Serena and Henin bow out at Australian Open

By Ossian Shine

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Reputations count for little in grand slam tennis as champion Serena Williams and world number one Justine Henin found on Tuesday, both put to the sword at the quarter-final stage of the Australian Open.

Henin had not lost a match since Wimbledon 2007 -- a run of 32 matches -- but was brought to her knees under the night sky by a rampant Maria Sharapova 6-4 6-0. It was the first time the Belgian had lost a set 6-0 since 2002.

"It's funny because I felt like I was in my own bubble today," the statuesque Sharapova beamed.

"It's amazing when you go out on the court and feel you're doing the right things to beat such an amazing player as her. It's just incredible."

American powerhouse Serena had earlier relinquished her title with little more than a whimper when she was jettisoned 6-3 6-4 by Serbia's "wounded animal" Jelena Jankovic.

"I had some issues but I don't like to make excuses," Serena said. "Definitely a problem all through the day but nothing life-threatening, so it's fine"

DOUBLES LOSS

Her misery was compounded when she lost in the women's doubles paired with sister Venus.

In the men's draw, Rafael Nadal continued his assault on the first grand slam of the season with a 7-5 6-3 6-1 win over Finn Jarkko Nieminen.

He next meets unseeded Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, who upset 14th seed Mikhail Youzhny of Russia 7-5 6-0 7-6 to reach his first grand slam semi-final.

With Serena already defeated, Henin took to the court a strong favorite to win the title she bagged in 2004.

Her fifth-seeded foe was in ebullient mood, however, smashing 30 winners as she took a tight first set and ripped through the second to line up a semi-final against Jankovic.

Runner-up to Serena in Melbourne last year, Sharapova had lost six of her eight meetings with Henin but that record counted for nothing.

Herself a former world number one, Sharapova ran amok and left Henin wondering what might have been.

"I think that I have no excuse. She won the match. She's been the best," Henin told reporters.