Justine & Kim To Meet in SFs

It was a fierce battle, but that's exactly what she likes. Justine Henin powered her way into the Sony Ericsson Open semifinals on Wednesday with a 67(5) 63 64 triumph over Caroline Wozniacki.

Henin, playing the fourth tournament of her Sony Ericsson WTA Tour comeback and a wildcard into the draw, came out strong, building a 3-1 lead right away and confidently assuming the role of aggressor in the first-time match-up. But the No.2-seeded Wozniacki's defense was strong too, drawing several errors from Henin - and, by the end of the first set, Wozniacki's cleaner numbers trumped Henin's fierce attack, as the Dane took it in a tie-break, 7-5.

Henin wasn't done, however - not like anyone would have counted her out anyway. Her serve picked up: she dropped just 12 points in 10 service games in the second and third sets combined. She also began figuring out boundaries with the backboard-like game of Wozniacki, cutting back on errors and working points more. She snagged one break per set and served it out at love, winning three of the four points on winners - including a huge backhand on match point.

"I was in a lot of trouble in the first set. It wasn't easy for me to find a good balance of aggression and patience," Henin said. "It was the kind of match I really needed. Even though I was a bit tired in the end, I was able to win. In terms of my fighting spirit, I proved I can still do it. That was important for me."

"She was taking the ball early, trying to get good angles, mixing up the game... she's a great player," Wozniacki said. "Of course after being in the sun and fighting for almost three hours, it's upsetting to lose. Especially because I felt I had my chances and didn't take them, and she did straight away."

Next for Henin will be a classic match-up with No.14 seed and fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters, whose numbers were strong during a 63 75 quarterfinal win over No.9 seed Samantha Stosur. Stosur was playing well all week, pulling off come-from-behind wins in her first two matches of the tournament then upsetting No.7 seed Jelena Jankovic in the last round; but she couldn't get the better of Clijsters. The Belgian played aggressively all match and, locked at 5-all in the second set, broke at love before serving it out easily, winning on a swinging forehand winner. She had 26 winners to 18 errors (Stosur was 21 and 25).

"It has always been special and it will always be special," Henin said on the rivalry. "Kim and I grew up together, arrived on the tour at the same time, played well at the same time, retired at the same time, and now we came back at the same time. It's amazing. We have never stopped respecting each other. Never, ever, ever. Even if people talk about it, we never had any problems, Kim and I."

"I've always had a lot of respect for Justine," Clijsters said. "She is definitely one of the most professional players out there. She works extremely hard to get to where she is. She's a huge talent too. I can learn a lot from her. And especially when we get to clay, the way she moves, it's something I can only dream of."