01 August,2011 08:15 AM IST | | AFP
Former World No 1 Serena Williams stormed into the final of the WTA hardcourt tournament, dominating Wimbledon semi-finalist Sabine Lisicki 6-1, 6-2.
Williams, a 13-time Grand Slam champion, needed just 59 minutes on Saturday to subdue the big-hitting German and reach her first final since she won Wimbledon in 2010.
USA's Serena Williams serves to Germany's Sabine Lisicki during Saturday's
WTA hardcourt semi-final in Stanford. PIC/AFP
That victory was followed by an 11-month absence from the court as she coped with a series of health problems, including a cut foot and blood clots in her lungs. "I feel like a kid again," said Williams, whose ranking has dropped to 169. "When I was younger I had the goal of being in the top 100, then qualifying for a Grand Slam without a wild card. I have those goals again."
Williams reached the second round on her return at Eastbourne and reached the fourth round at Wimbledon.
In Sunday's final she'll face France's Marion Bartoli, who ended her title defence at the All England Club. Bartoli advanced on a walkover after eighth-seeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova withdrew with a strained abdominal muscle.
