LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Serena Williams continued her dominance of Amelie Mauresmo with a three-set win in the semi-finals of the WTA Tour Championships that ended the French player's hopes of securing the year-end world number one ranking.
Williams defeated Mauresmo 4-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4, saving all 12 break points she faced in the third set - all but a couple of them with winners.
"I think the key was that I was really relaxed," the six-time Grand Slam champion said. "Whatever happened, I was calm."
"I think she just went for it," Mauresmo said. "I would give all the credit to her today. I was playing some good tennis, and she raised her game. Except on one, maybe two, break points, I felt like I forced her to play her best level and make some unbelievable passing shots. And that's what she did."
In Monday's final, Williams will take on either French Open champion Anastasia Myskina or fellow Russian Maria Sharapova, the 17-year-old who shot to prominence when she stunned Williams in the final at Wimbledon.
Williams's past history against Mauresmo may have contributed to her feeling of ease in the semi-final.
She has now won eight of their nine meetings, following up a three-set victory in the semi-finals at Wimbledon.
Williams faced six break points in the fourth game of the third set, then broke Mauresmo in the seventh to lead 4-3.
A marathon eighth game included 32 points - including another five break points - before Williams emerged with her advantage intact.
"It was definitely intense," Williams said. "I had my opportunities and Amelie was playing some good shots and getting some balls back. I think she changed her game - she started coming to the net more."
"I thought it was a good idea, because she was taking control of the second set from the back of the court. And when I was 0-40 up on her serve (in the fourth game), I was putting some pressure on her."
It was to no avail, however, as Williams took the match on her next service game, putting away an overhead on her first match point.
Mauresmo had helped Williams' cause in the second, when she went up an early break but gave it back with a double fault on break point that allowed Williams to level the set at 3-3.
They stayed on serve then until the tiebreaker, which Williams dominated.
"She returned unbelievably well," Mauresmo said of the breaker. "That was it."
Mauresmo, who in September became the first French player, either man or woman, to become world number one, could have displaced American Lindsay Davenport atop the rankings with a victory in the elite three million-dollar season finale.
But she said the ranking was far from her thoughts during the match.
"It's not my main concern today, believe me," she said.
Instead, Williams was poised for a strong finish to a season that saw her return from a lengthy injury break to claim two titles, but fall short in the three Grand Slams she contested.
"I'm happy, not with all my shots, but that I'm doing in the match what I'm doing in practice," said Williams, whose has struggled to find consistency since her return from knee surgery in April.
11/15/2004 - 00:08 GMT - AFP