Jun 6, 2007, 16:35 GMT
Paris, France - This year's top seeds, Belgian Justine Henin and Russian Maria Sharapova, will play their French Open semifinal matches Thursday against a pair of rising Serbs.
The top-seeded/world No. 1 Henin will battle fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic, while a second-seeded Sharapova will encounter seventh-seeded Ana Ivanovic.
Henin is a perfect 5-0 lifetime against Jankovic, including three victories already this season. The Belgian bested her Serbian counterpart in last year's U.S. Open semis.
The 25-year-old Henin owns five major championships, including three of the last four French Open titles. She bested Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in last year's finale to capture a second straight title at Roland Garros.
Henin is trying to reach a fifth final in her last five Grand Slam events. She appeared in all four major finales last year (1-3) before missing this year's Australian Open due to personal reasons.
The diminutive Henin has won her last 31 sets at Roland Garros, which is an Open Era record, and is trying to become the first three-peat champion here since Monica Seles turned the trick from 1990-92.
Meanwhile, the former top-ranked Sharapova will face Ivanovic for a third time, as the two women have split two career matchups. The Serb captured a meeting in Tokyo earlier this season, 6-1, 0-1, as the tall Russian retired from that semifinal match because of an injury.
Sharapova is a two-time Grand Slam champ and seeking her third straight trip to a major final. She beat Henin in last year's U.S. Open championship match and was pasted by Serena Williams in this year's Aussie Open title bout. Henin dismissed Williams from this 2007 French Open in straight sets here on Tuesday.
Upsets victories by both Jankovic and Ivanovic on Thursday would produce a first-ever all-Serbian Grand Slam final. Ivanovic will appear in her first- ever major semi, while Jankovic appeared in one in New York last season, losing to the formidable Henin.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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