Favourites Henin, Pierce cruise into final

Tournament favourite Justine Henin-Hardenne and crowd favourite Mary Pierce set up a mouth-watering French Open final with crushing wins yesterday.

Pierce, bathed in French adoration, overwhelmed Elena Likhovtseva 6-1 6-1, while Henin also outclassed a Russian opponent as she beat Nadia Petrova 6-2 6-3 in another one-sided semi-final.

Pierce's victory left the tempestuous history between the Canadian-born, Florida-based Frenchwoman and the Paris public as just a fading memory.

"It's incredible," the 30-year-old laughed. "I have shocked myself... I'm so happy."

If her run to the final has been stupendous, victory in tomorrow's showpiece would be little short of miraculous.

She will be up against an opponent, however, whose status as favourite was further underlined against Petrova.

The Belgian dynamo outgunned her seventh-seeded opponent to notch up her 23rd consecutive victory and reach her second Roland Garros final.

"I've got a lot of memories... a lot of emotions here," the 2003 French Open champion said. "It feels a little like being at home."

Nobody had expected Pierce to win the French Open five years ago when she knocked out Monica Seles, Martina Hingis and Conchita Martinez to double her grand slam haul.

For once the French-speaking Henin will not have the crowd on her side and Pierce is playing on adrenaline.

Yesterday she was irresistible, rolling back the years to smash Likhovtseva off court.

Pierce skipped across the court and applauded the crowd who screamed their joy and rose to their feet in an emotional and rousing scene.

Henin was equally impressive. The former world number one was robbed of her top ranking by an energy-sapping viral illness last year and only returned to tennis in April after recovering from a knee fracture.

She has lost just one match since, however, winning three warm-up events on clay before arriving in Paris.

"It would be great for me to finish the season unbeaten on clay," Henin smiled.

Petrova was the 10th seed's third straight Russian victim after Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova and US Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova.

As the sun beat down on the Roland Garros centre court the seventh seed never stood a chance.

After exchanging early breaks, Henin turned up the power to put Petrova under pressure.

Midway through the opening set the Russian began to unravel, gesturing to the crowd, shrugging her shoulders and looking to the skies. There was no more fight left in her.