Martina Hingis stormed back after a stuttering start as she overwhelmed long time rival Venus Williams 0-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the Rome Masters to reach the second final of her 2006 comeback campaign on Saturday.
The five-time Grand Slam winner notched an 11th career win over fellow former number one and multiple major champion Williams in a series which began in 1997 and stood 10-10 going in to this game.
"In the first set I felt like I could cry - I was missing my shots by a little bit and my timing was out," said Hingis. "Rome has always been a special place for me. I'm happy to have made another final."
Hingis plays on Sunday for her first trophy since 2002 in Tokyo when she faces surprise Russian winner Dinara Safina, who put out compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 in their semi-final.
"I never had really good results on clay," said Safina, who said she received an SMS of support from big brother Marat Safin.
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