Rome, May 18 (EFE).- American Serena Williams continued one of the best stretches of her storied career, advancing to the Rome final with a comfortable 6-3, 6-0 victory Saturday over Simona Halep. The world No. 1 needed just over an hour to dismiss the overmatched Romanian world No. 64, who had battled through the qualifying stage to make it all the way to the tournament's final four. Williams' return dominated the match, allowing her to break Halep's serve five times in seven tries and win 71 percent of the Romanian's first-serve points.

Maria Sharapova believes she is ready to end her hoodoo against world number one Serena Williams when they meet in the Madrid Open final on Sunday. Sharapova, who surged into her first final in Madrid with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Ana Ivanovic on Saturday, hasn't beaten Williams since 2004, losing 11 straight matches against the 15-time Grand Slam champion in that period. However, with the number one ranking also for the taking should the Russian manage to win, she has taken encouragement from their last meeting in Miami earlier this year when Sharapova took the opening set.

Serena Williams retained her Madrid Open title on Sunday with a devastating display to beat world number two Maria Sharapova 6-1, 6-4. The title is Williams' 50th of her singles career and extends her amazing run over Sharapova whom she hasn't lost to in 12 meetings since 2004. And Williams believes winning a title on red clay for the first time since 2002, after Madrid's switch back to the more traditional surface after an experiment with blue clay last year, is the perfect preparation for the French Open.

World number one Serena Williams withstood a sterling effort from 30-year-old wildcard Anabel Medina Garrigues to book her place in the Madrid Open semi-finals with a 6-3, 0-6, 7-5 victory on Friday. Williams had cruised through to the last eight without so much as dropping a set and she did enough to edge a tight opening set against the World No. 63 with just the one break of serve when Garrgues was serving at 3-4 down.