November 13, 2006	Monday	Shawwal 20, 1427

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MADRID, Nov 12: Justine Henin-Hardenne will finish the year as the top-ranked player in women's tennis after beating Maria Sharapova 6-2, 7-5 (5) Saturday in the semi-finals of the WTA Championships.

The Belgian will face defending champion Amelie Mauresmo, who beat Kim Clijsters 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, in Sunday's final.

Mauresmo and Henin-Hardenne have met in two finals this year, with the Frenchwoman winning both the Australia Open and Wimbledon titles.

The victory clinched Henin-Hardenne's second year-end No. 1 ranking. Mauresmo will finish her 34 consecutive weeks as No. 1 at the end of the tournament.

Henin-Hardenne can clinch a tour-high sixth title of 2006 in Madrid after missing nearly two months while recovering from a muscle tear in her right knee.

Henin-Hardenne, who had seven aces, broke three times in the first set while forcing the 19-year-old Russian into 14 unforced errors.

Henin-Hardenne converted her fourth break point in the eighth game of the second set to take a 5-3 lead after Sharapova hit a forehand into the net.

Sharapova rallied with her first break of the second set in the next game after the 24-year-old Belgian sent a forehand into the net.

Both players then held serve.

The Russian saved one match point at 6-4 in the tiebreaker, but Henin-Hardenne converted on her second try to give Sharapova only her second loss in 11 tiebreakers this year.

Mauresmo broke Clijsters in the eighth game of the third set when the Belgian challenged a baseline call that went against her.

Mauresmo served out for the win to set up a rematch with Henin-Hardenne, who she beat on Friday to advance to the semifinals.

Collated results (semi-finals):

Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL) bt Maria Sharapova (RUS) 6-2, 7-6 (7/5); Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) bt Kim Clijsters (BEL) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 —Agencies