Henin progresses against Williams

Justine Henin remained on course for her third straight French Open title thanks to a clinical straight-sets win over fellow heavyweight Serena Williams in the quarter-finals today.

The world number one was in dominant mood as she deservedly claimed a 6-4 6-3 victory on Philippe Chatrier court.

Henin will play Jelena Jankovic, the fourth seed, in the semi-final.

Much of the build-up to the match had centred around the two players’ fractious tussle in the semi-final here four years ago.

On that occasion, Williams had left the court in tears after incurring the wrath of a hostile crowd during Henin’s three-set win.

But both women were afforded a generous welcome by the public as they entered a half-full stadium under grey skies.

Henin was more consistent throughout, with Williams – the eighth seed - particularly profligate on her faltering backhand.

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

Williams had just one opportunity to break in the first set but she squandered it in the sixth game.

The second set opened up in the same vein as the first, Henin breaking in the opening game after Williams’ attempted backhand drop-shot fell well short.

The American slammed her racket on the floor, resulting in a round of boos from the crowd after 48 minutes played.

Williams recovered her poise and broke back to love in the following game but she was still making more errors than the Belgian, whose consistency was earning its rewards.

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

Henin was not troubled thereafter and she sealed only her fourth win over the American in 10 attempts when Williams crashed a forehand into the net on the first of the Belgian’s two match points on the American’s serve.

Jankovic was one of two Serbs to have already booked 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 in the first match on Suzanne Lenglen court.

Vaidisova, the 17-year-old sixth seed, showed courage in saving four match-points, the first in the 10th game of the second set and three more two games later.

But a forehand into the net on the fifth match-point earned a nervy Jankovic a semi-final berth.

She was joined there minutes later by fellow Serbian Ana Ivanovic, who defeated third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in three sets.

Ivanovic, the seventh seed, won 6-0 3-6 6-1 and looked in particularly good shape, although Kuznetsova did appear to be struggling with stomach pains for the majority of a one-sided final set.

Ivanovic secured victory on the first of her three match points, setting up a last-four date with Maria Sharapova.

The second seed emerged as the winner of her all-Russian clash against Anna Chakvetadze, Sharapova cruising to a 6-3 6-4 triumph.

Sharapova broke her compatriot three times in the contest to book her first appearance in the semi-finals at Roland Garros.