Third seed Venus Williams defeated World No. 1 Martina Hingis 6-3, 7-6 (8/6) last night to reach the finals of the $6.12million WTA and ATP Tennis Masters Series event.
The 20-year-old American won her 17th consecutive match here and advanced to tomorrow's championship match.
She will face the winner a semi-final between Russia's Elena Dementieva and Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati. The match was scheduled for last night but rain postponed the encounter to today.
"My odds are good whatever the opponent," Williams said.
Williams smashed 51 winners and an equal number of unforced errors, but won the final three points of the tie-breaker to seal the match, first saving a set point with an overhead smash, then hitting a forehand winner and taking the triumph when the Swiss star sent a backhand just wide.
Williams has not lost here since 1997, having won the 1998 and 1999 crowns before missing last year's event with tendinitis in both wrists.
Hingis, 20, had won 26 of 29 prior matches here, taking titles in 1997 and last year. She also lost to Williams here in the semi-finals in 1999.
American fourth seed Capriati will try to reach her first final here by beating 19-year-old seventh seed Dementieva, who will be at least a career-high eighth in Monday's WTA rankings. Capriati lost to Spain's Arantxa Sanchez in the 1992 semi-finals here. AFP