MADRID - World number one Justine Henin qualified for the WTA Championships women's tennis semifinals with an easier-than-expected 6-2 6-2 win over Serb Jelena Jankovic today.
The Belgian's second straight sets win in the yellow group of the end-of-season tournament had put her on the brink of thelast four and she went through when American Serena Williams retired injured from her opening match against Anna Chakvetadze.
The 20-year-old Russian was leading 6-4 after a topsy-turvy first set when Williams stopped with a problem in her left knee, putting her participation in the rest of the event in doubt.
The former world number one had looked short on mobility throughout, and was visibly suffering after having a lengthy medical break with the score at 5-4.
Williams was having a scan later today but does not have to decide whether to continue in the championships until just before her next match. Marion Bartoli of France is on standby to step in if the American drops out.
Henin, who beat Chakvetadze 6-1 7-6 on Tuesday, took control early on against Jankovic, breaking the world number three's serve three times in an error-strewn first set from both players.
The 22-year-old Serb, making her first appearance in the WTA Championships, struggled to get into her stride and double-faulted to lose serve at the start of the second set.
A marathon 10th game went Henin's way with a tight call on an ace, and she broke her opponent again in the next.
Although the Belgian lost her serve to go 3-1 in the second set, she held firm to inflict her seventh defeat of the season on Jankovic in one hour 28 minutes.
"I'm happy. I've been very aggressive, it was very intense and I played a good match. From the first point to the end I just took all my chances, and it was her first match so maybe I had a little more of an advantage," said Henin.
