Serena Williams vs Naomi Osaka live stream: When and where to watch US Open 2018 final

Naomi Osaka bids to become the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam title as she takes on childhood idol Serena Williams in Saturday's final. Here's how you can watch the match live.

Serena Williams takes on Naomi Osaka in the women's singles final of US Open 2018 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York on Saturday, September 8.

When does the final start and how to watch it live on TV, online

The women's singles semi-final will start at 4 pm local time, 1:30 am IST (Sunday) and 9 pm BST.

Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Select 1 HD will provide live television coverage of the match in India. The live stream will be available on Hotstar.

What to expect from the women's singles semi-final

Serena Williams bids to equal Margaret Court's Grand Slam record on Saturday.Reuters

Serena will be bidding to complete a remarkable comeback in front of her home crowd. After surviving a life-threatening postpartum crisis, the 36-year-old has well and truly clawed her way back into the tour and is bidding to win her first Grand Slam title since childbirth.

The world number 26 has raised quite a few eyebrows with the level of tennis she had been playing over the last few months.

She has dropped only one set in the ongoing tournament, blasting past the likes of Venus Williams, Karolina Pliskova and Anastasija Sevastova. In fact, Serena has bagled her opponents thrice in New York this year.

Apart from the emotions around her comeback, a win today will help her equal Margaret Court's record of 24 Grand Slam titles.

Having missed the opportunity earlier this year at Wimbledon, a fully-fit Serena will be keen on making this opportunity count and thus will be hard to stop.

'I love you': Osaka to Serena

Naomi Osaka — Can Osaka become the first Japanese player to win a Grand Slam today?EDUARDO MUNOZ ALVAREZ/AFP/Getty Images

On the other hand, Osaka is also chasing history as she bids to become the first-ever Japanese player to win a Grand Slam.

The 20-year-old, known for her hilarious media interactions, did not shy away from expressing her feelings about facing her idol Serena on Saturday in one of the biggest stages of tennis.

Osaka saved 13 break points during the second set of her semi-final win over last year's runner-up Madison Keys. When asked what she had gone through during the passage of play, the youngster said: "This is going to sound really bad but I was just thinking I really want to play Serena."

When asked what was her message for Serena ahead of the final, Osaka replied: "I love you."

Osaka, who moved to the United States when she was three, has been a huge fan of Serena over the years but insists she will be not be overwhelmed by the occasion, on Saturday.

"I shouldn't think of her as my idol, just as an opponent. When I was a little kid I always dreamed I would play Serena in a Grand Slam final," Osaka said.

"At the same time I feel like even though I should enjoy this moment, I should still think of it as another match."

Osaka had beaten Serena in their only meeting on the tour — Miami Masters earlier this year when the latter had just returned from her maternity leave.

The Japanese sensation can expect a tough test this time around but she has the game to test even the best in the business, which was evident during her title-winning run in Indian Wells.

Osaka also has coach Sascha Bajin, who had been with Serena for quite some time. A solid game plan should help her test the American great but it's easier said than done.