Belgians set up semi date

ByEurosport

Published 06/06/2006 at 13:26 GMT

Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne ensured that Belgium will be represented in this year's French Open final with respective quarter final wins on Tuesday. Second seed Clijsters ended Martina Hingis' hopes of glory whilst Henin-Hardenne coasted past

For some reason, Swiss twelfth seed Hingis was not wearing her usual smile as she entered the Court Chatrier at the beginning of her quarter final. Perhaps it was because she knew in advance she would need miracles to beat world number two Kim Clijsters.

TENNIS 2006 French Open Quarter final Hingis

Image credit: Reuters

After taking a tight first set, Clijsters simply outplayed the former world number one and pushed on to a well-deserved 7-6 (7/5) 6-1 victory, marking the difference with 31 winners.

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Clijsters made the faster start and broke in Hingis' opening service game as she opened up a 3-0 lead.

The Swiss player then saved a set point on her own serve in the eighth game and having escaped from her brush with danger broke back to love when Clijsters attempted to serve out the set.

TIE BREAKER

Hingis saved another set point in the twelfth game before a tie-break ensued.

TENNIS 2006 French Open Hingis M. - Clijsters K.

Image credit: Reuters

Clijsters also proved to be the smarter player, changing the pace at the right time and making more successful drop shots in the tie-break.

Hingis could not fend off the second seed any longer and a backhand winner gave her the breaker by seven points to five.

With her confidence swollen, the popular Belgian ran away with the second set thanks to an impressive display of tennis, winning it in just 22 minutes to end Hingis' hopes of completing a career Grand Slam - at least for another year.

"I knew I had to improve my game and I did," said Clijsters after the match. "I really stepped up."

"I don't think clay is my favourite surface. But the support with all the Belgian flags in the stands really helped me."

HENIN IN CONTROL

On the Court Lenglen, 2004 champion Henin-Hardenne ran out a 7-5 6-2 winner over her German opponent.

TENNIS 2006 French Open Second round Henin-Hardenne

Image credit: Reuters

The fifth seed was broken in the opening game of the match, but was soon back on the attack, breaking back to draw level at 2-2.

And from then on the Belgian looked in total control, and her consistency was too much for the German.

Groenefeld struggled with her first serve all match, and at 5-5, Henin-Hardenne broke before closing out the first set.

The number 13 seed, who celebrated her 21st birthday two days ago, got off to the worst possible start in the second set, losing her serve twice to trail 3-0.

TENNIS 2006 French Open Henin-Hardenne J. - Clijsters K.

Image credit: dpa

She did manage to convert some of her unforced errors into winners to come back to 3-2, but from there on in Henin-Hardenne took control and had little trouble in taking the final three games to secure her passage into the semi-finals.

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