Updated at 9:25 a.m., Friday, October 19, 2007
Tennis: Henin reaches Zurich semifinals
Associated Press
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She will play Nicole Vaidisova, who defeated Alona Bondarenko, 6-1, 6-4. Henin, who is 56-4 this season, is seeking her ninth title of the year.
Francesca Schiavone advanced when Svetlana Kuznetsova retired with a right shoulder injury while trailing 6-3, 3-3.
Henin, who became champion on her last visit to Zurich in 2003, had little trouble with the 18-year-old Pole.
The top-ranked Belgian made the decisive opening-set break at 3-3 with a lob that Radwanska was able to reach but not get over the net. In the second set, Henin won five consecutive games to lead 5-1.
Henin's concentration wavered while serving out the set, committing two double faults — one on her first match point — before finally closing the match with a second service winner.
"It was a bit frustrating in the first set, I couldn't find my rhythm," said Henin, who has reached the semifinals in every tournament she has entered since April 2006. "She was serving pretty slow so it was tough for me to come in and be aggressive. The second set, it was like the machine switched on."
