MELBOURNE, Australia -- Defending champion Jennifer Capriati played her way out of trouble and advanced to the Australian Open semifinals with a 6-2, 6-2 victory Wednesday over Amelie Mauresmo.

	Kim Clijsters put away Justine Henin 6-2, 6-3 and now welcomes another shot at Jennifer Capriati.

Capriati next meets Kim Clijsters, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Justine Henin. Capriati was extended to 12-10 in the final set before beating Clijsters for last year's French Open title.

Capriati lost the first two points before breaking Mauresmo's serve in the first game. Then, in two games in the first set and one in the second, she saved a total of six break points.

"I think I played my best tennis right from the start," Capriati said. "I came out playing really well," she said.

She had help from occasional wild play by Mauresmo, who squandered a 40-0 lead in the third game of the second set with three consecutive double faults. Mauresmo had 34 unforced errors to Capriati's 20.

"There was nothing for her to do except try to up her game. A few times I was put on the defense, but because I was playing well I was able to get out of those situations," Capriati said.

"I'm glad I could raise my game," Capriati said. "This is where it all counts -- how you do in the Grand Slams."

After a promising debut as a 14-year-old in 1990 and then a series of personal problems, Capriati finally won her first major tournament title at the Australian Open last year. She followed that with the French Open title and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

"It feels like I've graduated to the next level. I feel a lot better this year," Capriati said.

"It's pretty tough to top last year, I mean that's the best I've ever played, but today when I went out there I kind of had that same feeling," Capriati said.

"I played like I was on a mission," she said.

Capriati showed few signs of the right hip flexor strain that has troubled her since a warm-up event in Sydney two weeks ago.

"I was pretty confident out there, hitting shots pretty hard and wasn't hesitant at all," she said.

"I was just really focused and really concentrated."

Mauresmo, the 1999 runner-up here, had her sights set on reaching the No. 1 ranking.

"On the basis of this match, you can say I'm a long way away," she said. "It's the kind of match that I really don't have the right to produce, given the high objectives I set at the beginning of the season."

Looking ahead to Clijsters, Capriati said, "I've had maybe some tough matches, but I feel pretty fresh myself so hopefully I'll come out strong and play like I did today."

Before Capriati's victory, Clijsters referred to her defeat against the American in the French Open final last year, and said, "It would be nice to be able to play her again."

Clijsters also pressured Henin into costly errors in her advance to the semifinals.

Henin broke for a 2-1 lead in the second set. But her Belgian compatriot and good friend immediately broke back thanks to four consecutive misses by Henin.

Clijsters, seeded fourth, broke again for 5-3 and served out the match as No. 6 Henin hit wildly in a desperate attempt for winners.

Clijsters and Henin have enjoyed a similar rise to the upper ranks of women's tennis. Both won their first tournament titles in 1999, and both reached their first Grand Slam event semifinals at the 2001 French Open.

After Clijsters was runner-up at the French, Henin reached the finals at Wimbledon, losing to Venus Williams.

"It's not easy," Clijsters said of playing Henin. "I would love to see both of us doing well in Grand Slams."

Henin had 30 unforced errors to 15 by Clijsters, who anticipated some of Henin's best shots and hit back winners.

Reuters news services contributed to this report.