Williams ‘violated’ as merciless Henin charges into semi-final

SERENA Williams admitted feeling “violated” after being on the receiving end of a straight-sets hammering by Justine Henin in the quarter-finals of the French Open yesterday.

The American’s dreams of a second Roland Garros title were ruined as a ruthless Henin swept to a clinical and unexpectedly easy 6-4 6-3 victory on Philippe Chatrier court.

The reigning champion from Belgium was more consistent throughout, while Williams made error after error on both wings.

And a despondent Williams gave a stark appraisal of her performance: “I stood back and let her take advantage of me. And I feel violated.

“I didn’t do anything I was supposed to. Sometimes, you just have days like this. I don’t really know what it was.”

Much of the build-up had centred around the two players’ semi-final tussle in 2003, when Williams had left the court in tears after incurring the wrath of a hostile crowd during Henin’s three-set win.

Four years on, both women were afforded a generous welcome.

The top seed needed just one break in the first set, in the first game, Williams failing to put away an overhead, then a simple volley before Henin produced a cross-court winner.

In the second set the match went with serve until the fifth, when a Williams backhand into the net gave Henin her third break of the contest.

Henin sealed her fourth win over Williams in 10 attempts when Williams crashed a forehand into the net on the first of two match-points on the American’s serve.

“I was very focused. I was concentrated and aggressive when I had to be,” said Henin. “I knew if I was mentally and emotionally in control, I was going to win.”

She next plays Jelena Jankovic, who was one of two Serbs to book their places in the last four.

The in-form 22-year-old claimed a 6-3 7-5 victory over the Czech Republic’s Nicole Vaidisova.

Ana Ivanovic completed a great day for Serbia by beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-0 3-6 6-1 to set up a last-four date with Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova was impressive in her all-Russian clash against Anna Chakvetadze, winning 6-3 6-4.

The second seed has been playing through pain following her shoulder injury, but denies she is surprised to be through to the last four.

In the men’s, Roger Federer survived the first real scare of his 2007 campaign to remain on course for an elusive Roland Garros title.

The world number one put in a Jekyll and Hyde performance against Spanish clay-court specialist Tommy Robredo before sealing a 7-5 1-6 6-1 6-2 victory and a last-four meeting with Nikolay Davydenko.

Robredo, the ninth seed, threatened an upset when he took advantage of a dramatic dip in Federer’s form in the second set to draw level in the match.

But the Swiss recovered in superb fashion to play some of his best tennis of the tournament in breezing through what proved to be the final two sets.

“I don’t lose sets 6-1 that often,” said Federer. “I was struggling but I turned it round. I played a great third and fourth set.”

It was the first set the top seed had dropped in a grand slam since last year’s US Open, 11 matches that equalled John McEnroe’s record.

Next up is a semi-final against Davydenko, the fourth seed.

Davydenko sealed the semi-final showdown with the 10-time grand-slam champion by sweeping past Guillermo Canas 7-5 6-4 6-4.

The other two quarter-finals today see reigning champion Rafael Nadal face fellow Mallorcan Carlos Moya and sixth seed Novak Djokovic meeting unseeded Russian Igor Andreev.