As she did in her quarterfinal win over top-seeded Lindsay Davenport, Henin-Hardenne took a set to really get going.

In the second, she never allowed the increasingly discouraged Sharapova to hold serve.

Sharapova looked toward her father and coach, Yuri Sharapov, after nearly every point as her game went downhill, shouting to him after Henin-Hardenne broke her to go ahead 4-2 in the last set.

The usually confident Sharapova looked tight and unsettled, whacking the ball into the net after mistakes and kicking it one time.

Sharapova pumped her fist after breaking Henin-Hardenne — who was serving for the match — to get back on serve at 4-5 in the third.

But the woman who has credited her mental toughness for getting her through big matches then collapsed in a string of backhand errors.

Henin-Hardenne sealed the 2-hour, 26-minute semifinal on her first match point with one of her trademark one-handed backhand winners down the line.

Sharapova, the 2004 Wimbledon champion, reached the semis at the three of the four Grand Slams last season and lost to the eventual champion at all four.

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“I’ll be seeing headlines: Maria can’t get past the semis; Maria can’t last the third set,” Sharapova said. “I think it was a good match. I didn’t come in the best prepared ... without many matches, to be able to play the quality of tennis I was able to play today is a big plus.”

This Australian Open combination marks the first time since computer rankings were introduced in 1975 that four former No. 1-ranked women reached the semis at a Grand Slam event.

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