Sony Ericsson WTA Tour : 2006


Henin-Hardenne, Schiavone Square Off in Sydney Final

Justine Henin-Hardenne and Francesca Schiavone were both straight set winners on Thursday to advance to the finals of the Sydney tournament

No.5 seed Henin-Hardenne eased into the final with a 63 61 win over No.6 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. Although Henin-Hardenne was favored to win the match-up, coming into this match with a 7-1 edge, previous meetings between the two US Open champions have been down to the wire. Thursday's semifinal, however, exhibited Henin-Hardenne in utter control of the match, dominating play with her consistent barrage of piercing shots from both sides.

Seventh seeded Italian Francesca Schiavone demonstrated a solid display of tennis, topping No.8 seed Nicole Vaidisova 64 63. Schiavone utilized a clever mix of varying her shots and strong serving and returning to advance to the final. She was granted a free pass from the quarterfinal into the semifinals when top seed Kim Clijsters withdrew due to a left hip muscle strain, but the day off did not veer Schiavone off her path.

By virtue of this semifinal win, Schiavone advances to her first Tier II final, having previously lost in five Tier II finals, including Sydney in 2004.

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