KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. – Top-seeded Serena Williams will play in the Miami Open women's final after holding off third-seeded Simona Halep of Romania 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 in a semifinal Thursday night.
Looking for her eighth title at Key Biscayne, Williams will meet Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain in Saturday's final.
Halep was the last woman to beat Williams, easily topping her at last year's WTA Finals. And she almost did it again, before succumbing in just over two hours.
Suarez Navarro earned her finals berth and first Top 10 ranking with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Germany's Andrea Petkovic.
World No. 1 Novak Djokovic and John Isner of the U.S. will meet in a men's semifinal Friday, after straight-set wins Thursday.