Brisbane:
Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin both overcame lapses to win their Brisbane International quarterfinals on Thursday, raising the prospect of a final between the two Belgians.
Clijsters, five tournaments into a comeback that has already netted a U.S. Open title, needed four match points to beat Lucie Safarova 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 in a topsy-turvy quarterfinal.
It took Henin 24 minutes between her first match point and her sixth before she finally put away seventh-seeded Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5).
Henin, who has won seven Grand Slam titles and quit in May 2008 while holding the No. 1 ranking, is back on tour and grateful for every match she gets to prepare for the Australian Open starting Jan. 18 in Melbourne.
Next up for her is another former No. 1, Ana Ivanovic, who overcame her own wobbles to win 6-4, 7-6 (6) against 18-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Clijsters' semifinal opponent will be Germany's Andrea Petkovic, who upset fourth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2.
"When I lost the second set 6-0, I said, 'forget about it, let's refocus,'" Clijster said. "So I'm glad with the win, especially the way I came back after that not-so-good second set."
Safarova had only won three points on serve as Clijsters raced to a 5-0 in the first. The second set changed completely, as the No. 41-ranked Czech dominated on her serve and powerful forehand.
Clijsters got the crucial break in the fifth game of the third, but still struggled to close it out, wasting three match points at 5-4 before finally clinching the win.
Henin's win over Czink lasted 2 hours, 21 minutes and she struggled at times in a match that opened with five straight service breaks.
She dropped a set for the first time in three matches of her comeback, and wasted a break and three match points in the third set. Henin clinched the match on her sixth match point after earning a 6-3 lead with an ace in the tiebreaker.
"That's the kind of match that I need _ not that long maybe," Henin said. "It's a perfect preparation for me.
"I wouldn't say it's a good feeling, but it's probably something I needed _ in the end it was quite tight and nerves had to be solid."
Ivanovic won her only Grand Slam title at the 2008 French Open, not long after Henin retired.
"It's great. To play a fourth match in a row now. Ana coming," Henin said. "It's more than what I could expect coming here. I needed matches, I got them."
In the men's quarterfinals, defending champion Radek Stepanek recovered from a break down in the first set to beat American Wayne Odesnik 7-6 (2), 6-1.
The turning point came when second-seeded Stepanek produced a stunning return at 30-0 down with Odesnik serving for the first set at 6-5.
His semifinal will be against the winner of Thursday's later match between third-seeded Gael Monfils of France and veteran American James Blake.
Henin decided to return to the tour after seeing Clijsters win the U.S. Open in September, three tournaments into her comeback.
Henin's first match back was a 7-5, 7-5 win here Monday over second-seeded Nadia Petrova, then she won 6-4, 6-3 over No. 132-ranked Sesil Karatantcheva of Kazakhstan.
She is playing on wildcard entries in Brisbane this week and Sydney next week ahead of her Grand Slam return at the Australian Open.
Ivanovic didn't win a tournament in 2009 and has dropped down the rankings to 21. The 22-year-old credited boyfriend Adam Scott, who has been as high as No. 3 in the world golf rankings and supporting her in Brisbane, for helping her learn to keep calm.
"I get very emotional on court and I have highs and lows. That's something I've learned from him, to be more patient and just to be more in control of what's happening out there," she said.
"Still, I get excited. There's a lot of adrenalin when it's close. And when it's second set, tiebreaker. I just let myself go sometimes."
Clijsters, five tournaments into a comeback that has already netted a U.S. Open title, needed four match points to beat Lucie Safarova 6-1, 0-6, 6-4 in a topsy-turvy quarterfinal.
It took Henin 24 minutes between her first match point and her sixth before she finally put away seventh-seeded Melinda Czink of Hungary 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5).
Henin, who has won seven Grand Slam titles and quit in May 2008 while holding the No. 1 ranking, is back on tour and grateful for every match she gets to prepare for the Australian Open starting Jan. 18 in Melbourne.
Next up for her is another former No. 1, Ana Ivanovic, who overcame her own wobbles to win 6-4, 7-6 (6) against 18-year-old Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Clijsters' semifinal opponent will be Germany's Andrea Petkovic, who upset fourth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2.
"When I lost the second set 6-0, I said, 'forget about it, let's refocus,'" Clijster said. "So I'm glad with the win, especially the way I came back after that not-so-good second set."
Safarova had only won three points on serve as Clijsters raced to a 5-0 in the first. The second set changed completely, as the No. 41-ranked Czech dominated on her serve and powerful forehand.
Clijsters got the crucial break in the fifth game of the third, but still struggled to close it out, wasting three match points at 5-4 before finally clinching the win.
Henin's win over Czink lasted 2 hours, 21 minutes and she struggled at times in a match that opened with five straight service breaks.
She dropped a set for the first time in three matches of her comeback, and wasted a break and three match points in the third set. Henin clinched the match on her sixth match point after earning a 6-3 lead with an ace in the tiebreaker.
"That's the kind of match that I need _ not that long maybe," Henin said. "It's a perfect preparation for me.
"I wouldn't say it's a good feeling, but it's probably something I needed _ in the end it was quite tight and nerves had to be solid."
Ivanovic won her only Grand Slam title at the 2008 French Open, not long after Henin retired.
"It's great. To play a fourth match in a row now. Ana coming," Henin said. "It's more than what I could expect coming here. I needed matches, I got them."
In the men's quarterfinals, defending champion Radek Stepanek recovered from a break down in the first set to beat American Wayne Odesnik 7-6 (2), 6-1.
The turning point came when second-seeded Stepanek produced a stunning return at 30-0 down with Odesnik serving for the first set at 6-5.
His semifinal will be against the winner of Thursday's later match between third-seeded Gael Monfils of France and veteran American James Blake.
Henin decided to return to the tour after seeing Clijsters win the U.S. Open in September, three tournaments into her comeback.
Henin's first match back was a 7-5, 7-5 win here Monday over second-seeded Nadia Petrova, then she won 6-4, 6-3 over No. 132-ranked Sesil Karatantcheva of Kazakhstan.
She is playing on wildcard entries in Brisbane this week and Sydney next week ahead of her Grand Slam return at the Australian Open.
Ivanovic didn't win a tournament in 2009 and has dropped down the rankings to 21. The 22-year-old credited boyfriend Adam Scott, who has been as high as No. 3 in the world golf rankings and supporting her in Brisbane, for helping her learn to keep calm.
"I get very emotional on court and I have highs and lows. That's something I've learned from him, to be more patient and just to be more in control of what's happening out there," she said.
"Still, I get excited. There's a lot of adrenalin when it's close. And when it's second set, tiebreaker. I just let myself go sometimes."
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