Serena Williams has given herself another chance to equal Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 grand slam titles by thrashing Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova 6-3 6-0 in just an hour and six minutes.

Williams won 12 of the last 13 games in the semi-final, surging to the net repeatedly and proving hugely successful, winning 24 of 28 points.

“I’ve been working hard on my volleys,” she said. “I have won a few doubles championships so I know how to volley.

“I just usually come in only to shake hands but tonight I thought I’m playing such a good player, and I knew if I wanted to have a chance against Anastasija, I had to come in. I wanted to try something different today and it worked.”

Williams has only lost three grand slam semi-finals since 2003 but all of them have been in New York, including on her last two appearances in 2015 and 2016.

Like she had against Karolina Pliskova in her quarter-final, Williams began nervously, sending the ball flying over the baseline and losing the opening two games.

But that was all it took for the 17th seed to calm herself down and soon she was overpowering Sevastova, who only won one more game in the opening set.

The second was brutal as Williams put herself within one victory of a seventh title at Flushing Meadows.

“It’s obviously really incredible. A year ago I was literally fighting for my life after I had the baby.

“Every time I step out on the court, I feel so grateful. Whatever happens in the semi-final, final, I feel like I’ve already won. This is just the beginning and I’m really excited about that.”

Madison Keys of the US plays Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the other semi-final on Thursday.