Once again, Justine Henin-Hardenne rose to the occasion on her favorite stage.
The two-time French Open champion earned another berth in the final, taking advantage of Belgian compatriot Kim Clijsters' erratic play to win 6-3, 6-2 on Thursday.
"I have a lot of ambition," said Henin-Hardenne, the Roland Garros champion in 2003 and 2005. "Beating Kim is special, but I must not relax. I can win a third French Open, and that means a lot."
Her opponent on Saturday will be 2004 US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, who ended 17-year-old Nicole Vaidisova's breakthrough week by rallying to win 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
Vaidisova served for the match in the second set and was two points from her first Grand Slam final at 5-all in the tiebreaker, but a wave of errors by the teen turned the tide.
"I had my chances, of course. It happens," said Vaidisova, chomping gum in her postmatch news conference. "Of course I'm disappointed. I love to win and I hate to lose. But I can be proud of how I did."
Kuznetsova, seeded eighth, drew on her big-match experience and played better as their match progressed. She committed only one unforced error in the final set, winning the first four games and serving well to finish off Vaidisova.
"In the second set, she was just playing unbelievable," Kuznetsova said. "Finally she got little bit nervous. I know how it feels, because I've been there in her position so many times, and I've done it."
In the men's semifinals on Friday, No. 3-seeded David Nalbandian and No. 4 Ivan Ljubicic will try to play spoilers, with top-ranked Roger Federer and defending champion Rafael Nadal one round from a much-anticipated showdown in the final. It's the first time since 1985 that the four top-seeded men have reached the semifinals at Roland Garros.
The women's semifinals took place under a cloudless sky with temperatures around 20?C, and Henin-Hardenne was as good as the weather.
"She's the best clay-court player at the moment, and she played a good match today," Clijsters said.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
Liverpool are in advanced talks with former AFC Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola as they seek a replacement for Arne Slot, reports said on Tuesday. Iraola has emerged as Liverpool’s top target to replace Slot, who was sacked on Saturday last week after a turbulent second season in charge. Liverpool have reportedly agreed a deal in principle to bring the Spaniard, who left Bournemouth at the end of this season, to Anfield. Sporting director Richard Hughes was heavily involved in hiring Iraola during his time at Bournemouth and is again spearheading the recruitment of the highly rated coach. The Reds are
KNICKS TAKE LEAD: San Antonio put on a 9-0 run to be up 95-94 with just over 2 minutes to play, but the rest of the game belonged to the New York Knicks It was past five minutes through the third quarter of Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday and the New York Knicks’ 11-game winning streak was in major jeopardy. The Knicks missed nine of their first 10 shots in the early part of the period and trailed the San Antonio Spurs by 14 points. They were floundering. Then something crazy happened. The Knicks found new life from an unlikely source: The Spurs. New York rallied to tie the game by the end of the period, gave up the lead briefly late in the fourth quarter, and pulled away late for a 105-95
RSS