Brisbane International: All Belgian final set

An all-Belgian final became a reality as both top seed Kim Clijsters and returning former world number one Justine Henin posted victories against their semifinal opponents on Friday at the Brisbane International.

Clijsters defeated 22-year old Andrea Petkovic 64 62 while Henin advanced after outplaying Ana Ivanovic 63 62.

Henin currently holds the lead in head-to-head matches against Clijsters at 12-10. Their last meeting was in 2006 where Henin prevailed.

“It’s always special when I play Kim. It’s a day I like a lot. It’s a perfect situation to play if it’s a Belgian final. That’s what a lot of people hoped for and expected,” Henin said.

Henin decided to leave professional tennis in May 2008 while still holding the top ranking in the women’s circuit. She announced her comeback last September, a week after Clijsters won the U.S. Open.

“Knowing Justine, she’s not the kind of person who’s going to go with the flow, come out and see how things are going. I knew she’d come out here being extremely fit and ready to go from the first point that she played. And she has done that,” Clijsters said.