Former world number one Serena Williams moved a step closer to a third straight WTA Tour title here Saturday with a semi-final victory at the Family Circle Cup. Williams, the fifth seed, defeated unseeded Frenchwoman Alize Cornet 7-5, 6-3 to reach the title match at the 1.3 million-dollar claycourt tournament.
Currently ranked ninth in the world, Williams has won 14 consecutive matches, including back-to-back titles in Bangalore and Miami. Her ranking is expected to rise to sixth if she can claim her 31st career championship Sunday. "I'm just trying to take it one tournament at a time right now," Williams said when asked about cracking the top five again.
"Staying healthy and playing well is my focus. I'm not thinking about rankings, I'm thinking about titles."
Williams' opponent on Sunday will be Russian Vera Zvonareva, who defeated her fourth-seeded compatriot Elena Dementieva 6-3, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3. Zvonareva, 23, claimed her first victory over 26-year-old Dementieva, who had won both of their previous encounters.
Zvonareva, who advanced from the quarter-finals with an upset of top seed and defending champion Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, will be trying to improve on her two runner-up finishes to date this season. Now 18-1, Williams already is building a strong resume this season.
On Friday, she posted an impressive 7-5, 4-6, 6-1 quarter-final victory over fourth-ranked Maria Sharapova, who lost for just the second time in 26 matches this season.
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