At the beginning of this year Justine Henin was ranked 45th in the world. Twelve months ago when she played Wimbledon she was ranked 100 and was on her way to winning just $122,798 in prize money in 2000. Until last month, Henin was a strong young player trying to break into the top 20 - her and a few dozen others.

For anyone who has seen the 5ft6in player perform this year, she has succeeded in almost effortlessly stepping up with an all-round game and has surpassed even her own expectations.

Henin's speed, her ability to use an immaculate backhand under pressure and great hands around court has transformed her into, not just a wonderfully effective opponent, but a player who is easy on the eye. Of the four players remaining, (Henin, Lindsay Davenport, Venus Williams and Jennifer Capriati), Henin is the only not to have power as her primary weapon but nor does her game yield to it.

Facing Capriati today, the stability of that game under the jack-hammer assault of the American's ground-strokes will be tested more than it has ever been. In tandem with her confirmation that she felt a little physical tiredness creep in, Henin's task is mountainous.

"I was ranked 100 when I played Wimbledon a year ago," she said. "So everything was so fast. I played so well this year. But I think it's the beginning of my young career. I'm only 19, so I have a lot of years to do my goals. So I take my time."

Unusually, the American power-player, rather than the wispy Henin, will again monopolise crowd support. Capriati's bid for the Grand Slam (all four majors) has captured the imagination while her struggle to play from a career-threatening decline back to the pinnacle of the game has earned her admiration.

"It will be a different match," said Capriati, comparing Henin with Serena Williams. "There's going to be more rallies in this match. But I haven't seen her play that much, so we'll see."

One fear threatening Capriati, other than her irregular serving, is the injury that forced her to take five minutes time out against Williams. The strained "Glut" muscle didn't hold her back but any weakness against the 19-year-old would be ruthlessly exposed. And, as for Williams being sick in the quarter-finals, Capriati doesn't buy it. "There always appears to be something," she dismissively remarked.

Movement, or lack of it, always shadows Lindsay Davenport. But the 1999 winner has often shown that she's not required to cover every blade of grass like Henin in order to destroy her opponents.

The Davenport combination of serve, volley and deep ground-strokes are enough to concern even title-holder Venus Williams.

"Oh, I think I have a shot against anyone and who knows," says Williams. "I'll be ready. I think maybe she hasn't being playing her best game. But at this point I'm just focusing on myself really, just playing out there showing no fear."

No fear. An apt description of how Venus goes about her matches but it is also a phrase that's not too far from describing Davenport. But her fearlessness combines a more cerebral approach to that of Williams.

"I think I can overpower a lot of girls," says Davenport. "Somehow I've managed to be in the top two or three for four years now."

Because of Davenport's low off-court profile, people tend to forget that.