CHARLESTON (South Carolina), April 17: Former world number one Justine Henin-Hardenne reached the final of the Family Circle Cup with a 7-6 7-5 win over 17-year-old Tatiana Golovin of France on Saturday. In only her second tournament after more than six months out through illness and injury, the Belgian won a high-quality encounter to set up a showdown with second-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva, who beat Swiss Patty Schnyder 3-6 6-4 6-0.
The 13th seeded Golovin was playing her first Tier I event semifinal but, having beaten holder Venus Williams and seventh seed Nadia Petrova on her way to the last four, she looked in her element on a Stadium Court again affected by gusting winds.
The first set was tight and while Henin-Hardenne served it at 6-5 she was broken back to force a tiebreak before taking it 7-4.
Golovin showed her mettle again, though, breaking in the first game and forcing a break point that would have given her a 3-0 lead.
However, Henin-Hardenne held for 2-1 and reeled off the next three games to lead 4-2.
Again the teenager hit back to level at 4-4 and had a chance to break for 5-4 but the Belgian, who has slipped to 43 in the world, held firm and broke two games later to clinch victory.
MONTE CARLO: Spain’s Rafael Nadal stormed back to beat French sensation Richard Gasquet on Saturday and set up a Monte Carlo Masters final against defending champion Guillermo Coria.
Eleventh seed Nadal, the most consistent player on clay this year, ended Gasquet’s amazing run with a 6-7 6-4 6-3 victory in an absorbing battle between the two 18-year-olds.
Earlier, on a blustery day at the Country Club Argentine Coria came through a scrappy contest against twice former winner Juan Carlos Ferrero, winning 6-2 7-5.
SECOND FINAL: Coria stayed on course for a second successive Monte Carlo title when he beat Ferrero after a morning rain delay.
Results: (semifinal) Rafael Nadal (Spain) bt Richard Gasquet (France) 6-7 6-4 6-3; Guillermo Coria (Argentina) bt Juan Carlos Ferrero (Spain) 6-2 7-5.—Agencies
