By Chris Oddo | Friday March 18, 2016

Victoria Azarenka outlasted Karolina Pliskova in three sets to set up a must-see final with Serena Williams at Indian Wells, 7-6(1), 1-6, 6-2, in Friday’s second women’s semifinal at the BNP Paribas Open.

More: Williams Battles Past Radwanska and into Indian Wells Final

In an extremely high-quality match that featured some stunning power tennis from Pliskova, Azarenka stayed the course and hit her stride in the final set, breaking twice on five opportunities and dropping only four points on serve to win in convincing fashion.

The first two sets were anything but convincing as Azarenka and Pliskova engaged in a furious battle for the upper hand.

Pliskova took advantage of three consecutive double-faults from Azarenka to break for a 3-2 lead in the opening set, but the 23-year-old Czech saw two set points go begging with Azarenka serving at 3-5, then failed to serve out the set in the next game.

That push got Azarenka level at 5-all, and after two consecutive holds she proceeded to take a lopsided first-set tiebreaker, 7-1.

That run of tough luck did not dampen Pliskova’s spirits, however. She saved four break points to hold in the first game of the second set and played near-perfect tennis for the rest of a stanza that saw her crack 17 winners against just four unforced errors. A frustrated Azarenka had no answer for the lethal Pliskova attack—she lost all nine second-serve points and didn’t help herself by winning just four service points as she dropped the set, 6-1.

Azarenka rallied in the decider, as Pliskova showed some fatigue for the first time in the match.

After breaking for 3-1 on her third break point of the game when a Pliskova backhand sailed long, Azarenka continued to pressure and broke through again in the eighth game to close the match in two hours and five minutes.

It was a gritty, determined effort from a Azarenka who had to withstand 17 aces and 43 winners from Pliskova to get it done.

Azarenka improves to 2-1 against Pliskova and marches into her second final of 2016. She’ll face Serena Williams for the 21st time, hoping to end a personal five-match losing streak against the World No. 1.

The Belarusian owns a 3-17 lifetime record against Williams.

Azarenka could move back into the Top-10 for the first time since July of 2014 if she comes away with the title on Sunday.