Henin v Clijsters, Venus v Bartoli in Miami Semifinals

An all-Belgian match-up, and an unresolved rivalry will be featured in the semifinals of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami when Justine Henin takes on Kim Clijsters, and Venus Williams takes on Frenchwoman Marion Bartoli, who she lost to last year on hardcourt.
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Henin posted a 6-7(5), 6-3, 6-4 win over the world No. 2-ranked over Caroline Wozniacki, who tested the Belgian with her consistency.

“I was in a lot of trouble in the first set. It wasn’t easy for me to find a good balance of aggression and patience,” Henin said. “It was the kind of match I really needed. Even though I was a bit tired in the end, I was able to win. In terms of my fighting spirit, I proved I can still do it. That was important for me.”

Wozniacki was unhappy with her inability to close out the match in straight sets.

“She was taking the ball early, trying to get good angles, mixing up the game…she’s a great player,” Wozniacki said. “Of course after being in the sun and fighting for almost three hours, it’s upsetting to lose. Especially because I felt I had my chances and didn’t take them, and she did straight away.”

Clijsters downed Aussie Samantha Stosur in straight sets on Wednesday. Clijsters didn’t face a break point in the first set and broke Stosur at 5-5 in the second.

Henin holds a 12-11 edge over Clijsters in career head-to-head meetings.

Bartoli beat the elder Williams sister in three sets last summer at Stanford.