{blackbabes} U.S. Open finalist Serena Williams

US iTunes, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store

Sept 7(Reuters) - Factbox on American Serena Williams, who will bid for her 17th grand slam title against Victoria Azarenka at the U.S. Open on Sunday:

* Born in Michigan on Sept. 26, 1981. (Age: 31)

* Turned professional in September 1995.

16 GRAND SLAM SINGLES TITLES

* Australian Open 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010; French Open 2002, 2013; Wimbledon 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012; U.S. Open 1999, 2002, 2008; 2012

* Williams is sixth on the list of female grand slam title winners.

* Is one of only five women, after Maureen Connolly, Margaret Court, Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, to hold all four grand slam titles at same time. The non-calendar year achievement in 2002-03 was dubbed the 'Serena Slam'. She beat her older sister Venus in each of the four finals.

* She also owns 13 women's grand slam doubles titles with Venus and has won four Olympic gold medals: Singles (2012), doubles (2000, 2008, 2012).

* At the 2009 U.S. Open, Williams was fined $175,000 and placed on a two-year probation for unsportsmanlike behaviour in her semi-final loss to Kim Clijsters.

* She missed the U.S. Open in 2010 because of medical complications after cutting her foot on glass while celebrating her win at Wimbledon.

* In 2011, she underwent surgery after a life-threatening blood clot was detected on her lung. She made the U.S. Open final but lost to Australia's Sam Stosur.

* Last year she became the oldest woman to win U.S. Open since Margaret Court won her last title in 1973, aged 31.