NEW YORK — Serena Williams routed 10th seed Sara Errani of Italy 6-1, 6-2 on Friday to advance to the U.S. Open women's final against Victoria Azarenka with a chance to crown her 'Golden Summer' at the year's last Grand Slam event.

The 30-year-old Williams overpowered Errani, a French Open finalist, registering 38 winners, including nine aces.

Williams cut loose with a squeal of joy after ending the 64-minute match with a second-serve ace.

“It's really awesome. This is what I really wanted and dreamed of all year,” said the fourth-seeded Williams. “I'm in the final again and I'm really excited about it.”

Williams, a 14-time Grand Slam singles winner, will be gunning to cap off a brilliant summer run with a fourth U.S. Open title following her London triumphs at Wimbledon and the Olympics, where she won both singles and doubles gold.

“I think it will probably be the best summer I've ever had,” she said when asked how she would feel if she won tonight's final.

Williams has been in dominant form at Flushing Meadows, advancing without the loss of a set, dropping just 19 games in her six matches.

Errani did not have the weapons to keep Williams from blasting winners, even when she had the serve.

Williams, owner of the biggest serve in women's tennis along with powerhouse groundstrokes, raced to a 5-0 lead and looked like she might duplicate her fourth-round 6-0, 6-0 win against Andrea Hlavackova of the Czech Republic.

Errani, however, was cheered when she avoided a shutout in the opening set by winning the sixth game when Williams netted a backhand.

Eranni held serve in the third and seventh games of the second set but was outscored overall 60 points to 35.

“She played a good match,” the 25-year-old Errani said. “She's a great player. I think maybe she's the best. For me, I think she is incredible.”

Williams said she would not be carrying any added pressure into the final.

“I don't have anything to lose,” she said. “I'm going up against the most successful player of the year in Victoria Azarenka. On paper I think she's been more consistent. It will be a good challenge for me.”

Top-seeded Azarenka overcame a lackluster opening set to beat third-seeded former champion Maria Sharapova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.

Each player took their turn dominating in the opening two sets before settling into an exciting battle in the third set, which Azarenka claimed with a lone service break in the last game when Sharapova sent a forehand long from deuce.

“I'm definitely really proud of what I achieved today,” Azarenka said after her 2-hour, 42-minute victory.

Sharapova was pressured throughout the final set, taken to two deuces on her serve in the second game, to five deuces in the fourth and to four deuces in the sixth, but the Russian held Azarenka off valiantly before succumbing in the last game.

“I was just trying to find my rhythm and just fight,” said Azarenka, the first player from Belarus to reach the U.S. Open final. “I tried to give whatever it takes. Give it all.”