Henin books last-eight clash with Serena

NEW YORK, Sep 3 (Reuters) Top seed Justine Henin of Belgium raised her game a notch and breezed past Russian Dinara Safina 6-0 6-2 to set up a US Open quarter-final showdown with Serena Williams.

Henin, the 2003 US Open champion, broke the hard-serving Safina, seeded 15th, seven times in the 59-minute match on Arthur Ashe Stadium court.

''I was ready for a good battle,'' Henin told reporters yesterday. ''I didn't give a lot of free points. I was very aggressive, went to the net a lot on my serves.

''It's good because I know that now I will need that in my next match in my next few matches, I hope.'' The 25-year-old Belgian, who has lost just 11 games in her first four matches, will meet the eighth-seeded Williams in her third successive grand slam quarter-finals after beating the American in the French Open and at Wimbledon.

The eighth-seeded Williams, a two-times winner of the Open, leads their overall head-to-head series 6-5.

''We know each other pretty well,'' Henin said. ''I know everyone was waiting for that match, and here we are. That's why I'm playing tennis, to play this kind of match.'' SELF BELIEF Before the grand slam clashes, Williams battled back to beat Henin in the 2007 Miami final 0-6 7-5 6-3 on hard court.

''I think I was the best player on the court for almost two sets, but she's been stronger than me to finish the match,'' said Henin.

''Probably I didn't believe in myself that much, and that's what changed in the French and in Wimbledon.'' Williams said she was hindered at Wimbledon by a thumb injury that sidelined her all the way up to Flushing Meadows, but gave Henin credit for building their rivalry.

''She's playing well and she's fighting for everything,'' Williams said of Henin after her 6-3 6-4 win over Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli of France. ''She kind of believes that she can win.'' Henin said: ''We both have been very strong mentally on the court. She won grand slams, I did. She's been number one, and I've been. So it's great.

''Now let's go and play and we'll see what's going to happen. But there's a lot of respect professionally between the two of us, that's for sure.'' Reuters TB GC0950