ustine Henin, the world No#1, lost 6-4, 6-0, the first time that she lost a set 6-0 since she failed to win in the first round at the 2002 French Open.

Maria Sharapova - out to get even after a humiliating loss in last year's final to Serena Williams - demolished Justine Henin, paving her way in the semi-finals of the Australian Open with an emphatic straight-sets win over the world number one player.

It was indeed a great night for Sharapova.

It was indeed a great night for Sharapova. The 20-year-old beat Henin, and now moves on to advance to the Australian Open semifinals for the fourth straight year with a convincing 6-3, 6-4 drubbing. Sharapova, a former Wimbledon and US Open champion, rated it the best Grand Slam performance of her career. She will now face world No. 4 Jankovic; whom she has won three of her four matches against.

She said her opponent would be a good fight. "We kind of grew up together, practising at the same academy," she said. "It's a bit strange, we were always in the same groups, playing matches against each other. I think it was both our dreams to play in a grand slam semi-final against each other."

Henin, who soldiered on with her serve and was broken five times by Sharapova, said she had a minor worry over a long-time knee injury but put the loss down as an unavoidability. The seven-time Grand Slam champion immediately anointed 20-year-old Sharapova as the woman to beat for this year's crown.

"She just did everything better than me today," the disappointed Belgian said, referring to Sharapova to win the season-opening Grand Slam. "The stars were shining. It was just meant to be. She served consistently, she was much more aggressive and looked it like it was her day and probably her tournament. She's in great shape."

Meanwhile, Federer could lose the position he has held since February 2004 if he fails to beat James Blake on Wednesday and misses the semi-finals, while Nadal goes on to win the title. No. 4-ranked Ana Ivanovic is aiming to end the run of another Williams when she plays Serena's sister, Venus, for the right to meet the winner of the other quarterfinal between No. 9 Daniela Hantuchova and No. 29 Agnieszka Radwanska.

But she has been hampered by a thigh problem since helping Serbia to the Hopman Cup final, where it lost to the Serena Williams-led United States.