Williams claimed her 18th consecutive triumph in the all-American final and matched Steffi Graf as the only three-time champion here. The 20-year-old won in 1998 and 1999 and missed last year with wrist tendonitis.

"I never had a game with so many match points against," Williams said. "I guess there is a first for everything. I just kept getting back in it some way or another."

Australian Open champion Andre Agassi ousted Australia's Patrick Rafter 6-0 6-7 (2/7) 6-2 to reach the final of the men's event.

Third seed and three-time champion Agassi will face fellow American Jan-Michael Gambill in Sunday's decider.

Gambill beat seventh-seeded Aussie Lleyton Hewitt 7-5 6-4 in the first semi-final.