Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne stayed on course on Wednesday for their third Grand Slam final of the year when both scored straight sets wins in the quarterfinals of the United States Open.
Top seed Mauresmo of France, who won the Australian Open and Wimbledon titles, cruised past Dinara Safina of Russia 6-2, 6-3 in a lop-sided encounter.
Second seed Henin-Hardenne of Belgium topped Lindsay Davenport of the US 6-4, 6-4 in a match of the highest quality.
Mauresmo has the hardest task in the last four going up against Russian glamour girl Maria Sharapova, who was made to work hard against Tatiana Golovin of France before coming through 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/0).
Henin-Hardenne will start strong favourite against surprise packet Jelena Jankovic of Serbia, who made it through on Tuesday before rain suspended play, defeating fourth seed Elena Dementieva of Russia 6-2, 6-1.
The champion here in 2003, Henin-Hardenne defeated 1998 winner Davenport for the seventh consecutive time, breaking the American at key moments in each of the two sets.
”Lindsay played a great match. She was at an unbelievable level,” she said.
”I had to raise my level and be at my top to win today [Wednesday]. I knew I could lose if I was just a little bit under this level.”
The Belgian said she would not take the 19th seeded Jankovic lightly.
”Even if it looks maybe easy on paper or when you look at the rankings, on the court it’s a totally different story. She is playing great tennis this week.”
Mauresmo said that after years of feeling uncomfortable at Flushing Meadows, she had finally grown to appreciate the particularities of the US Open.
That showed against Safina as the world number one played her best match of the tournament after struggling in the early rounds and then finding her form in the deciding set against old nemesis Serena Williams in the fourth round.
She now stands just two games away from being the first player since Williams in 2002 to win three Grand Slam events in the same year.
”I have trouble thinking that I could be doing that,” the 27-year-old said. ”But it feels good.”
Mauresmo has won three out of three against Sharapova, the last being a three-setter in the Wimbledon semifinal in July, but she said she would be a ”tough, tough opponent”.
”She’s hitting the ball very hard and she’s a great competitor,” she said.
”She really stays in the match and hangs in there whatever happens.
Tournament top draw Sharapova had coasted through the first four rounds, losing just 15 games in the process, but in former Florida sparring partner Golovin she hit her first real obstacle.
The Russian-born 18-year-old refused to be awed by the big-hitting, big-screaming diva of women’s tennis, giving as good as she got in a no-holds-barred clash.
But she came out decidedly second best in both tie-breaks as Sharapova proved more adept at controlling her nerves.
”She’s one tough cookie and we have always have tough matches,” Sharapova said of her opponent, with whom she used to train as a youngster at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy in Florida.
”I’ve known her since we were little girls and we grew up together at the same academy.”
Turning to Mauresmo, against whom she has lost three times in three matches, the last being in the semifinals at this year’s Wimbledon, Sharapova said she would be the underdog.
”She’s the one to beat right now. I’ve nothing to lose as she is playing the best tennis of her career.” — AFP
