STANFORD, Calif. (AP)—Serena Williams reached her fourth final of the season by taking the last eight games to beat Andrea Petkovic 7-5, 6-0 on Saturday in the Bank of the West Classic.
The top-seeded and top-ranked Williams is 3-0 in finals so far in 2014, winning titles at Brisbane, Miami and Rome.
The tournament is Williams' first since she tried to play through a viral infection that caused her to lose equilibrium during a doubles match with sister Venus at Wimbledon.
Against the former world No. 9 Petkovic, Williams wasted four break points in the final game of the first set before eventually converting her fifth.
In Sunday's final at the hard-court tournament, Williams will face third-seeded Angelique Kerber, a 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 winner over Varvara Lepchenko.
Petkovic was trying to become the ninth player — and first since 2010 — to beat both Venus and Serena Williams in the same tournament. Petkovic eliminated Venus in the quarterfinals Friday.