World number one Justine Henin stayed on course for a rare French Open hat-trick when she outplayed Serbia's Jelena Jankovic 6-2 6-2 on Thursday to reach the final. Top seed Henin, trying to become the first woman to win three successive crowns at Roland Garros since Monica Seles in 1992, will face another player from Serbia in Ana Ivanovic in Saturday's title match.
Appearing in the semi-final of a grand slam tournament for the second time after last year's US Open, fourth-seeded Jankovic, 22, lacked composure when it mattered.
Hampered by a weak serve, she was never really in contention and bowed out by sending a forehand wide on the first match point after 8O minutes of play. The 25-year-old Henin, who also won here in 2003, will still top the rankings next week after world number two Maria Sharapova lost 6-2 6-1 to Ivanovic in the other semi-final earlier on Thursday.
Henin broke her opponent in the fourth game courtesy of an unforced error from Jankovic and again in the eighth game, a double fault from the Serbian giving her the set after just 37 minutes.
The defending champion, back at her best after the breakdown of her marriage and her subsequent withdrawal from this year's Australian Open, managed a further break in the fourth game of the second set with a powerful volley. Jankovic briefly suggested she could recover by breaking back immediately but was broken in the next game. Another double fault from a nervous Jankovic in the last game gave Henin two match points. She needed just one to near a fourth triumph at her favourite tournament.