Henin into Brisbane semifinals on her comeback, to face Ivanovic

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Henin sinks Czink, into semifinal against Ivanovic

BRISBANE, Australia — Justine Henin needed six match points and almost 2½ hours to finally put away Melinda Czink and reach the semifinals of her comeback tournament.

The former No. 1-ranked Henin beat seventh-seeded Czink 6-2, 3-6, 7-6 (5) at the Brisbane International on Thursday. Henin will play another former No. 1, Ana Ivanovic, in the semifinals of the Australian Open tuneup event.

The 27-year-old Henin, a seven-time major winner, struggled at times in a match that opened with five straight service breaks. She dropped a set for the first time in three matches, and wasted a break and three match points in the third.

The Belgian clinched the match on her sixth match point — after earning a 6-3 lead with an ace in the tiebreaker — 24 minutes after her first.

“That’s the kind of match that I need — not that long maybe,” Henin said. “It’s a perfect preparation for me.”

Ivanovic won her only major title at the 2008 French Open, not long after Henin retired. The 22-year-old Serb advanced to the semifinals with a 6-4, 7-6 (6) over 18-year-old Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.

Henin was looking forward to another challenge, after ousting the Nos. 2 and 7 seeds.

“It’s great. To play a fourth match in a row now, Ana coming,” she said. “It’s more than what I could expect coming here. I needed matches — I got them.”

Fourth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia lost 6-4, 6-2 to 20-year-old German Andrea Petkovic in another quarterfinal. Petkovic will play the winner of Thursday’s late quarterfinal between U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters and Lucie Safarova of Czech Republic.

In men’s quarterfinals, defending champion Radek Stepanek recovered from a break down in the first set to beat American Wayne Odesnik 7-6 (2), 6-1.

Second-seeded Stepanek produced a stunning return at 30-0 down and Odesnik serving for the first set at 6-5 to turn the match around.

Odesnik later received treatment on his lower back and legs.

His semifinal will be against the winner of Thursday’s late match between third-seeded Gael Monfils of France and veteran American James Blake.

It was Clijsters’ victory at the U.S. Open in September, three tournaments into her comeback from retirement, which prompted fellow Belgian Henin to return to the tour.

Henin’s first match back was a 7-5, 7-5 win Monday over second-seeded Nadia Petrova, then dropped the opening serve of each set in a 6-4, 6-3 win over Sesil Karatantcheva of Kazakhstan.

Henin is playing on wildcard entries in Brisbane this week and Sydney next week ahead of her Grand Slam return at the Australian Open starting Jan. 18.

Ivanovic didn’t win a tournament in 2009 and has dropped to No. 21 in the rankings, but said she’s been working hard on focusing with each match.

The 22-year-old Ivanovic credited boyfriend Adam Scott, who has been as high as No. 3 in the world golf rankings, for helping her learn to keep calm.

“I get very emotional on court and I have highs and lows. That’s something I’ve learned from him, to be more patient and just to be more in control of what’s happening out there,” Ivanovic said. “Still, I get excited. There’s a lot of adrenalin when it’s close. And when it’s second set, tiebreaker. I just let myself go sometimes.”