Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova to contest WTA final

Serena Willliams cruised into the final of the WTA Championships by beating Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 62, 61 yesterday and will play Maria Sharapova for her third title at the event.

Sharapova beat Victoria Azarenka 64, 62 in the second semifinal, a day after Azarenka had made sure of finishing the year as the top-ranked player.

Sharapova will finish No. 2 even if she beats Williams in today’s final.

Williams was never challenged by the fourthranked Radwanska apart from dropping serve in the fourth game of the first set.

Radwanska spent more than eight hours on court in her previous three matches, while Williams required less than five to win her three roundrobin matches. The difference showed, although Williams did not think that was the case at the start of the match.

“I definitely had an idea that she was tired,” Williams said.

To reach the semifinals, Radwanska beat Sara Errani in a match that took 3 hours, 29 minutes the longest bestofthreesets match in WTA Championships history.

“I told her (after the match) it was awesome that she played so well and played through another match after playing a good eight hours,” Williams said.

Sharapova, who rose to No. 1 briefly after winning the French Open, clinched the match against Azarenka when she held to lead 51 in the second set after prevailing in a 15minute game that went to nine deuces, the last one on a doublefault by Sharapova.

Azarenka, of Belarus, ended her best year on a losing note but she became the first woman to reach the $7million mark in prize money for a year.

Sharapova is seeking her second title in the WTA Championships after her first in 2004. The Russian had lost her last two matches against Azarenka, in the semifinals of the US Open and the final at Beijing. Azarenka leads the series 75.

Williams has dominated the second half of the year, winning Wimbledon, Olympic gold in the singles and the US Open. She has won 47 of her past 49 matches and will finish the year ranked No. 3.

The American is seeking her third title in the yearend tournament that brings together the top eight players in the world. She won on debut in 2001 and again in 2009. She has six victories this year and is the only player to win titles on all three surfaces: clay, grass and hard.

Williams took a sixweek break after winning the US Open in September but has looked sharper with every match. She now holds a 40 record against Radwanska.

Williams is 80 in 2012 against the other semifinalists at the tournament.

The American has won 18 of her last 19 meetings against opponents ranked in the top four, including 12 straight.