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Henin rallies to reach Zurich Open final

Tatiana Golovin returns the ball to Francesca Schiavone during their semi final match at the WTA Zurich Open on Saturday. PHOTO: AP

Justine Henin rallied to defeat Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic 3-6, 6-3, 7-5 on Saturday to advance to the Zurich Open final.

In a repeat of the Stuttgart final two weeks ago, Henin was due to play Tatiana Golovin of France yesterday, who defeated Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-0, 6-4 in the other semi-final.

It marked only the second time Henin has dropped a set since Wimbledon. She also lost a set against Tatiana Golovin of France in the Stuttgart final, which Henin won 2-6, 6-2, 6-1.

Henin has won eight titles in 12 tournaments this season.

The top-ranked Belgian, who has failed to play her best tennis all week, found a tough opponent in Vaidisova.

At 2-2 in the first set, Henin had three break points but was unable to capitalize. By contrast, Vaidisova converted her first break point at 4-3 when Henin's shot went long.

In the second set, Henin attacked more. Vaidisova saved two break points to stay level at 1-1, but the Belgian had three in the following game, converting the second with a powerful crosscourt forehand.

In the final set, Henin didn't take the initiative, waiting mostly for Vaidisova to make mistakes.

Henin broke to lead 3-2, converting the first of two break points by drilling a long forehand to the baseline that Vaidisova was unable to clear over the net.

Vaidisova then surged back.

Trailing 5-3, Vaidisova saved two match points to hold serve. The Czech then broke next game.

Henin had saved two break points, but she smashed a lazy lob into the net. The following point, Henin angrily threw her racket to the ground after hitting a backhand shot well wide.

But Henin broke next game, putting Vaidisova on the defensive and concluding with a forehand winner before holding serve to close it out.

Henin said it was her toughest match since losing in the semi-finals at Wimbledon. While that encouraged Vaidisova, it couldn't make up for the loss.

Golovin breezed through the first set in 23 minutes, but Schiavone recovered in the second.

The pair stayed level until 4-4, when Golovin broke. The Frenchwoman then saved three break points the following game before sealing the victory on her second match point when Schiavone netted a return.

Golovin said she had learned from the Stuttgart final.

"I think it's going to be pretty important," Golovin said. "I know what I did to beat her in the first set and I know why I lost the last two. But she's so strong. No matter how you play she still ends up winning."

Roger Federer beat Nicolas Kiefer 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday to advance to the Madrid Masters final.

Federer, the defending champion playing for his seventh title of the season, was due to face David Nalbandian yesterday after the 25th-ranked Argentine beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Nalbandian, whose previous best result this year was reaching the quarter-finals in Barcelona, won 35 of 41 first-serve points, including 22 of 25 in the second set.

Nalbandian, who gave the No. 2 Rafael Nadal his worst loss in three years on Friday, saved one break point in each set against the third-ranked Serb.

Federer won his 18th straight match to reach his 10th final in 13 events. He will be trying for his 15th Masters title, second only to Andre Agassi's 17.

Federer broke Kiefer's serve twice and was near-perfect on first serve points, winning 31-of-34 for the match, including 10 aces.

Federer hasn't been broken or dropped a set after a five-week layoff since capturing his fourth straight US Open title.

The Swiss hasn't lost on indoor hard courts in nearly two years, the last defeat being against Nalbandian at the Masters Cup.

Nalbandian's serve helped him in the tiebreaker, with Djokovic unable to return it on the final point.

After saving a double-break chance in the opening game of the first set, Djokovic hit a forehand into the net to drop his service game in the third.

Djokovic, coming off a fifth title this year in Vienna, strained all match to reach the Argentine's crosscourt groundstrokes.

In the fifth game of the second set, both players reached crosscourt shots that looked out of reach before Djokovic came to the net and pinned Nalbandian back with a volley. But the Argentine hit a lob winner that Djokovic applauded.

Djokovic set up a break chance in the 12th game after consecutive forehands forced Nalbandian into poor shots. But the Serb spun a forehand wide of the line as Nalbandian held for the tiebreaker.

Kiefer stuck with his serve-and-volley game despite being broken in the third game of the opening set, scoring 20 at the front.

The 112th-ranked German worked to hold his serve through the second until Federer finally prevailed in the ninth.

Kiefer saved four break chances but then sent his crosscourt forehand from the baseline into the net.
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