Venus Williams raced to her first Australian Open singles final on Thursday with a powerful 6-3 6-3 win (in 74 minutes) over fifth seed Justine Henin-Hardenne.
The world number two, runner-up to sister Serena in the last three grand slam finals, played with bone-rattling power throughout to overwhelm the Belgian for the seventh time in eight matches.
Venus will face either her top-seeded younger sister or Henin-Hardenne's friend and compatriot Kim Clijsters in Saturday's final.
"It's so exciting. You know I've struggled and failed and done everything but get to this position before where I can win the Australian Open," a joyous Venus beamed after a victory jig on court.
"I am just so happy."
Both players sprung from the blocks, determined to make a positive start on centre court but it was the Belgian fifth seed who struck first, breaking in the third game when Venus slapped a swing volley into the net.
Willowy, with her white dress topped off with a retro white sun visor, Venus covered every inch of court in the next game to break back with some brave hitting and dogged retrieving to put Henin-Hardenne on the defensive.
Venus reeled off the next two games as she threatened to run away with the set but Henin-Hardenne stopped the American her in her tracks, winning the Venus serve to trail 4-3.
Once again, though, Venus hit back to win two successive games to seal the set with a running backhand down the line after 37 minutes.
Henin-Hardenne was into her rhythm and held comfortably to open the second set while Venus began to look less convincing on her own delivery. The Belgian took the serve early to put the second seed on the defensive.
But Henin-Hardenne's ground strokes lost a little of their bite midway through the second set as she began to misfire. Her fluid backhand began hitting the tape of the net and her forehand flew a little off line.
A double fault allowed Venus three break points in the fifth game at love-40. The Belgian saved one but her forehand let her down on the second, firing fractionally over the baseline to put Venus firmly in control of the match.
A devastating backhand pass, a backhand high swing volley, a sizzling backhand return down the line and a heavy crosscourt forehand gave Venus another break for 5-2.
Serving to reach the final, Venus took her eye off the ball, though. She double-faulted to miss her first match-point and another double-fault a point later allowed Henin-Hardenne back into the match.
Given a lifeline, the Belgian then suffered a bout of nerves, poking a backhand long to give Venus another match point. The American did not squander this opportunity and finished the match by thumping a deep drive into the forehand corner, which Henin-Hardenne drifted wide.
More from rediff