PARIS - A sobbing Serena Williams accused Justin Henin-Hardenne of "lying and fabricating" during their ill-tempered French Open semifinal yesterday.
Williams was angry that Henin-Hardenne did not allow her to replay her first serve at an important point of the third set during her 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 loss to the Belgian
in front of a hostile crowd at Roland Garros.
At 4-2 and 30-0, Williams hit her first serve into the net after Henin-Hardenne held up her hand to signal she was not ready but the umpire missed the Belgian's gesture and ordered the American to take her second serve. Williams then lost the game.
"I was a little disappointed with her," Williams said.
"It wasn't the turning point of the match, I should have still won the game, but to start lying and fabricating is not fair.
"People want to win these days but this is just a tournament and I'm looking forward to next time already."
Williams broke down in tears at her post-match news conference when asked about the behaviour of the Parisian crowd, some of whom cheered when she missed serves and booed her throughout.
"I'm not used to crying, I'm sorry," she said, wiping tears from her eyes, her voice choked with emotion.
"It was just a tough crowd out there today, really very tough. It's the story of my life. It's a little difficult.
"All my life I have had to fight.
"It's just another fight I'm going to have to learn to win, that's all. I've just got to keep smiling. It was hard. She started out really strong and from the first point they were all over her to do well.
"It was hard to get in rhythm once they got started, it was hard to make them stop."
Tonight's final will be a repeat of the 2001 semifinal, between world No 2 and fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters and Henin-Hardenne.
On that occasion, Clijsters won to become the first Belgian Grand Slam finalist. She lost to American Jennifer Capriati in the final.
Henin-Hardenne - back then just Henin - emulated her compatriot by reaching the Wimbledon final a few weeks later. She, too, came up empty-handed after being battered by Serena's elder sister, Venus.
But yesterday there was no denying the waif-like blonde who tormented Serena.
The American had not lost in a Grand Slam since losing the 2001 US Open final to Venus and did not take defeat too well.
She offered the most cursory of congratulations to fourth seed Henin-Hardenne before walking off court, jeers, boos and whistles still ringing in her ears.
"She wasn't very happy, but that is sport ... that is tennis," Henin-Hardenne, 21, said.
"She has had lots of chances recently. It's about time she gave others a chance."
The Belgian ripped through the first set, flailing her famed backhand to great effect.
Serena countered in the second set, crunching winners past her opponent and using her impressive physique to muscle the ball for winners.
In the third set it was nerves which decided the winner. Neither player could hold serve with any regularity, sharing six breaks up to 5-5.
At that point, though, the Belgian stepped up, broke Serena for a 6-5 lead and then served out to love.
The partisan Parisian crowd had been willing her to victory and greeted it with little short of delirium.
Henin-Hardenne raised her arms in the air and pumped them as the crowd did likewise, tears glistening in her eyes.
"There are no words to describe what I was feeling on court.
"The crowd were 100 per cent behind me," she said.
The French crowd had already cheered Clijsters to victory over unheralded Russian teenager Nadia Petrova 7-5, 6-1, taking advantage of a large slice of luck to switch the momentum of her match.
The pair had been neck-and-neck throughout the first set before a Clijsters shot slapped into the netcord as unseeded Petrova held set point.
The ball hovered on top of the net before dribbling on to the Russian's side.
Clijsters was off the hook, Petrova was demoralised and from then on the match went the Belgian's way.
"Those things can definitely turn matches around," she said.
"Once I broke her back I felt really confident I could do it.
"It feels incredible. I don't think I realise what I have done again, but it is a great feeling."
- REUTERS
Paths to the women's singles final:
4- JUSTINE HENIN-HARDENNE (Belgium)
First round: bt Patricia Wartusch (AUT) 6-3 7-5 in 1h 22m
Second round: bt Jelena Kostanic (CRO) 6-2 6-2 in 1h 13m
Third round: bt Dally Randriantefy (MAD) 6-1 6-1 in 50m
Fourth round: bt 19-Patty Schnyder (SUI) 6-3 2-6 6-2 in 1h 50m
Quarterfinal: bt 8-Chanda Rubin (USA) 6-3 6-2 in 1h 06m
Semifinal: bt 1-Serena Williams (USA) 6-2 4-6 7-5 in 2h 20m
Total: 14 sets (12 won, 2 lost) in 8h 41m
2-KIM CLIJSTERS (Belgium):
First round: bt Amy Frazier (USA) 6-2 6-0 in 45m
Second round: bt Marlene Weingartner (GER) 6-2 6-2 in 52m
Third round: bt 30-Paola Suarez (ARG) 6-2 6-1 in 1h 04m
Fourth round: bt 15-Magdalena Maleeva (BUL) 0-6 6-2 6-1 1h 21m
Quarterfinal: bt 24-Conchita Martinez (ESP) 6-2 6-1 1h 08m
Semifinal: bt Nadia Petrova (RUS) 7-5 6-1 in 1h 10m
Total: 13 sets (12 won, 1 lost) in 6h 20m
PARIS - A sobbing Serena Williams accused Justin Henin-Hardenne of "lying and fabricating" during their ill-tempered French Open semifinal yesterday.
Williams was angry that Henin-Hardenne did not allow her to replay her first serve at an important point of the third set during her 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 loss to the Belgian
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