Serena won a rain-delayed meeting in 1hr 10min and will now play either two-time champion and US fourth seed Venus Williams or Belgian second seed Kim Clijsters in Saturday's final.

Afterwards Serena, who advanced when a Henin-Hardenne forehand zipped low into the net, said she was delighted to have a chance to emulate her sister in winning back-to-back titles at the All England Club.

"I played really well today, I was really focused. I had to be."

With Henin-Hardenne having pulled back from 4-0 down to 4-3 in the opening set Serena said she took heed of the warning.

"I don't think that was a hiccup. Justine started playing really well. I had to get back into it.

"I was trying to do the best I can today. I'm just happy to be in the final at Wimbledon again. I'm really excited. It's a great feeling. Making the final is a big deal for me," the champion told BBC television.

Asked to predict her final opponent she laughed and said: "Venus is playing brilliantly here - but so is Kim.

"I'll sit and watch and try to take notes!"

Serena was doubly happy to have seen off in Henin-Hardenne a rival who reduced her to tears in Paris four weeks ago.

Revenge was slow in coming, however, after rain delayed the start of the encounter by two and a half hours.

Serena, who defeated Venus in last year's final to deny her elder sibling a hattrick of titles, staved off two break points in the opening game to hold serve, then overcame a minor distraction as one of her hooped earrings fell off to flash home a ferocious forehand in breaking for 2-0.

The 21-year-old from Michigan, looking for her fifth Grand Slam title in her last six attempts, held to love before an impatient Belgian forehand into the net gifted her a further break.

Henin-Hardenne, who had beaten Serena this season on clay at Charleston as well as in the highly-charged affair at Roland Garros, when she was accused of cheating after delaying the American's serve, broke back to put herself on the scoreboard in the fifth game.

She then held for 4-2 when Serena overhit an ambitious volley and the burly top seed next twice fired wide in quick succession to drop serve to love, cutting her lead to 4-3 and putting the contest back on serve to the clear approval of Henin-Hardenne's husband Pierre-Yves and coach Carlos Rodriguez.

But Serena broke for 5-3 and screamed out her joy before taking the set after 38min when her rival swept a forehand long.

It was the first set the 21-year-old from Liege had dropped in the entire event.

A double fault handed Serena a break at the start of the second set and Henin-Hardenne, once again playing with her left hand heavily strapped following a fall in the Rosmalen final where she withdrew to hand Clijsters the title two weeks ago, again found herself chasing the match.

Serena's huge reach to pick up a scooped effort from Henin-Hardenne allowed her to hold for 2-0 and the American, who by now had hit top gear with a vengeance, held again.

A high return long from Henin-Hardenne brought a break for 5-2 and the titleholder served out with aplomb.