Henin outlasts Sharapova

Henin-Hardenne, seeking a fifth Grand Slam singles title, is on a 13-match winning stretch at the Australian Open going into the final.

Every points was a struggle, and one good would not make it.

Despite the long rallies, with both players racing from sideline to sideline, Henin Hardenne has the edge producing some outstanding defensive pickups and strong, clean winners.

"I think we played a great match. It was very intense physically, especially in the first set," said Henin-Hardenne, who hit 22 winners to 17 for Sharapova. "I'm very happy to be in the final again."

As she did in her quarterfinal win over top-ranked Lindsay Davenport, Henin-Hardenne took a set to really get going.

In the second, she never allowed the increasingly discouraged Sharapova to hold serve.

When she broke to go up 4-1, a fan yelled, "You've got her Justine!" He was right.

Sharapova looked toward her father and coach, Yuri Sharapov, after nearly every point as her game went downhill, shouting to him after Henin-Hardenne broke her to go ahead 4-2 in the last set.

The usually confident Sharapova looked tight and unsettled, whacking the ball into the net after mistakes, and even kicked it one time. She stared in disbelief for several seconds after missing an easy forehand volley in the fourth game.

Sharapova pumped her fist after breaking Henin-Hardenne -- who was serving for the match -- to get back on serve at 4-5 in the third set.

But the woman who has credited her mental toughness for getting her through big matches, then collapsed in a string of three consecutive backhand errors in the next game.

Henin-Hardenne sealed the 2-hour, 26-minute semifinal on her first match point with one of her trademark one-handed backhand winners down the line.

Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, reached the semis at the three of the four Grand Slams last season and lost to the eventual champion at all four.

"I'll be seeing headlines: Maria can't get past the semis; Maria can't last the third set," Sharapova said. "I think it was a good match. I didn't come in the best prepared &hellip without many matches, to be able to play the quality of tennis I was able to play today is a big plus."

Henin-Hardenne returned from two months out with an injured right hamstring to win the Sydney International the week before the Open. She is 10-0 this season.

This Australian Open combination marks the first time since the inception of computer rankings in 1975 that four former No. 1-ranked women have made the semifinals of one Grand Slam event.