The stage is set for the 2020 U.S. Open women's singles semifinals on Thursday, and there's plenty for tennis fans to get excited about, whether your interest is underdogs, upstarts, history-makers or young superstars.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka is on the verge of capturing her third major title, but she will first have to defeat a red-hot Jennifer Brady at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams is looking to capture an elusive 24th Grand Slam title, which would tie her with Margaret Court for the most in women's tennis. She will face Victoria Azarenka, who has won one major title and is in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time since 2013.

The semifinals will be broadcast live on ESPN, with coverage starting at 7 p.m. ET. Osaka-Brady is up first, followed by Williams-Azarenka. You can also live-stream the matches on ESPN.com or through the ESPN app. 

Preview and Prediction

Osaka may be the bigger name and the higher-ranked player, but Brady is looking dangerous and could be the upset pick in the semifinals.

The 25-year-old is playing the best tennis of her life in New York. She hasn't dropped a set all tournament while knocking off the likes of Caroline Garcia, Angelique Kerber and Yulia Putintseva to reach the last four. 

Tennis.com's Cale Hammond gave some insight into what makes Brady so tough to play.

"The American's forehand racquet-head speed really is second to none, which allows her to create sharp angles and stretch her opponents far off the court," he wrote. "Not only can she yank opponents off the court with a crosscourt forehand, she can also crack sharp inside-out winners as well."

Osaka can crank out some booming forehands of her own and seems to relish hard-hitting rallies. It has all the makings of an incredibly exciting matchup, with ESPN analyst Cliff Drysdale calling it a potential "slugfest for the ages," per ESPN.com's D'Arcy Maine.

Prior to this tournament, Brady had never made it further than the fourth round of a Grand Slam. The No. 28 seed is in deeper waters than ever now, though, while the No. 4 seed is looking to capture a second U.S. Open title after beating Williams in a dramatic and controversial match in 2018.

Brady is on the warpath here, but her 22-year-old opponent appears to be in full control of her abilities. Look for her to edge out the American in a three-set thriller.

Williams-Azarenka is the veteran matchup of the night. The two have a long history, with the American holding a 18-4 all-time advantage over the Belarussian, per Matchstat.

The list of great tennis players who have a head-to-head record like that against Williams is a lengthy one, but Azarenka is in rare form right now and could get one back against her longtime rival. 

The unseeded Azarenka is 10-0 in the Flushing Meadows bubble, having already won the Western & Southern Open at the same venue.

The 31-year-old has only dropped two sets in this blistering stretch and looked unstoppable in her 6-1, 6-0 quarterfinal win over Elise Mertens, per WTA Insider:

Williams hasn't been quite as dominant, having dropped a set to each of her last three opponents. While the 38-year-old doesn't move around on the court as well as she did in her prime, she can still wear down opponents with power and prime placement.

However, Azarenka, ranked 28th in the world, is up for the challenge despite her dismal record against the six-time U.S. Open champion.

"I love playing against Serena. I think we have one of the best matches—at least that I played in my career—against her," she said, per Yahoo Sports.

While Williams is chasing history and is no stranger to major titles (though she hasn't won one since 2017), Azarenka is seven years removed from her last Grand Slam final. The former world No. 1 won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013, but injuries have derailed her all too often in the years since.

Healthy and and playing incredible tennis, look for Azarenka to pull off an upset against Williams, though it won't be easy.

Picks: Osaka in three sets; Azarenka in three sets.