Serena Williams finds her way back to final at Indian Wells

Fifteen years after she left Indian Wells with boos ringing in her ears and the belief she was unwelcome, Serena Williams is back in the final of the BNP Paribas Open.

Williams shunned the event after her 2001 triumph because she was upset over being jeered after her sister, Venus, withdrew from their semifinal match. Serena Williams didn’t return until last year and she had to withdraw from her semifinal because of an injury.

On Friday, again welcomed as warmly as she has been since she arrived last week as the top seed and No. 1 in the world, Serena sputtered at times but held off an aggressive effort by Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland to win, 6-4, 7-6 (1). and advance to Sunday’s final.

Williams will face No. 13 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, who defeated Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic, 7-6 (1), 1-6, 6-2. Williams’ career record vs. Azarenka is 17-3, including their last five meetings. That includes wins by Williams in the 2015 Wimbledon quarterfinals and the 2013 U.S. Open final.

“I definitely didn’t think I would ever be in another final here, ever,� said Williams, who improved her career record against Radwanska to 10-0 and became the oldest finalist here at age 34 years 6 months, one month older than 1991 champion Martina Navratilova. “After the last final I had here, I never pictured myself being back.

“Hopefully it will be very different than the last final. But my goal is just to be out there, and I think it’s kind of cool that I can really close the door by being in the final again. So I think it’s something that really kind of came full circle.�

Williams has not lost a set in five matches at Indian Wells, though she was oddly erratic Friday. She committed 29 unforced errors and double-faulted six times, but when it mattered most she was able to muster her formidable strength and concentration — or, as she has called it, her inner tiger.

Where was that tiger early, when a smart and well-prepared Radwanska broke her in the first game of the first set and built a 4-2 lead before Williams held and broke back to make it 4-4 and picked up her intensity to win the set?

“She was there. She didn’t come out,� Williams said. “She was just quiet, but she was quiet winning points. She won 11 points in a row.�

The 11-point streak occurred at the start of the second set, and Williams had a 3-0 lead before Radwanska could counter.

“In the first set she served pretty much every ball to my forehand. I started reading it, so she obviously changed her strategy,� said Williams. “She’s a very smart player, so she knows that you just can’t go into the match and just do the exact same thing against anybody for the whole match.�

adwanska will be No. 2 in the rankings next week, which will match the career-best level she reached in July and August of 2012. Putting up a fight against Williams was some consolation, especially after she was overpowered by Williams, 6-0, 6-4, in the semifinals of the Australian Open this year. But the gap between Williams and everyone else remains huge, and Radwanska couldn’t bridge it.

“Definitely should have won that first set. Also some chances in that second set,� Radwanska said. “But, yeah, in the important moments she was really returning very well. I was serving first serves, but she was too good.�

Maybe too good to be beaten at Indian Wells. “I think everyone is a rival, especially against me,� Williams said. “They come out with a game I have never seen before. But it’s made me better.�

Follow Helene Elliott on Twitter: @helenenothelen