Simona Halep thumps Jelena Jankovic to book Serena Williams date in Cincinnati

Jelena Jankovic won just three games as Simona Halep obliterated the 2009 Cincinnati Open champion to book a final date with Serena Williams.

The Romanian demolished her Serbian counterpart 6-1 6-2 in just 70 minutes to secure a showdown with the defending champion and world number one.

Both players broke one another's service game to sit level at 1-1 in the opener, but Halep raced away from there, inflicting three further breaks of serve to wrap up a one-sided first set and send a message to Williams in the process.

There was little by way of resistance from Jankovic in the second set, as Halep broke again to move 3-1 up, and again in the sixth and eighth game to breeze into Sunday's final.

Williams has won five of seven meetings with Halep.