The future is now at the BNP Paribas Open. Daria Kasatkina upset Venus Williams 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a nearly three-hour baseline struggle and Naomi Osaka routed top-ranked Simona Halep 6-3, 6-0 in 64 minutes on Friday night to set up a final between two 20-year-olds.
"We are coming," Kasatkina said, smiling. "Very soon."
Kasatkina was two points from defeat, trailing 4-5 and 0-30 in the third set when Williams committed four straight errors as the Russian tied it 5-all.
Williams won just two more points as Kasatkina took the last two games to close out the match in 2 hours, 48 minutes. Kasatkina dropped her racket near the baseline and covered her face with her hands as she walked to the net.
"In one moment you just catch yourself, like, you're in night session, all crowd, you're playing against a legend, and you are in the third set," Kasatkina said. "You're just staying on the return, and you're like, 'Come on, maybe it's the moment of your life.'"
It was, for both up-and-comers.
Osaka put away Halep on her third match point when the Romanian netted a backhand.
Ranked 44th, the Japan-born Osaka opened the tournament by beating Maria Sharapova in the first round. She defeated No. 31 Agnieszka Radwanska and No. 5 Karolina Pliskova on her way to the final, dropping just one set in six matches.
"I feel like there is a new generation," Osaka said, "and we're trying to push through."