BRISBANE: Belgian comeback queens Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin powered ahead in their returns to tennis as both moved into the semi-finals of the Brisbane International Thursday.
Top-seeded Clijsters, who won the US Open title in her third event back after reversing a retirement, won a see-saw struggle over Czech Lucie Safarova 6-1, 0-6, 6-4.
Seven-time Grand Slam champion Henin is following in her compatriot’s footsteps as she makes her own return this week after quitting with burnout just over a year and a half ago.
The unseeded Henin, four times a champion at Roland Garros, struggled through in three sets, winning a deciding tiebreaker to put out Hungarian Melinda Czink 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5).
Clijsters eventually took nearly 90 minutes to advance after taking the first set in a quick 23 minutes. “I was always on the run and I had to put myself on the forward in the third, where I played a good game to break her.
Clijsters will Friday aim for the final against German Andrea Petkovic, who defeated fourth seed Daniela Hantuchova, 6-4, 6-2.
Henin will meet Ana Ivanovic in a battle of former Roland Garros winners, after the one-time NO. 1 Serb defeated Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 7-6 (8-6).
Ivanovic had her troubles with Pavlyuchenkova, slipping while up a set and 5-3 before also being forced to win a decider. “I like to do make things hard on myself,” joked Ivanovic.
Henin led Czink 4-1 in the third set, missing her chances to run it out. Czink saved three match points in the 11th game to push the third set into a tiebreak and saved another two in the tiebreak before Henin won the match.
Men’s second seed Radek Stepanek was tested before advancing into the final over American Wayne Odesnik 7-6 (7-2), 6-1.
“My game was improving every minute,” said the second seed. “I’m draw going one-by-one, step-by-step. I”ll try and go back to back to a final for the second time in Brisbane.”
French third seed Gael Monfils overcame American James Blake 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
