PARIS -- Women's tennis is as predictable as rain at Roland Garros.

	The momentum of the match turned in a lucky moment for Kim Clijsters.

And so, in a strange way, it was appropriate that during this driest of French Opens an interloper appeared in the semifinals. There, along with No. 1-seeded Serena Williams and Kim Clijsters (No. 2) and Justine Henin-Hardenne (No. 4) was Nadia Petrova, a 20-year-old Russian who is ranked No. 76 in the world.

Even with her elegant backhand and on-it service return, Petrova seemed to have no shot in this match.

And yet, for a single, breathtaking moment it appeared she might reach Saturday's final: Petrova, serving for the set at 5-4, watched as Clijsters flicked a deceptively casual backhand dropshot. The ball, working with some serious backspin, clipped the top of the net and hung there momentarily. If the ball fell back on Clijsters' side Petrova would have won the set and gained immeasurable confidence. As it was, the ball spun and spun, almost back over the net cord, but eventually fell to the red clay on Petrova's side.

The heavily pro-Clijsters crowd at Court Philippe Chatrier roared. They sensed a turning point -- on the axis of a single drop shot. The players knew it, too. Clijsters rallied to break Petrova and disappeared in a blur, winning nine of the match's final 10 games.

The final count: 7-5, 6-1, Clijsters.

If the ball had stayed on Clijsters side, would Petrova have prevailed?

"I think so," Petrova said. "I think so. Because I would be one set away from being in the final, and I don't know how it would affect her. She could get more nervous, or she would start rushing at things.

"I don't know. Everything could be different."

Clijsters achieved her second Grand Slam final, where she will play fellow Belgian Henin-Hardenne, a stunning winner over Williams 6-2, 4-6, 7-5. One of them will become a first-time Grand Slam champion.

Clijsters reached the final here in 2001, but lost a 12-10 third set to Jennifer Capriati. Henin-Hardenne was a finalist in the next Grand Slam, Wimbledon 2001, but lost to Venus Williams in the third set.

Clijsters did not play like the world's second-ranked player early in the match. She looked uncomfortable and Petrova had two break points in each of her service games. Clijsters scrambled to ward them off.

"I was struggling a little bit with the forehand," Clijsters said. "I think I wasn't positioning very well and I didn't have the rhythm. And from the first time I broke her, I really felt comfortable."

That break, of course, came on the aforementioned net cord.

While the first set required 44 minutes, the second was over in a hurry, 26 minutes, in fact. Petrova, who has been playing doubles and mixed doubles, said she was tired.

"I was very limited on energy today," she said. "I had a very tough last two matches - three sets over two hours. It took a lot of energy out. So she was a bit more fresher today and I think she saw a really good opportunity to be in the final.

"Until 2-1, I still was in the game. I was still doing the right things, but I just start missing by really a few centimeters out there. That was the issue."

The issue on Saturday will be focusing on tennis, not the Belgian across the net.

The two have met three times this year. Clijsters prevailed in Sydney and Antwerp early in the season, but Henin-Hardenne won last month in Berlin in a rousing three-set affair.

"Justine looks like she's playing unbelievable tennis," Clijsters said before she ended Williams' 33-match Grand Slam winning streak. "If we would play each other, I mean, it would be incredible to be in the final here, so close to home, as well. Then it would be a real Belgian Slam."

Greg Garber is a senior writer for ESPN.com.