Justine Henin's dream run gathered pace Tuesday as she powered into the Australian Open semi-finals where she will face China's Zheng Jie, while big-hitting Croat Marin Cilic upset Andy Roddick
Justine Henin's dream run gathered pace Tuesday as she powered into the Australian Open semi-finals where she will face China's Zheng Jie, while big-hitting Croat Marin Cilic upset Andy Roddick.
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The 27-year-old Belgian decided to return to tennis after seeing fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters win the US Open last year, and she has more than justified the faith of organisers here who handed her a wildcard.
The draw opened up for her nicely when Clijsters was knocked out in the third round and Henin has seized the opportunity, using her vast experience to down determined Russian 19th seed Nadia Petrova 7-6 (7/3), 7-5.
She now faces the dangerous Zheng, who destroyed unseeded Russian Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 6-3, for a berth in her 12th Grand Slam final.
Fourteenth seeded Cilic made his first Grand Slam semi by outlasting seventh seed Roddick, with the American once again failing to live up to expectations.
Cilic claimed an epic five-setter, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3, 3-6, 2-6, 6-3 and will play either defending champion Rafael Nadal or British hope Andy Murray.
"It wasn't easy. In the last set I was just trying to hold my serve, and he was putting a lot of pressure on," said Cilic, the first Croat ever to reach the last four in Melbourne.
"I won the first game easily and that helped, and then when I broke him it got a bit easier.
"I can go one more five-setter, why not?"
It was marathon man Cilic's third five-set match of the tournament.
Henin, whose win made her just the third women's wildcard to reach the semi-final of any Grand Slam after Zheng at Wimbledon in 2008 and Clijsters at last year's US Open, said she was now daring to dream.
"I'm here again in the last four. It's just much more than what I could expect and the dream continues," said Henin, who called it quits in May 2008 after losing her enthusiasm for tennis.
"But there's still a long way to go. I'll just try to be focused on what I have to do on the court and hope it keeps going this way.
"I'll have good recovery and two good nights (rest). That's what I need. But it's just a great feeling to be in the semis of the first Grand Slam since I'm back."
She had struggled through long matches in her last three rounds, defying her aching body and an injured left thigh to reach the last eight, and there was little between her and Petrova as they went shot for shot on a hot day.
Petrova said Henin was a better player now than when she retired.
"She's definitely playing very good," said the Russian. "She's playing more aggressively ... playing faster tennis.
"She's playing closer to the line and really going after the second serves."
Zheng is in her first Australian semi-final, matching her run at Wimbledon 2008, and with Li Na also still in the tournament, Chinese tennis is on a high.
Li plays sixth seed Venus Williams in the other quarter-final on Wednesday, while defending champion Serena Williams takes on seventh seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus.
"Henin for me is such a good player, she is so strong mentally," said Zheng, who was far too good for Kirilenko, who played with her left thigh heavily strapped and was clearly struggling in the heat.
"I just want to go out there and enjoy the match and play well."
By reaching the semis, the 26-year-old from Chengdu will return to the top 20 for the first time since last June.
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