Clijsters retires hurt as Mauresmo progresses

Injuries finally got the better of Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open as the second seed retired hurt from her tight semi-final match against Amelie Mauresmo in today’s semi-final.

The US Open champion was attemping to join fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne in the final but Clijsters, who had sprained her left ankle in the second set, aggravated the problem in the third set and was forced to stop playing.

Mauresmo, who was leading 5-7 6-2 3-2 at that time, has reached her first final since 1999 when she finished runner-up to Martina Hingis.

Henin-Hardenne out-smarted and outwitted the big-hitting Maria Sharapova 4-6 6-1 6-4 in two hours and 26 minutes to advance to her second Australian Open final.

Absent from last year’s tournament because of injury, Henin-Hardenne has the opportunity to regain the grand slam crown she won in 2004 and extend her winning streak at Melbourne Park to 14 consecutive matches.

The semi-final was played under a closed roof on Rod Laver Arena after tournament officials enforced the extreme heat policy at 1pm Melbourne time.

With the changed conditions favouring Sharapova – the world number four already having expressed a passionate hatred for playing in the wind – she got off to a flyer, holding her service games with little resistance.

Sharapova utilised her forehand for winners, while the tiny Belgian used her masterful, top-spinning and slice backhand. The women were locked in probing rallies, playing short chip shots at the net and exploiting the full angles of the court.

The two broke each other in the seventh and eight games before the Russian secured the first set after 50 minutes, when she converted set point against Henin-Hardenne’s inconsistent service game.

The most majestic timer of the ball in women’s tennis, Henin-Hardenne lifted a gear in the second set and began to push the ball around. Although she is not a big hitter, Henin-Hardenne was able to generate pace with her timing.

Her placement on serve and on her ground strokes, which has been a pattern throughout the Open, were incredible and she frustrated the 2004 Wimbledon champion, who was left scampering for cheeky drop shots or caught mid-court with backhand passing shots.

The second set was completed in 37 minutes with Henin-Hardenne breaking Sharapova on three occasions.

It was a tight affair in the decisive third set, but Henin-Hardenne cemented her fifth grand slam final appearance in the sixth game, when a blinding backhand and error from Sharapova gave her a 4-2 lead.

Serving for the match, Henin-Hardenne dropped serve when her final approach shot narrowly clipped the top of the net.

She exerted immediate pressure on her opponent’s serve, and Henin-Hardenne brought up two match points with a blistering backhand down the line.

The semi-final was her 22nd successive victory in Australia since her first Open appearance in 2000.

Playing in her sixth tournament since resuming from injury, the semi-final performance further confirmed her favouritism for the Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup.