Paris ? She’d come so far, so fast, reaching her first Grand Slam semifinal at 17, that perhaps Nicole Vaidisova just wasn’t quite ready to win it.

Closing in on a third consecutive stunner at Roland Garros, Vaidisova served for the match against 2004 U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, and later was two points from victory. Each time, the Czech teen’s composure cracked, allowing Kuznetsova to come back to win 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-2 Thursday and reach the French Open final.

Kuznetsova’s opponent Saturday will be defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne, whose 6-3, 6-2 victory over No. 2-seeded Kim Clijsters lacked any of the drama and wild momentum swings of the day’s first semifinal.

“I never come to a Grand Slam thinking I’m going to win it, or if I have chances to win it. I just come there, and I play every match. Every match I can, I just do my best,” said Kuznetsova, 1-10 against Henin-Hardenne. “You have to think step by step.”

It would be tough to blame Vaidisova for thinking ahead when it was her turn to serve while leading 5-4 in the second set. A little more than 11â2 hours in, and all she needed was four points – four measly points! – to put it away.

“You kind of figure, ‘If I win this game, I’m in the finals,”‘ Vaidisova acknowledged. “But I don’t think I (was) crazy nervous or started shaking or anything. I really didn’t.”

Kuznetsova let match points slip away at the French Open each of the past two years, losing to the eventual champion in the fourth round: Anastasia Myskina in 2004, and Henin-Hardenne in 2005.