Life of Guangzhou - Henin Sets ups French Open Final with Ivanovic

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.

Belgium's Justine Henin (R) shakes hands with Serbia's Jelena Jankovic after defeating her in a semi-final match at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris June 7, 2007. [Reuters]

"I was really trying to play hard on every point and that worked very well," said Henin, who was dominant throughout.

"I played pretty heavy on her forehand and she didn't like that very much."

Appearing in the semi-final of a grand slam tournament for the second time after last year's U.S. 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.

"She was flawless and when I had chances, I didn't use them," said Jankovic.

"She was hitting the ball very clean and I was not doing that. I sometimes played the wrong shot at the wrong time. It was a bad day for me."

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.