PARIS - Kim Clijsters' 23rd birthday was wrecked by a recurring nightmare and Nicole Vaidisova paid the price for an attack of teenage nerves in the French Open tennis semifinals this morning (NZ time).
Defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne outplayed Clijsters in a manner reminiscent of her one-sided win in the
2003 final at the claycourt grand slam.
Then she thrashed hardcourt specialist Clijsters 6-0 6-4. Last night Clijsters won only one game more in a 6-3 6-2 defeat by her Belgian compatriot.
Czech teenager Vaidisova's defeat was less clear-cut and more dramatic.
Playing in her first grand slam semifinal, the 17-year-old led by a set and 5-3 against Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova before collapsing to a 5-7 7-6 6-2 loss. She left the court in tears.
Clijsters' defeat meant she missed out on the chance to replace France's Amelie Mauresmo as world number one when the rankings come out next week.
Afterwards the US Open champion accepted that on clay, she cannot match Henin-Hardenne, who is through to her third Paris final in four years.
"She is by far the best claycourt player," said Clijsters, seeded second. "It's not that she hits the ball harder than any of us but she moves so well."
Henin-Hardenne, the fifth seed, will be hot favourite to beat eighth seed Kuznetsova, who like Clijsters is a hardcourt specialist whose only grand slam title is the US Open crown.
"I just tried to put the maximum amount of pressure on from the start," said Henin-Hardenne.
"I did not tremble at the key moments. I forced her into rallies and I know she does not like that.
"Now I really have to stay focused because there is another big match on Saturday. It's quite something as I can win my third Roland Garros."
While Henin-Hardenne sealed her victory with a hefty first serve, Kuznetsova went one better with an ace on her first match point against Vaidisova.
The Russian trains in Barcelona, home of three-times former French Open champion Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario.
The Spaniard has advised Kuznetsova on claycourt strategy and there was more than a hint of Arantxa in the way the stocky Russian scurried doggedly around the court in the first two sets which Vaidisova largely dominated.
When the tall teenager served for the match at 5-4, however, her game fell apart. After successive forehand errors Vaidisova double-faulted to lose her service.
In the tiebreak another over-hit forehand gave Kuznetsova set point and a similarly over-cooked backhand allowed the Russian to level the match.
Kuznetsova then ran away with the third set as Vaidisova's error count continued to mount.
"She got little bit nervous. I know how it feels because I've been there, in her position, so many times and I've done it," said Kuznetsova, who had never been beyond the fourth round at Roland Garros before this year.
Vaidisova, who beat Mauresmo and Wimbledon champion Venus Williams on her way to the last four, recovered her composure after the defeat and vowed not to let the experience haunt her.
"I don't think I went crazy nervous or just started shaking or anything," said the teenager.
"I just have to take my experience from this and figure it out next time.''
- REUTERS
Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne celebrates winning against her compatriot Kim Clijsters in last night's semi. Picture / Reuters
PARIS - Kim Clijsters' 23rd birthday was wrecked by a recurring nightmare and Nicole Vaidisova paid the price for an attack of teenage nerves in the French Open tennis semifinals this morning (NZ time).
Defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne outplayed Clijsters in a manner reminiscent of her one-sided win in the
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