Justine Henin-Hardenne served notice she is back to her devastating best with a 6-3, 6-1 thrashing of Svetlana Kuznetsova [ Images ] in the semi-finals of the Sydney [ Images ] International in Sydney on Thursday.

The Belgian fifth seed hardly broke sweat on a hot and humid day at Sydney's Olympic [ Images ] Tennis Centre as she booked her place in Friday's final against either seventh seed Francesca Schiavone or eighth seed Nicole Vaidisova [ Images ].

Italy's [ Images ] Schiavone and Czech Vaidisova are due to play later on Thursday.

World number eight Henin-Hardenne won the opening set in 43 minutes then raced through the second in just 27 minutes to remain unbeaten in Australia [ Images ] for three years and warn her rivals she is on course for a big showing at next week's Australian Open [ Images ] in Melbourne [ Images ].

The 23-year-old won the Sydney International then the Australian Open in 2004 but a knee injury prevented her from defending her titles last year.

Former world number one Henin-Hardenne captured her second French Open [ Images ] title in June last year but more injuries and illness prevented her from adding to her collection of four Grand Slam titles.

Henin-Hardenne had not dropped a set in getting to the semi-finals with wins over Martina Hingis [ Images ] and Vera Dushevina and a walkover against Nadia Petrova [ Images ] but world number 14 Kuznetsova loomed as her biggest test.

The Russian was unbeaten in six singles matches this year and rapidly regaining her confidence after a prolonged slump following her breakthrough win at the 2004 US Open [ Images ].

On Thursday, though, she had no answer to Henin-Hardenne's lethal backhand.