Clijsters beats Belgian 'Sister' (23/1/2002)

Fourth seed Kim Clijsters won the battle of the 'Belgian sisters' on Rod Laver Arena, Wednesday, beating No.6 seed Justine Henin 6-2 6-3 to advance to her first Australian Open semi final.

Watched by Aussie boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt, Clijsters moved into the final four after one hour and 14 minutes. The 2001 French Open finalist dominated the match from the baseline, scorching 17 winners and moving the ball from side to side with pinpoint precision. In contrast, Henin committed twice as many unforced errors (30 to Clijsters' 15) and broke Clijsters serve just once.

"If you let her into the match she's very tough to beat. It was important to get aggressive from first up," said Clijsters, adding that she blocked out her friendship with Henin as soon as she stepped onto the court. "I tried to block it out. Obviously I'd love to see both of us win a Grand Slam, it would be great for Belgium.

"As soon as the match is finished we're friends again. When on court, we're fighting against each other, but after we come off it's over," said Clijsters, who now holds a 4-3 head-to-head record against her countrywoman.

Clijsters' resounding run at Melbourne Park this year has seen the 18-year-old concede just 15 games in five matches. In addition, she spent less time on court than any of her quarter final counterparts (three hours, 12 minutes to arrive in the quarters). She will meet top seed Jennifer Capriati.

from ausopen.org