Serena advances to first Indian Wells final since 2001, will face Azarenka

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. (AP) Serena Williams rallied after squandering a 3-0 lead in the second set to beat Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 7-6 (1) and reach the final for the first time since 2001, when she won and then boycotted the event for 14 years until returning last year.

''After the last final I had here, I never pictured myself being back,'' she said, ''so it's an interesting feeling.''

In Sunday's final, Williams will take on Victoria Azarenka, who advanced with a 7-6 (1), 1-6, 6-2 win over Karolina Pliskova.

Williams hit 41 winners and had 29 unforced errors to 18 winners and just 10 unforced errors by Radwanska, who fell to 0-10 in her career against the world's top-ranked player.

Radwanska had chances to break Williams in the fifth and seventh games of the first set, when she led 3-1. But Williams earned breaks in two of the last three games to take the set, smacking a forehand winner off Radwanska's second serve on the last point.

Trailing 3-0 in the second after Williams won 11 straight points to start the set, Radwanska won three straight games to tie it up. Williams' backhand volley went wide, giving Radwanska a 6-5 lead. But Williams hit a forehand crosscourt winner on the run to tie it up 6-all, forcing the tiebreaker, which she won with another forehand.

At 34 years and six months, Williams is the oldest finalist in Indian Wells history, a month older than Martina Navratilova was when she won in 1991.

''I guess that's awesome to be the grandma in the tournament,'' she said.