Flushing Meadows, NY -- (Sports Network) - Serena Williams outlasted Jelena Jankovic to capture the U.S. Open title for the first time in six years.

Williams, the fourth seed, easily won the first set, but had to come from behind in the second set to down Serbia's Jankovic 6-4, 7-5 to win this event for the first time since 2002 and her third U.S. Open title.

Four times Williams was just a single point from heading to a third set, but she took the final four games and took the title without losing a set.

"It was so windy out there, so it's kind of hard to say," said Williams when asked about if the score indicated the ease of the match. "I think she played well and did some things that really worked, and it was just me trying to find my rhythm."

Williams finished with 44 winners, 29 more than Jankovic, and blasted serves at up to 120 mph, a 14 mph edge over her Jankovic's fastest.

"I really fought hard out there every match, and tonight I really gave everything I had, you know, on this certain day," said Jankovic. "Serena was a little bit better on the important points. I had my chances the first set, and the second set, as well, and I just, you know, some unlucky points. I should have won them, but I didn't. You know, I let my opportunities slip away."

Williams will become the new No. 1 player in the world with the win, and she pocketed $1.5 million, while Jankovic took home $750,000 for finishing as the runner-up. It will be the first time she has been ranked No. 1 since August 2003, the longest gap between stints at No. 1 for a woman.

"I've been way more consistent," said Williams. "I was playing a lot more, having more consistent results, and just putting in the effort."

It is the ninth major title for Williams as she improved to 9-3 in Grand Slam finals.

This match was originally supposed to be played on Saturday, but Tropical Storm Hanna postponed the women's final until Sunday.

Williams reached the final for the fourth time in her career by dominating sixth-seeded Russian Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2 in Friday's second semifinal at Ashe Stadium.

Jankovic handled fifth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva 6-4, 6-4 to appear in her first-ever major final after going 0-4 in her previous Grand Slam semis, including 0-2 in such encounters this season. She was a semifinalist here two years ago.

Serena and Jankovic had split six career matchups, including two meetings this year. The American prevailed in a final in Miami, while the Serb came out on top in an Aussie Open quarterfinal back in January. Williams topped Jankovic in an Aussie Open encounter last year, as the two players are 1-1 in their Grand Slam matchups.