Serena Williams to face Sorona Cirstea in Rogers Cup Women’s final

The Serena Williams express keeps on chugging at the 2013 Rogers Cup.

The top ranked player in the world will make her fourth appearance in the Canadian Open final on Sunday where she will take on Sorona Cirstea who is not seeded at this tournament.

Williams, booked her ticket to championship match after taking down world No. 4 Angnieszka Radwanksa in a hard-fought victory (7-6 (3), 6-4) at Rexall Centre on Friday evening.

"It was one of our tougher matches," said Williams who has now defeated Radwanska in all six matches they have played including the final at Wimbledon in 2012.

It was certainly her stiffest challenge so far, Radwanska went toe-to-toe with Williams, playing with both finesse and power. Williams, who has not lost a set so far, was on the ropes in the first set but was able to come out on top in a tie-break.

Radwanska continued to press in the second set, but the the 31-year-old veteran pulled away for the straight sets victory.

In Cirstea, Williams sees an opponent who is coming in to her own.

"She has a really big serve, she moves well, so she is not an easy player to play," Williams said. "The last few months she has been really consistent. She is just a player who has finally found herself and she is playing better and better and getting more confident. It's going to be a really tough match."

For Cirstea, the key to hanging in against the favourite is sticking with formula that has gotten her this far.

"The main thing is that I have to stay serving well, being aggressive, trying to be in control, going in the court with a good mentality," she said.

Cirstea reached the Rogers Cup final in only her second appearance in the main draw, she lost in the first-round in 2012.

"This is the biggest tournament so far (in my career)," Cristea said. "I think it's the start of something good."

She continued her string of upsets earlier in the day when she disposed of China's Li Na in straight sets (6-1, 7-6 (5) ).

Sunday's match will be her first singles final since 2008 and only the third of her career.

She began the tournament by knocking off two former top ranked players in Caroline Wozniaki and Jelena Jankovic before taking out the defending Petra Kvitova in the quarter-finals. While many have described her performance at this tournament as a Cinderella run, Cirstea explained that it is just a case focus and training coming together.

"I have said already many, many times that I was working hard before I came on the hard court season," Cirstea said. "So its not coincidence, no?'. Everything is based on hard work. Everyone can see I have been (taking) some great steps in the right direction."

If she manages to get by Williams, Cirstea will be the first Romanian to win the Rogers Cup.

She is the first woman from the eastern European nation to make an appearance in this tournament since Virginia Ruzici lost to American Chris Evert in 1980.

Meanwhile, Williams is looking to go 3-0 in Toronto - she won the last time the tournament was held here in 2011 and took home her first championship a decade earlier in 2001.

In two career meetings, Williams holds a 2-0 edge over Cirstea with one of her victories coming on hardcourt.