Williams dominates Vinci to reach WTA Toronto semis

Williams dominates Vinci to reach WTA Toronto semis

TORONTO (CANADA) - Three-time champion Serena Williams extended her Toronto match win streak to 14 with a 6-4, 6-3 dismantling of Italian Roberta Vinci in the quarter-finals of the WTA Rogers Cup on Friday.

Serena Williams of the US plays a shot against Roberta Vinci of Italy during the quarter-finals of the Rogers Cup in Toronto, Canada, on August 14, 2015

The 33-year-old Williams powered her way past Vinci by blasting 12 aces in the 78-minute match on center court.

She moves on where she will face either Swiss Belinda Bencic or former world number one and fifth seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia in the semi-finals at the hardcourt warm-up event for the US Open, the year's final Grand Slam tournament that begins August 31.

Williams could win her fifth Grand Slam title in a row and complete a calendar year Grand Slam by defending her US Open crown. That would also give her 22 Grand Slam singles titles, matching Steffi Graf for the most in the Open era.

The world number one Williams won in Toronto in her last two appearances in 2011 and 2013. She pulled out of the Stanford tournament last week with an elbow injury.

Williams won 76 percent of her first serve points and saved five of six break points on her serve.

Vinci, who reached the final of the Nurnberg tournament earlier this year, made four double faults and won just 40 percent of her second serve points. The world number 53 lost in the first round at Wimbledon and the French Open this year.

Romanian second seed Simona Halep advanced to the semi-finals by roaring back to defeat Polish sixth seed Agnieszka Radwanska 0-6, 6-3, 6-1.

Halep next will face Italy's Sara Errani, who defeated Ukraine qualifier Lesia Tsurenko 6-4, 6-4 in another semi-final.

Radwanska won the first seven games of the match and looked in control.

But Halep battled to 3-3 in the second set and then seized command, winning eight games in a row to reach the brink of victory.

Radwanska held at love in the penultimate game but Halep matched her in the concluder to claim her 300th career singles victory after one hour and 40 minutes on the court.

"It was a tough match," Halep said. "She played an amazing first set. I couldn't move my legs first set. I made many mistakes," she said.

"But I kept my concentration and a changed a few things and was able to come back."

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