Los Angeles, Nov 09: Kim Clijsters won the battle of Belgium by storming into the semi-finals of the WTA tour championships with a 6-2 6-1 demolition of Justine Henin.
The clash yesterday marked the seventh meeting between the Belgian rivals and produced the most lopsided result, Clijsters needing just 59 minutes to brush past Henin and collect her fifth win.
The fifth seeded Clijsters will now await the winner of an all-American quarter-final between Venus Williams and Monica Seles scheduled for Friday evening.
While the contest would have held huge appeal in Belgium, the match sparked little interest on a rainy day in Los Angeles with only a few hundred spectators sprinkled across the cavernous Staples Center.
Clijsters took control of the match when Henin doubled faulted to hand her compatriot a break and 2-1 lead.



Henin held her serve only twice more in the entire match, Clijsters sweeping through five straight games to take the opening set and a 2-0 lead in the second.



Bureau Report