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Henin marches on to Paris semis

Top seed Justine Henin overcame a mid-match blip to march into the US$600,000 WTA Paris Indoor Open semi-finals on Friday.

Henin ousted Tatiana Golovin 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 as she quickly found her best form despite having not played in three months prior to arriving in the French capital.

Henin was in cruise control in the first set but the tide turned at 2-2 in the second when Golovin battled back from 0-40 to hold serve. She broke in the next game and cleaned up the set a few games later with a sweeping cross-court forehand pass.

Golovin's power told in the second set but Henin demonstrated why she is a five-time Grand Slam winner in regaining the initiative.

The Belgian did what few players on the WTA tour are capable of by mixing up her game and creeping up to the net to put away volleys.

That tactic served her well and two breaks to one in the final set was enough for Henin to book her place in the last four against rising Czech star Lucie Safarova who beat third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Safarova only turned 20 last Sunday but she has been playing like a seasoned veteran in Paris and Russian Kuznetsova could do nothing to prevent a 6-3, 6-4 loss.

Safarova proved her worth in the previous round, beating the in-form Nicole Vaidisova.

Second seed and defending champion Amelie Mauresmo battled into the last four with a tough 7-6 (7/5), 7-5 victory over Russian eighth seed Anna Chakvetadze.

Mauresmo stormed into a 5-2 lead in the first set but was then pegged back and made to sweat all the way to the finishing line.

She next faces fourth seed Nadia Petrova who beat compatriot Dinara Safina 6-3, 6-2.
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