PARIS -- Jennifer Capriati takes the latest step in her extraordinary journey to the summit of women's tennis when she plays Belgian teenager Kim Clijsters on Saturday in the French Open final.

The American fourth seed is seeking to become the first player in nine years to follow up a victory at the Australian Open by winning at Roland Garros. It's a remarkable transformation in her fortunes after the personal problems that threatened to ruin her career.

Thursday's 6-4, 6-3 defeat of Martina Hingis, highlighted Capriati's current dominance and a victory against Clijsters would merely confirm it.

Hingis could find no answer to the devastating power and accuracy of Capriati's groundstrokes as the American repeated her triumph in the Australian Open final, her first Grand Slam title.

Against Clijsters, however, she will be up against an opponent who hits the ball pretty hard, as well.

The No. 12 seed, who celebrates her 18th birthday Friday, claimed the honor of being the first Belgian to reach a Grand Slam final with her victory against compatriot Justine Henin.

Displaying the same fighting spirit her Australian boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt is renowned for, Clijsters came from a set and a break down to win 2-6, 7-5, 6-3.

By the end of the match, she was striking the ball with as much authority as Capriati, 25, showed throughout her clash with Hingis, and it should make for a memorable final.

"She's improved a lot," said Capriati, who won the only previous meeting between the two players in Philadelphia two years ago.

"I've watched her a few times and she moves well," Capriati said. "She's a feisty competitor, aggressive, more of a power player. That's something that I like and I'm sure she likes that about my game, too."

Clijsters will need to show all her grit and determination to test Capriati, who is confident she will not be troubled by the knee injury that required treatment during the first set against Hingis.

"I've just been feeling a little twinge here and there for the last couple of weeks," she said. "It's just a little tendinitis, and it won't be a problem."

Injury is possibly the only thing that could slow down the rejuvenated Capriati.

It was at the 1990 French Open at age 14 that Capriati marked herself as a player of outstanding promise, reaching the semifinals before losing to Monica Seles, the last woman to win the Australian and French titles in the same year.

That potential looked to have been wasted when her failure to cope with the pressures of success and the effects of burn-out prompted a downward spiral that brought her to face minor drugs and shoplifting charges in the mid-1990s.

Now, she is playing so well that it is difficult to see how she can be halted by Clijsters, who struggled to cope with Henin's power in the early stages of their match.

The way Clijsters overcame her nervous start in her first Grand Slam semifinal will have done wonders for her self-belief and focus. She said she will leave her birthday celebrations until after the final.

"I'm not going to go out and party," she said. "In the final I'm going to keep doing the same things I've been doing throughout the two weeks."

Clijsters has played consistently on her way to the final, taking advantage of the early departures from the bottom half of the draw of second seed Venus Williams and fifth seed Amelie Mauresmo.

Capriati will be by far the toughest opponent Clijsters has faced, though, and Capriati will be the overwhelming favorite.

"I'm playing my best tennis and being consistent," Capriati said. "But I'll look at Kim as a tough opponent. I know I'll have to play my best tennis."