The Belgian, who made sure she would leapfrog Dane Caroline
Wozniacki in the rankings on Monday by reaching the last four, was short of her
best form but still too good for the inconsistent third seed.
Watched by her daughter among an almost capacity crowd at
the intimate Stade Coubertin hardcourt arena, Clijsters stayed on course for
her second title at a tournament now run by retired French player Amelie
Mauresmo.
Kanepi did little to tax the Australia and US Open champion
early on, surrendering the first set by netting an easy shot, but she broke
back twice to go 4-1 up in the second only for Clijsters to do even better and
seal victory with a smile.
World number 18 Kvitova earlier reeled off a succession of
superb winners to crush American Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-2, 6-0 and meets
Clijsters in Sunday's final in confident mood.
"Each match is different. Everybody can beat
everybody," she said courtside.
Her expert returns and great passing shots, including one
extraordinary winner when she was almost on her knees, boosted the Czech and
the unseeded Mattek-Sands handed her the first set with a wild forehand.
Kvitova, 20, broke again straight away in the second set and
never looked back in pursuit of a third career title, securing the win with an
ace and a clenched fist to the sky.
Doubles specialist Mattek-Sands, who made the last four
partly because of Maria Sharapova's withdrawal through illness, has wowed the
Paris fashionistas with her unusual knee-high socks but her weak serve was just
as evident on Saturday.
The city's tennis focus will shift slightly on Sunday with
the French tennis federation set to vote on whether to keep the French Open at
Roland Garros or move to the suburbs from 2016.
A final decision might not be reached but the oddly-timed
meeting could still steal some of the limelight from Mauresmo's more modest
tournament.
