Kim Clijsters defeated Justine Henin 6-2, 6-7(3), 7-6(6) to reach the final of the Sony Ericsson Open. In match that lasted 2 hours and 34 minutes we saw 18 double faults and 103 unforced errors!!

Clijsters dominated the opening set but then lost out in a tie-break in the second to allow the game into a decisive third set. She hit five winners in the final tiebreaker, and she took the last two points with a stab volley and a forehand that kissed the sideline.

"It's a win. It's fun," she said. "But there's no celebration whatsoever. The tournament's not over."

Henin praised Clijsters for coming up with the big shots at the right moment.

"It wasn't a great match but she played better on the important points," said Henin. "She was more aggressive and took the opportunities and I think that really made the difference."


Clijsters also beat Henin in a third-set tiebreaker by the same 8-6 score in January in Brisbane.

"It was a very, very similar game and it is pretty crazy to have two matches like that with each other so early in the year," said Clijsters.

Henin said: "It's difficult to lose this way. I hope it's not going to be like this all the time."

Clijsters, the 2005 champion, will play in the final against the three-time champion Venus Williams who earlier defeated Marion Bartoli, 6-3, 6-4. Williams holds a 6-5 advantage over Clijsters, but Clijsters won the last three, including her fourth-round victory over Williams in the 2009 United States Open on her way to the title.


You can read Kim Clijsters' after match interview here.

You can read Justine Henin's after match interview here.

Kim Clijsters beats Justine Henin to reach Miami final