KEY POINTS:
PARIS - The last time they met on the centre court stage in this grand slam, the scene was ugly. Vocal complaints, smashed racquets, arguments with the umpire, boos from the crowd.
This time, however, it was the imperious tennis of Justine Henin everybody was talking about when
the Belgian top seed outclassed American Serena Williams at Roland Garros this morning.
Henin's 6-4 6-3 quarter-final victory means she has now won 31 consecutive sets at the claycourt slam. More importantly she is two wins away from equaling the hat-trick of titles achieved by Monica Seles in 1992.
Roger Federer's record 36-set winning streak in grand slam play was snapped, however, by Spain's Tommy Robredo before the Swiss rolled through to the men's semi-finals 7-5 1-6 6-1 6-2.
He will meet Russia's Nikolay Davydenko who overcame Argentine baseliner Guillermo Canas 7-5 6-4 6-4.
Williams, the 2002 champion here but loser to Henin in an acrimonious 2003 semi-final, was beaten more comfortably than the scoreline suggested and was scathing of her own performance.
"All she had to do today was show up," Williams told reporters later. "I've never played so hideous and horrendous."
Joining Henin in Thursday's semi-finals is Maria Sharapova, who reached the last four for the first time by brushing aside fellow 20-year-old Russian Anna Chavetadze 6-3 6-4.
Jelena Jankovic and Anna Ivanovic also won, underlining Serbia's emergence as a tennis power. It is the first time two women from the country have reached the semi-finals of a grand slam.
In-form fourth seed Jankovic beat 18-year-old Czech Nicole Vaidisova 6-3 7-5 while Ivanovic, also born in Belgrade, beat 2006 runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-0 3-6 6-1.
"Wherever you go you just see Serbians all over the place, winning all these matches it's incredible," said the 22-year-old Jankovic, who will now face Henin in her first semi-final at Roland Garros. Novak Djokovic has the chance to join them on Wednesday in the men's event.
SMILING TEENAGER
Williams started badly against Henin, losing her opening serve and toil as she might she was always uncomfortable against a player whose game is tailor-made for clay.
In 2003 Williams was booed off Centre Court and although the crowd were fair this time they cheered loudly when the Belgian saved a break point in the first set and heckled Williams when she slammed her racket down in anger after dropping serve at the start of the second.
Williams briefly threatened when she broke back but Henin was in no mood to let the lacklustre American off the hook.
"From the first point to the last I was focused, I was mentally and emotionally under control today," said Henin.
The 19-year-old Ivanovic could not stop smiling after reaching her first grand-slam semi-final.
She romped to the first set in 21 minutes and dominated again in the third set after Kuznetsova, hampered by an abdominal injury, briefly came to her senses.
"It's very exciting for us and I'm sure people back home are very proud of us," said Ivanovic after going one step further than she managed here in 2005 to line up a semi-final with Sharapova.
"I'm not going to go 'Wow! I'm in the semi-finals," said Sharapova after beating Chakvetadze for the second time this year in a grand slam last eight. "Whether it's clay or mud we're playing on I know what I'm capable of."
RESULTS:
Singles quarterfinals results today (prefix denotes seeding):
Men: 1 -Roger Federer (Switzerland) bt 9-Tommy Robredo (Spain) 7-5 1-6 6-1 6-2, 4-Nikolay Davydenko (Russia) bt 19-Guillermo Canas (Argentina) 7-5 6-4 6-4.
Women: 7 -Ana Ivanovic ( Serbia) bt 3-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) 6-0 3-6 6-1, 4-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) bt 6-Nicole Vaidisova (Czech Republic) 6-3 7-5, 1-Justine Henin (Belgium) bt 8-Serena Williams (US) 6-4 6-3, 2-Maria Sharapova (Russia) bt 9-Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) 6-3 6-4.
- REUTERS