DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Maria Sharapova and Justine Henin-Hardenne Friday advanced to the reach the title match at the Dubai Duty Free Women's Open.
Both former top-ranked players in women's tennis had to win twice on Friday.
The third-seeded Sharapova beat second-seeded and defending champion Lindsay Davenport 3-6, 6-1, 6-3, after a 6-3, 6-4 win over Martina Hingis. The latter match was postponed by rain on Thursday.
Davenport had qualified for the quarters with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 win over Maria Kirilenko.
Henin-Hardenne, seeded fourth in this event, beat Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6-2, 7-5, after ousting top-seeded Amelie Mauresmo, 7-6 (13-11), 6-4.
The rain had forced a suspension of that match Thursday with Mauresmo, who currently is No. 2 in the world, leading, 3-2, in the first-set tiebreak. Mauresmo had won her previous 16 matches.
