Belgian pair get chance to flirt with fame

Martina Hingis is in her fifth consecutive Roland Garros semi-final and Jennifer Capriati in her second, her first coming back in 1990 when she was 14 years old. In contrast to Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin, two teenagers both in this depth of Grand Slam water for the first time, the weight of experience clearly falls on the side of the Swiss and American players. The prospect of a final against an eager debutante should be quite a motivation for the two seeded players.

It's a fitting climax as this clay tournament has been one of natural unbalance since Mary Pierce, Lindsay Davenport and Anna Kournikova failed to make the starting line up and Venus Williams departed at the behest of Barbara Schett in the first round.

As a result, Henin (19), and Clijsters (17), have grasped the moment and how they have done it, providing a refreshing glimpse of the future and one that breaks the weariness of Hingis impressing her wonderfully rounded and thoughtful game on yet another competition.

Hingis, in her 26th Grand Slam, has won six titles, while Capriati has played 30 and won one. That's a hands-down advantage for Hingis, if there is a wish to ignore momentum. Capriati's winning of the Australian Open at the beginning of the year has had a burgeoning effect on the 25-year-old and her beating of seventh seed Serena Williams in the last round proved she could spar with the best.

Her ground strokes suit the clay and she can work a court. But her serve must improve if she is to push Hingis aside. It failed against Williams - and not for the first time. Had Williams not been so willing to push her error rate through the ceiling, Capriati would have seriously struggled.

Hingis, as befits her reluctance to hang around, has come through the draw in five hours 40 minutes, the fastest of any of the four players. But the number one seed has not been tested and only her own mind kept her on court for three sets against Italy's Francesca Schivone. But she has played it down.

"I haven't really been tested. But it doesn't have to be like every year, like in Australia, that I'm exhausted before I walk on court for the finals," said Hingis. Capriati should provide pressure of a different level.

It is Henin who has spent only eight minutes longer than Hingis reaching the semi-finals. Facing her Belgian friend Clijsters and with Belgian support, including the royal family, arriving across the border, the semi-final is as open as any in the history of the event.

Both have shown precocious nerve, have big ground strokes and play the surface well. Clijsters has played eight Grand Slam events to Henin's seven and that is all that separates them.

Henin's backhand is something to admire, particularly coming from such a light frame and she is wonderfully mobile. Both have said it's just another match. The Williams sisters said that when they met at Wimbledon and it ended in tears as Venus won. This will too. And that's no bad thing.