Doha, March 3:

Top-seeded Justine Henin rallied to beat fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 on Friday and advance to the final of the Qatar Open.

Henin will play against second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova, who beat sixth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2 in the other semi-final. It will be the second Doha final for Kuznetsova, who lost in 2004 to Anastasia Myskina.

Henin was happy to have had a difficult workout. Henin struggled with the weather and the aftereffects of a fierce daylong sandstorm.

Jankovic was broken in the first game of the opening set, but broke back in the eighth game to level. The two players then exchanged breaks before Jankovic won the tiebreaker in which Henin took five points after trailing 0-4. Henin then broke Jankovic three times in the second set.

The first three games of the decider went with serve, but the next seven ended in breaks. The 10th-ranked Jankovic found it difficult to move comfortably, allowing Henin to break the Serb in the 10th game and move into the final.