The Associated Press

WIMBLEDON, England - Consider Serena Williams back and good as ever. Hey, she does.

Her body's pain-free; her mind's at ease; her strokes sting; her serves zing.

Facing what was billed as a true test, Williams dominated Jennifer Capriati 6-1, 6-1 Wednesday to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time since winning her second straight Wimbledon title last year.

"I'm feeling really good for the first time since I've been back," said Williams, who returned to competition in March after having surgery on her left knee last August.

That's bad news for her next opponent, No. 4 Amelie Mauresmo, who reached her second Wimbledon semifinal by beating No. 9 Paola Suarez 6-0, 5-7, 6-1. Today's other semifinal is No. 5 Lindsay Davenport vs. No. 13 Maria Sharapova.

Davenport, the 1999 Wimbledon champion, and Williams are the only remaining women's players to have won a major title. Williams is bidding to become just the third woman in 35 years to claim three straight championships at the All England Club.

"It's been something on my mind since the beginning of the tournament," said Williams, who hasn't lost a set, dropping only 17 games through five matches.

Her first four matches came against unseeded players, and three-time Slam champion Capriati might as well have been.

"I don't think I really had much of a chance to get into the match and play. I was just feeling so much pressure from her coming off the baseline, the serve," No. 7 Capriati said.

It has been a while since Williams was at the top of her game; because of injuries and absences, she slid from No. 1 to No. 10 in the rankings.

But all appears right in Serena's world these days.

"I'm bending for balls, and I'm not having any pain," she said. "I'm running without having any doubt in my mind."

Entering Wednesday, she held a 9-6 edge over Capriati, with 11 matches going three sets. All five at majors had gone the distance, but this time Williams needed just 45 minutes to put away Capriati.

Andy Roddick, who beat Sjeng Schalken 7-6 (4), 7-6 (9), 6-3 to reach the men's semifinals, was asked if he watched the Williams-Capriati match.

"No. I was in the bathroom," he said. "I came out, and it was done."