Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the US Open final between Serena Williams and Caroline Wozniacki.

Wozniacki takes the defeat in good grace, crossing over to Serena's side of the net to give her a hug and have a laugh and a joke with someone who is a good friend off the court. Williams just looks stunned and a little relieved!

Williams 6-3 6-3 Wozniacki. GAME, SET AND MATCH! Wozniacki lives dangerously with a backhand right on to the baseline to stay in the rally. But she goes long with the next point and Williams collapses to the floor. Serena Williams has won her third straight US Open in impressive fashion, battering Wozniacki off the court with her superior power and accuracy.

SERENA WILLIAMS WINS HER 18TH GRAND SLAM TITLE!

Williams 6-3 5-3 40-15 Wozniacki. Huge running from Wozniacki as she scampers back on the diagonal to belt a backhand winner across court that draws applause even from Williams. A 26-shot rally is the point of the final but ends in a netted forehand from Wozniacki after she had Williams on the back-foot. Serena clenches her fist towards her camp, Wozniacki doubles over sucking in the air. Williams is just two points away. And then only one after another angled forehand winner across court ...

Williams 6-3 5-3 Wozniacki. Much better width and length from Wozniacki as she gets Williams running for the first real time in the match. The point ends in a stretched forehand into the net from Williams to allow Wozniacki to level at 30-all but the American sneaks ahead again with a huge serve that Wozniacki cannot return in play. A cross court court, angled forehand winner then seals the game for Williams, who is now just potentially just one game from a hat-trick of titles in New York. Wozniacki will have to serve to stay in this match.

Williams 6-3 4-3 Wozniacki. Much better from Wozniacki again as she continues to secure better and better service games. This time she holds to love, sealing it again with an ace - her third of the match.

Williams 6-3 4-2 Wozniacki. Another blink-and-you-miss-it service hold from WIlliams, sealed with an ace. The American has dropped just two points on her serve so far in this second set.

Williams 6-3 3-2 Wozniacki. Wozniacki doubles her output in this second set, sealing it with an ace much more comfortably that any other service game so far in this match. The Dane remains a set and a break down, however.

Williams 6-3 3-1 Wozniacki. It continues to be breathtaking stuff from Williams as she races up to the net to put away a forehand drive across court and hold for the loss of just the one more to edge ever closer to that 18th Grand Slam title.

Williams 6-3 2-1 Wozniacki. Wozniacki gets in some good training for the New York marathon in this game as she is pushed from one side of the baseline to the other and back again under heavy pressure from Williams. Wozniacki does enjoy a game point but Williams denies her with another punishing return of serve. The Dane holds firm though and secures her service game for just the second time in the match without having to face a break point. Wozniacki is clinging on to this match by her fingertips at the moment.

Williams 6-3 2-0 Wozniacki. Williams thumps down a booming ace to secure the hold of serve that ensures the American doesn't get embroiled in another trade of breaks like she did in the first set. It also consolidates the early break in this second set for the world number one, who is looking very loose and comfortable now.

Williams 6-3 1-0 Wozniacki. BREAK. The Dane produces a length backhand right on to the baseline to keep her in the rally after yet another onslaught from Williams. But it only helps her extend the misery as Williams's backhand a few shots later catches the top of the tape and rolls over for the perfect drop shot to bring up yet more break points. Another brutal set of ground-strokes from Williams pushes Wozniacki well behind the baseline once again and draws the netted, defensive backhand from the Dane. Williams is just running away with this match now.

Serena Williams has lost just one match at the US Open in her career when she has taken the first set. The only player to come back from a set down against Serena at Flushing Meadows and go on to win is Jennifer Capriati back in the 2004 quarter-finals.

Williams 6-3 Wozniacki. SET. Wozniacki crunches just her second winner of the match to take the first point of the game and excite the crowd, who really want to see a competitive match today. But Williams recovers to earn herself two more set points. She only needs the one though, biding her time during a lengthy rally before moving up the court and going back behind Wozniacki with a backhand winner down the line. Williams is one set away from her sixth US Open title.

Williams 5-3 Wozniacki. Williams crunches another outrageous backhand return winner for the opening point of the game, Wozniacki's hawkeye challenge showing that the ball caught the very outside milimetre of the line. Despite another double fault, Wozniacki does earn herself a game point but a forehand wide followed by a forehand into the net and it is set point for Williams. A much better backhand from Wozniacki saves it as Williams replies wide and long down the line and the Dane goes on to secure her first service hold of the match when she finds some much better length and draws the netted bcakhand from Williams. Serena will serve for the set next though - how will her nerves hold up?

Williams 5-2 Wozniacki. Better from Wozniacki early in the game as she lands a couple of shots just inside the baseline. But she goes for too much on a forehand down the centre of the court to hand Williams a point to secure just the second hold of the match. Which is exactly what Williams does when Wozniacki nets a forehand. The Dane will have to serve to stay in this opening set after the change of ends.

Williams 4-2 Wozniacki. BREAK. Wozniacki is struggling to get much depth on her shots so far today as Williams continues to thump the ball in a venomous manner. Two more break points to the American. The first is saved by Wozniacki with a first serve that Serena can only return long but Williams does break again on the second with some more agressive hitting that leaves Wozniacki netting the forehand.

Williams 3-2 Wozniacki. BREAK. Both women are really struggling on serve so far today as Williams slaps down a double fault to hand Wozniacki triple break back point without the Dane really having to do anything at all. Williams saves the first with an ace but a shocking double fault, the second serve a good metre long, hands Wozniacki the break back on her second chance. Back on serve for a second time after a fourth straight break of serve.

Williams 3-1 Wozniacki. BREAK. Williams has what should be an routine backhand down the centre of the court at 15-30 on the Wozniacki serve but nets to let the Dane off. It could have been another break point but instead Wozniacki levels before securing her first winner with an ace right down the centre of the court. Williams levels with a cross court backhand winner, stepping up into the court before securing the break point chance with a big forehand that Wozniacki can only hit wide. Williams goes long with a lob attempt to squander it but another booming forehand earns her a second chance. And this time, Williams does secure the break when Wozniacki nets a fully stretched backhand.

Williams 2-1 Wozniacki. BREAK. Just brutal stuff from Williams with another couple of huge points. Wozniacki pegs one back with a backhand right to Williams up at the net, the American netting what should have been an easy backhand volley. A second backhand error in quick succession from Williams, this time down the line, allows Wozniacki to level at 30-all but another netted backhand hands Wozniacki an immediate break back point. And break back is exactly what Wozniacki does after another error from Williams. The backhand really broke down for Serena in that game and we are back on serve.