NEW YORK -- There were double-faults in double-figures, an array of loose forehands and errors -- unforced and otherwise -- and a generally skewed concentration that would have eliminated anyone not named Williams.

But almost every time Venus Williams dug herself a hole that seemed inescapable on Friday, her big, big serve lifted her out.

	Venus Williams says finishing the year No. 1 is an important goal.

Williams was serving for her third consecutive berth in the U.S. Open championship, leading the spirited Amelie Mauresmo 5-4 in the third set, when her thoughts wandered away from Arthur Ashe Stadium. Quicker than you can say tiebreaker, it was love-40.

How did Williams respond? How fast was the relevant question. The answers, in order: 116 miles an hour, 116 and 114. The last serve, an ace down the middle, brought her back to deuce. Two points later, the No. 2-seeded Williams was the winner, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.

Like the world-class athlete she is, Williams found a way to find a calm place, even when her body was being bombarded with messages to tighten up and stress out.

"At that point, I was really relaxed," Williams said later. "They kept going in. I suppose I just didn't want to let the game go. It was nice to have a good service game when I was on the brink of losing it."

Said Mauresmo, "Four big first serve. There's nothing I can do about it."

Lost in the glare that is Serena Williams (and her snappy black cat suit), sister Venus has worked herself quietly and steadily into Saturday's final. For the record, this is her third consecutive Open final -- not even Serena can say that. Venus is attempting to become only the second woman after Chris Evert to three-peat here since 1953.

Only Serena, who defeated Lindsay Davenport 6-3, 7-5 in the second semifinal, can prevent it.

For the second straight match Venus was extended to three sets and experienced daunting moments of indecision or, worse, moments completely devoid of thought at all. As a blister began to blossom on her right hand in the second set, Williams allowed Mauresmo, the No. 10 seed, back into the match.

"I noticed it before the match," Williams said. "After a while I started realizing it was holding me back. Once I was able to get it wrapped, it was a lot better."

Technically, Mauresmo played a very nearly flawless first set. Mixing things up with big, flat forehands and looping, slicing backhands, Mauresmo kept Williams off balance; Venus seemed to be pressing and never seemed to settle into her game.

The first chance to break came six points into the match, but Williams responded with a 119-mph serve that ricocheted off Mauresmo's racket straight into the air. Williams followed that with an 120-mph serve at deuce and won the game with a 118-mph effort that was similarly unreturnable.

When Mauresmo worked herself into two more break points in the seventh game, Williams raised the bar with two more ethereal serves. And then in the eighth game, Williams ran out to a 40-love lead. Mauresmo diligently dug her way out of all three, but Williams kept applying the pressure. On the fourth break point, Mauresmo finally wilted, trying for too much on a second serve. The double-fault cost her the first set.

The second set began as a logical extension of the first.

Williams broke in the fifth game with a low, skimming backhand service return that Mauresmo couldn't handle. The surprise came when Mauresmo broke back in the next game, held an inspiring service game and broke Williams -- again.

Serving for the set at 5-3, with Williams picking at that blister, Mauresmo could not master the moment. She dumped a loose forehand into the net and bonked a backhand to send the set back on serve.

With Venus trying to force a tiebreaker at 5-6, the blister seemed to skew her concentration. Mauresmo, keeping the pressure on, jumped on a weak second serve and followed that with a powerful forehand winner. When Williams' forehand blew long, Mauresmo had leveled the match -- for about five minutes.

That was how long it took Williams to break Mauresmo in the final set. Naturally, Mauresmo broke back in the fourth game, only to lose her serve again in the fifth. That final lapse proved fatal.

And now, after losing the past two Grand Slam finals to Serena, Venus seems bent on winning the season's final championship and the No. 1 ranking that will come with it. When Mauresmo's forehand service return was torqued wide, Williams did not execute her bouncing, 540-degree waving twirl with anything approaching her usual zest.

The match required only two minutes less than two hours and underlined Williams struggle to locate her command. Later, she seemed almost laconic.

"Throughout the whole match, I just wasn't able to keep my errors down," Williams said. "I wasn't able to do everything I wanted to do in the court."

Venus, whose match was completed nearly two hours before Serena's, said she preferred to meet her sister in the final because it meant she had performed her best.

"To be honest, it's really easy to play well after you've won two Grand Slam titles and your confidence is at an all-time high. I've been there and I've done that before. You feel pretty much like you can do anything."

Did she think she could shake Serena's confidence?

"Not so interested in shaking her confidence," Venus said, shaking her head. "I think any time I go out there and I'm worried about my opponent's game, I can't even play. I more or less have to focus on myself.

"It would be nice (to win). I've played really good for the last couple of years and it seems like I can't get that No.1, or just stay there. It would be nice to definitely be on top."

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.