(REUTERS) – Kim Clijsters turned in a mixed performance as she beat Justine Henin 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 to book her place in the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. Neither of the Belgians, whose rivalry goes back almost 20 years, has won the grass-court Grand Slam and after a dreadful start, it looked as though Clijsters would be the player left disappointed for another year.
A double-fault handed Henin advantage in the first game and she duly took the break before holding her serve to love for a 2-0 lead.
The eighth-seeded Clijsters continued to struggle with her serve and length throughout the first set.
Henin’s only scare in the first set was when the seven-time Grand Slam winner fell and hurt her right elbow.
On a court that offered no respite from the sun except for the umbrellas proffered by the ball boys and girls during the changeovers, Clijsters finally found her form and length in the second set.
The third set went with serve until the eighth game, when Clijsters, appearing to scent victory, hit shots that sent Henin scampering back and forth across the baking court.
The 17th seed finally sent a forehand long to go 5-3 down and leave Clijsters serving for the match, which she took in just under an hour-and-a-half when Henin hit a forehand service return into the net.
The pair, whose rivalry has mellowed since they both returned from retirement, shook hands and exchanged kisses at the net before Henin left the court managing a wry smile and a beaming Clijsters acknowledged the crowd.
Clijsters will play 21st seed Vera Zvonareva for a place in the semi-finals; the Russian progressing when Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic retired whilst trailing 6-1, 3-0.
The fourth seed received treatment for an injury to her back and looked ill at ease throughout the match in the glorious sunshine on Court 12.
Zvonareva raced to the opening set in 24 minutes and claimed two breaks in the second when Jankovic had a medical time-out.
She returned for three more points before strolling to the net and offering her hand after 43 minutes of play.
Defending champion Serena Williams ensured there was no repeat result from the 2004 final when she beat Maria Sharapova 7-6(9), 6-4 in a tense fourth-round contest.
The two went toe-to-toe under the blazing sunshine on Centre Court, and Sharapova, the 16th seed, will rue the chances she missed leading 6-4 in the opening set tiebreak.
A quick break of serve at the start of the second gave the American top seed the momentum, and the three-time champion wrapped up the victory when Sharapova sprayed a running backhand wide after an hour and 36 minutes.
She will play China’s ninth seed Li Na for a place in the semi-finals, after she kept the flag flying for Asia in the women’s singles by disposing of Polish seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska 6-3, 6-2.
Li, into the quarter-finals for the second time, used her bludgeoning ground-strokes to keep Radwanska pinned to the back wall for much of their match on Court 18.
The ninth seed converted the only break point of the first set to claim the lead in just 30 minutes, and sealed victory when she smashed away an easy overhead after 67 minutes.
Five-time champion Venus Williams was given a testing workout in the blazing sun before booking her place in the quarter-finals with a 6-4, 7-6(5) win over Australia’s Jarmila Groth.
One break of serve was sufficient for the American second seed to take the first set after 35 minutes on Court Two but her Slovak-born opponent fought back determinedly in the second.
She served for the set at 5-4 and 6-5 but on each occasion Williams thwarted her, and Groth did well to recover from 4-0 down in the tiebreak before going down 7-5 when the Australian netted a mid-court forehand after an hour and 37 minutes.
She will play Tsvetana Pironkova for a place in the semi-finals, after the unseeded Bulgarian dispatched 11th seed Marion Bartoli 6-4, 6-4.
Denmark’s third seed Caroline Wozniacki crashed out of the tournament when she was outplayed 6-2, 6-0 by Czech Petra Kvitova.
Kvitova, who lost in the first round on her only two previous campaigns at the All England Club and is now in the quarters, put in a violent display of hitting on Court Two and Wozniacki was left aghast looking for answers.
The world number 62 hit 14 crunching winners en route to the first set in just 24 minutes and it was all over when Wozniacki netted a forehand just 22 minutes later.
Kvitova will play Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi for a place in the semi-finals, after the qualifier beat Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 6-4.