Stanford, CA – Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and lucky-loser Coco Vandeweghe were semifinal winners on Saturday at the $740,000 Bank of the West Classic.
Williams breezed into the final, securing a 6-1, 6-2 victory over ninth-seeded Romanian Sorana Cirstea in just one hour. She won 15-of-18 first-serve points and faced just one break point all night.
Williams will be looking for her second consecutive Bank of the West title, as she defeated Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli in last year's final on the hardcourts at Stanford's Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
Vandeweghe, the niece of former NBA player Kiki Vandeweghe, scored a 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 victory over fifth-seeded Belgian Yanina Wickmayer. She became the first lucky loser to advance to a WTA final since Melinda Czink reached the Canberra final in 2007.
Vandeweghe double-faulted five times, but fired 12 aces and won four of nine break points in the two hour, 11 minute triumph.
The 20-year-old American will be making her first career finals appearance.
The winner of the Bank of the West Classic will pocket $96,000.
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