Serena Williams vs. Agnieszka Radwanska: Score, Reaction from 2016 Indian Wells

One year after an injury prematurely ended her run in the semifinals in Indian Wells, California, Serena Williams wasn't going to be denied again. The world's No. 1 player earned a 6-4, 7-6 (1) win over Agnieszka Radwanska on Friday to advance to the final of the 2016 BNP Paribas Open. 

Entering Friday's match, Williams had completely dominated Radwanska in their previous nine meetings. She was a perfect 9-0 against the 27-year-old Pole, dropping only one set in the process. Radwanska wasn't letting her poor record against Serena affect her mindset, though.

"I am just so happy to be in the semifinals here," she said, per Reuters (via the Guardian). "I have nothing to lose, will have a good rest and be ready for the semis."

Given both her history against Radwanska and impressive run through the tournament, one would've expected Serena to cruise for the most part. Instead, Williams looked out of sorts and generally apathetic to start the match.

The New York Times' Ben Rothenberg was surprised to see how poorly she played early in the first set:

In the seventh game of the set, Serena had to hold serve just to avoid falling 2-5 behind. However, during the changeover, a switch flipped inside Williams. She cut a stoic figure as she sat in her chair in anticipation of the eighth game, per TennisTV:

Everything changed once the eighth game started. Williams was completely dialed in and looked committed to wrapping up the match as quickly as possible. She won the next three games to take the first set 6-4. According to TennisTV, Serena had 19 winners and 16 unforced errors, which encapsulates her uneven performance.

Her dominance continued into the second set as she took the opening three games. NFL Network's Steve Weissman argued her Jekyll-and-Hyde showing was further evidence of her immense talent:

Sports Illustrated's Jon Wertheim couldn't help but appreciate the stretch of games:

Radwanska rediscovered her serve in the second set, which allowed her to be more aggressive. According to WTA Insider, she was regularly hitting triple digits on the radar gun:

The WTA found one fan thrilled to see Radwanska fight her way back into the match:

Radwanska was on serve up 6-5 in the second set, but she was unable to force a decisive third frame. Instead, Williams broke serve and made quick work of her opponent in the tiebreaker to reach the final. She'll face off with either Karolina Pliskova or Victoria Azarenka.

While Williams will be the heavy favorite no matter who the opponent, her chances of winning her first Indian Wells title since 2001 depend heavily on which Serena shows up.

Even when she's playing at roughly 70 to 80 percent of her full talent, Williams can beat almost anybody in the world. She just brushed aside the No. 3 player in the WTA rankings despite playing far from her best tennis.

On the other hand, the 21-time Grand Slam champion can be her own worst enemy at times, which makes her much more beatable.

Considering how far she has come, it's unlikely Williams will allow the title to slip through her grasp.

Post-Match Reaction

After the match, Williams praised the crowd in Indian Wells, per the WTA:

"I think it was really good for me to have a match like that and I think that's the reason Aga is doing so well, because she never gave up," she said, per Reuters. "I was up so much in the second and she just came back and was determined more than ever, so it was really good to play well against her tonight."

"I think it was a really good match," said Radwanska, per the tournament's official website. "I think we both played very well."

At 34 years old, Williams is the oldest woman to reach the Indian Wells final since Martina Navratilova did so at the same age in 1991. Serena took the news in stride, per WTA Insider: "I guess that's awesome to be the grandma in the tournament. I guess."