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Melbourne - Agnieszka Radwanska said she had never faced a better set after Serena Williams blew her away 6-0, 6-4 in a crushing Australian Open semi-final victory on Thursday.
Poland's Radwanska, the world number four and winner of last year's WTA Finals, said there was no player who could live with Williams when she was playing at that level, with her first set slaughter taking just 20 minutes.
"I think so," said Radwanska, when asked if the first set was the best she had faced. "There was just no mistake. Unbelievable serve. Everything, she was going for it. Yeah, I couldn't do much. Not at all, actually."
The remarks underscore Williams' seamless return to tennis after she took a break following last year's US Open, where a shock defeat in the semi-finals left her agonisingly short of a calendar-year Grand Slam.
Despite knee problems in the build-up to Melbourne, Williams is now into her 26th Grand Slam final without dropping a set, and with the loss of just 26 games.
Williams, who blasted 42 winners to Radwanska's four, has grown throughout the tournament and she also destroyed fifth-ranked Maria Sharapova 6-4, 6-1 in the quarter-finals.
"If she's playing her best tennis like she was playing today in the first set, it's a big difference actually (between Williams and the rest of the players)," Radwanska said.
"I don't think anyone can really play on that level. She's really showing her great tennis on all the Grand Slams. She's really showing she wants to win it. She's doing everything right."
Radwanska added: "Half of the match you just have no chance. You're trying everything and you think you're playing good, but it's still not going your way at all. I'm not even angry because I know she was just playing too good today."
The one-sided encounter does not augur well for Williams' potential final opponents Angelique Kerber and Johanna Konta, who were playing the second semi on Thursday.
"I don't think any style is good when Serena's playing like that. You know, if she's playing her game, it's a different level," Radwanska said.
"When you serve 190 kilometres per hour wide, I don't know who's going to take that. Well, definitely not me."
