Rome - Svetlana Kuznetsova won a battle of recent WTA champions as she defeated Miami winner Victoria Azarenka of Belarus 6-2, 6-4 Friday at the Rome International to advance into a second final in as many weeks.

The seventh-seeded Kuznetsova, last weekend's Stuttgart champion, took 90 minutes to contain the big game of Azarenka, who made her breakthrough with a thrashing of Serena Williams in Florida a month ago.

Kuznetsova will play the Saturday final at the Foro Italico against top-seeded world number one Dinara Safina of Russia or American Venus Williams, a champion in Rome a decade ago.

The 2004 US Open winner Kuznetsova broke her Balarus opponent six times to eventually take charge of the victory, lifting her record this season to 21-5.

Kuznetsova nudged ahead of Williams to stake a claim on the best 20098 clay record on the WTA, now standing 10-1.

The winner now stands a commanding 4-1 over Azarenka after losing to the teenager in the Miami semi-finals.

Kuznetsova beat Safina last weekend in Stuttgart to earn the tenth singles trophy of her career. (dpa)