more punishing, the third set began with four consecutive service breaks.
At 4-4, Dementieva saved four break points, and though Capriati broke two games later, she could not serve out and the Russian clinched the tiebreak 7-5.
"At the end of the game I was so tired there was no place for nerves," Dementieva said.
"It was not easy for me to play with this crowd today. They were laughing on my serve and saying things."
Dementieva froze when she was hammered by Anastasia Myskina in the French Open final in June but the Russian said she was confident of performing well against Kuznetsova.
"I took a lesson from the French Open and I'll try to be more positive tomorrow. Physically I feel good and I feel happy to be in the final."
Earlier, former champion Davenport looked on course to reach her first Grand Slam final since the 2000 U.S. Open when she overpowered a nervous-looking Kuznetsova in the opening set.
But the 19-year-old ninth seed, who like Davenport had not lost a set in reaching the last four, lifted her game to level the match.
HIP INJURY
With fifth seed Davenport struggling with a hip injury in the third set, Kuznetsova rallied to become the fourth Russian woman to reach a Grand Slam final this year.
"It feels great," she said. "I'm trying not to think so much about it, just to focus.
"Nothing is done yet. After this tournament I'll think about what I did here, right and wrong, and how happy I am or am not."
Myskina's Paris victory made her the first Russian woman to win a Grand Slam title before Maria Sharapova followed up by lifting the Wimbledon crown in July.
"I feel that other players that are Russian have more attention (given) to them, you know," Kuznetsova said.
"But I don't mind. I am still (in the) top 10, I am still doing my good results, and I am still practising better and better my game. If I will do better, everybody will notice me."
To add insult to injury for Davenport, her defeat means Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo will be the new world number one when the rankings are released on Monday, replacing Belgian Henin-Hardenne at the top.
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