Bond girl

sealed with a kiss: Marion Bartoli, left, recovered from a slow start to shock Justine Henin in their semi-final. There are some moments that can only be sensed, not seen. At about 5.

30pm last night Justine Henin was cruising to a final showdown with Venus Williams. She had won the first set with an ease that bordered on embarrassment for Marion Bartoli. Suddenly the Frenchwoman changed from being a stocky, plucky loser into Monica Seles with a good plate of soup inside her.

By 7pm she was on the Wimbledon turf celebrating the most spectacular win over the world No.1. The figures are as spectacular as that of a Bond girl, 1-6, 7-5, 6-1.

The escape was worthy of 007. What happened? "I saw Pierce Brosnan in the crowd," said Bartoli.

"I said it's not possible to play so badly in front of him. So I try to feel the ball a bit more, play more smartly. I saw he was cheering for me, so I said: Oh, maybe it's good.

' I kept going and won, so maybe it's a little bit for Pierce Brosnan." A more plausible theory for the changing of Bartoli from Mademoiselle Clouseau to an agent with a licence to thrill can be expounded. Bartoli was crippled by nerves and the swirling wind in the first set.

Her game was disjointed, her shots wayward. She then began to play a game honed in a French childhood. "When I was younger, still living in France, we didn't have any indoor courts.

It was the courts for volleyball, basketball, tennis. They have multi-lines all over the courts. "My dad used to put out targets.

If I touched the targets with my shots, I got a candy. So I was very motivated. Maybe that's why I am loving too much the candies.

" It is a long time since Henin has had a candy, a longer period since she has taken such a beating. Bartoli invoked her heroine Seles by stepping into the forecourt and making double-handed winners off both sides. The last set was such a romp one half expected Bartoli to celebrate under a hologram of the Arc de Triomphe with the Marseillaise as a soundtrack.

She dismantled the tournament favourite with a selection of shots that were as accurate as Bond's Walther PPK. Henin was shell-shocked. "I didn't take my chances and the end of the second set and the match completely turned over.

I didn't feel fresh enough in the third set," she said, seemingly not believing what had happened. Suddenly the Frenchwoman changed from being a stocky, plucky loser into Monica Seles with a good plate of soup inside her Bartoli's dominance at the end was such that the world No.1 admitted: "I didn't know what to do at certain points of the match.

It was as if she could close her eyes and play unbelievable tennis." This would have tested the ingenuity of Q. Henin was confident that Williams would prevail in today's final.

The American did little in her demolition of Ana Ivanovic to stretch her odds. Williams, too, has had one of those moments of metamorphosis at Wimbledon. A week ago she was staring defeat against Akiko Morigami before winning four games on the trot to escape in the manner of a certain Englishman opening his parachute after skiing over a cliff.

There was little drama on the Centre Court yesterday as Williams battered Ivanovic into submission. It was strictly a B movie in support of the Henin-Bartoli main event. It was all routine for Williams, who was reaching her sixth Wimbledon final.

"I guess I'm feeling proud of myself for that stat," she said. "But I don't want to take anything for granted going into the final." Williams is now in a peculiar position.

She is the lowest seeded player (23) to make a women's final at Wimbledon. But she is the overwhelming favourite to beat the No.18 seed.

Her sister Serena was, however, ranked 81st in the world going into the Australian Open this year and won. Venus has no reason to believe her experience will be different. "I have a great record here," she said.

"And the odds are changing for me." This was said as Bartoli was struggling on Centre Court. The odds have now tipped so much in Williams's favour that the world has tipped ever so slightly on its axis.

"I've been counted out," she said. "But I have had a chance to get ready. It's all coming together.

" Bartoli was hardly thinking ahead. "You know when I saw my first round draw against Flavia Pennetta I was worried. Now I'm in the final.

" There was a search for omens. Williams was asked what is was about her and her sister and Wimbledon finals. "Williams, Wimbledon, it starts with a W," she said.

There is another portent. Today is 070707. It could be the setting for From Wimbledon with 40-love.

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