A heart-breaking injury to newly-crowned world number one Kim Clijsters [Images] vaulted Amelie Mauresmo into the Australian Open final on Thursday.

She will face former champion Justine Henin-Hardenne in Saturday's showpiece after the Belgian beat fourth-seeded Russian Maria Sharapova [Images] 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Clijsters, plagued by injuries for the last two years, fell heavily hurting her right foot and was forced to quit with Mauresmo leading 5-7, 6-2, 3-2.

For the Belgian it was a slice of cruel luck, but one which gives Mauresmo a chance to win her first grand slam.

"It's very strange," third seed Mauresmo said in a courtside interview. "We had such a great battle till she twisted the ankle.

"It's a little bit of an unfinished match. I hope she gets better and it's not too bad but that's the way it is."

The only previous time Mauresmo had reached a grand slam final she was easily beaten by Martina Hingis [Images] in Melbourne in 1999.

On Saturday she will face an equally-tough challenge when she plays Henin-Hardenne, who earlier on Thursday fought back gamely to beat Russia's [Images] Maria Sharapova 4-6, 6-1, 6-4.

Henin-Hardenne, who was unable to defend her 2004 Melbourne title last year through injury, extended her winning streak in Australia to 20 matches.

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Clijsters has been plagued by injuries since she lost the 2004 Australian Open final to Henin-Hardenne but thought her luck had taken a turn for the better when she won last year's U.S. Open.

But she hurt her back and hip during a warm-up event in Sydney earlier this month and failed to regain full fitness during the championship.

"I'm not the kind of player who is going to quit for nothing," Clijsters told a news conference.

"I really felt like I was ready from the first ball. I think I played a lot better, too. That's what makes this even more frustrating."

French Open champion Henin-Hardenne fought back determinedly to overcome former Wimbledon champion Sharapova.

After splitting the first two sets, the eighth seed served for the match in the ninth game of the decider.

She faltered slightly before recovering to break the Russian in the next game and claim the match with a blistering backhand winner down the line.

"I think we played a great match, it was very intense physically," Henin-Hardenne said.

Fourth seed Sharapova, beaten by eventual champion Serena Williams [Images] at the same stage last year, battled hard but could not match the tenacity of the Belgian, whose renowned backhand slowly began to take at its toll.

"I seriously think that the quality of the match today was great," Sharapova said.

"It's disappointing right now, but this match gives me a lot of confidence towards the future."

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