Tennis: Henin-Hardenne to face Dementieva in final

CHARLESTON, South Carolina - Former women's number one Justine Henin-Hardenne reached the final of the Family Circle Cup with a 7-6 7-5 win over 17-year-old Tatiana Golovin of France on Saturday.

In only her second tournament after more than six months out through illness and injury, the Belgian won a high-quality encounter to set up a showdown with second-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva, who beat Swiss Patty Schnyder 3-6 6-4 6-0.

"I would have signed with my eyes closed if someone said I could be in the quarters in Miami and the final here," said the unseeded Henin-Hardenne.

"It's a bonus for me but now I am in the final I want to win. It's great to feel this way again but it's only one step. Another step, but a very important step."

Golovin, the 13th seed, was playing her first Tier I event semifinal but, having beaten holder Venus Williams and seventh seed Nadia Petrova on her way to the last four, she looked in her element on a Stadium Court again affected by gusting winds.

With groundstrokes traded from the baseline, the first set was tight and while Henin-Hardenne served for the set at 6-5 she was broken back to force a tiebreak before taking it 7-4.

Golovin, the world number 25, showed her mettle again, though, breaking in the first game and forcing a break point that would have given her a 3-0 lead. However, Henin-Hardenne held for 2-1 and reeled off the next three games to lead 4-2.

Again the teenager hit back to level at 4-4 and had a chance to break for 5-4 but the Belgian, who has slipped to 43 in the world, held firm and broke two games later to clinch victory.

"In the other matches, I was playing well and then getting a bit nervous at the end," Henin-Hardenne said.

"Today was different. I didn't play my best in the two sets but at the end when I had to play well on the important points I was very aggressive and I did a good job."

Golovin said her serve let her down.

"I really didn't get many free points off my serve and I think that didn't help me at all," she said.

"But I've played against some amazing players (this week) and I've beaten two of them so I'm just really proud of myself."

Dementieva, runner-up at the French Open and US Open in 2004, came from a set down for the second day running to beat eighth seed Schnyder and reach her first final of the year.

The Swiss, who had not dropped a set on her way to the last four, looked on course to reach the final for a second time here when she took the opening set 6-3.

But Dementieva became more aggressive and it paid off as she stormed to a 3-0 lead in the second.

Schnyder hit back to level at 4-4 but the Russian broke again in the 10th game to win the set and level the match before romping through the deciding set, jumping for joy as a Schnyder forehand sailed over the baseline.

The victory was also sweet revenge for Dementieva, who was beaten by Schnyder at the Australian Open in January having led the Swiss by a set and 4-0.

- REUTERS