Justine Henin brings good times back to women's tennis
AUSTRALIAN OPEN Venue: Melbourne Park Date: 18-31 January Coverage: Every Andy Murray match live on BBC 1 or 2 Daily from 0830 GMT: live on BBC Red Button/website, 5 Live sports extra Daily from 0000 GMT: text commentary on BBC Sport website
Henin feels she "grew up" during her 20 months away from tennis
By David Ornstein
When Justine Henin announced she would be coming out of retirement in time for the 2010 Australian Open, she was immediately touted as a potential champion.
And, provided she overcomes a leg injury, the diminutive Belgian will do everything in her power to secure an eighth Grand Slam title with victory at Melbourne Park.
But the real winner from her comeback may be women's tennis itself.
"Henin's return could not have come at a better time for the tour - it struggled badly while she was away," former British number one Annabel Croft told BBC Sport.
"That she's being tipped to win a Grand Slam within four weeks of coming out of a 20-month retirement is an indictment of where the game is at the moment.
"But it also speaks volumes for her ability. Women's tennis had lost its sparkle but it won't be long before that returns now Henin is back."
On the evidence of her first tournament since walking away from the sport in May 2008, we could be in for a treat.
Henin fought her way through the early rounds of the Brisbane International before meeting Kim Clijsters, her compatriot and great rival, to decide the title.
In what felt like a rerun of the 2004 Australian Open final, the pair raised the roof with a three-set thriller, only this time Henin was edged out 6-3 4-6 7-6 (8-6).
"To me it looks as if she's playing better tennis than before she retired," said Nadia Petrova, who lost to Henin in the opening round.
"Before she played a lot of long rallies but now she's become a very aggressive player, taking the opportunities straight away.
"She's back because she's hungry to win Wimbledon for the first time and I think the changes she has made to her game are actually leading towards that."
Glory at SW19 is the only accomplishment missing from Henin's CV and the 27-year-old says it would be a "dream" to lift the Venus Rosewater Dish before hanging up her racquets for good.
Standing in the way of that dream are some familiar old foes: Clijsters, who herself came out of retirement last season and promptly won the US Open, and sisters Venus and Serena Williams.
The quartet won a Grand Slam title apiece in 2005 and watching them renew hostilities is sure to conjure memories of the early-to-mid 2000s, when many felt women's tennis was above the men's game.
"That was a great time for the tour and, on her day, Henin was the best of the lot," Croft recalled. "Even though she feared the Williams sisters, they feared her as much.
"She more than made up for any physical weaknesses with technical strengths, incredible athleticism and a steely determination, not to mention that beautiful one-handed backhand."
POISONED CHALICE
World number ones since Henin
Maria Sharapova: 19 May - 8 June 2008 (three weeks)
Ana Ivanovic: 9 June - 10 August (nine weeks)
Jelena Jankovic: 11-17 August (one week)
Ana Ivanovic: 18 August - 7 September (three weeks)
Serena Williams: 8 September - 5 October (four weeks)
Jelena Jankovic: 6 October - 1 February 2009 (17 weeks)
Serena Williams: 2 February - 19 April (11 weeks)
Dinara Safina: 20 April - 11 October (25 weeks)
Serena Williams: 12-15 October (two weeks)
Dinara Safina: 26 October - 1 November (one week)
Serena Williams: 2 November - present (11 weeks)
Billie-Jean King once described the 5ft 5in right-hander as the greatest player of her generation, Martina Navratilova called her "the female Federer" and John McEnroe reckoned she had the best backhand in the whole of tennis.
All of which made her decision to quit at the age of just 25 a shock.
On 14 May 2008 and with no forewarning, Henin ended her 61-week reign as world number one and became the first player, male or female, to retire while in possession of the top ranking.
In the subsequent 87 weeks, five different players have occupied the number one slot and the position has changed hands on no fewer than 11 occasions.
Matters were not helped by the fact that women's tennis had already lost Clijsters to retirement and the Williams sisters seemed to be spending ever-more time away from the court.
"Since Henin retired, each player who made it to number one has struggled to cope with the pressure that comes with that position," Croft observed.
"Their games seemed to fold at critical moments and we didn't get the great rivalries we'd become accustomed to.
"We've had to put up with too many 'ball strikers' - players whose games look identical. A lot of the young girls coming through are very one dimensional and won't have come up against someone like Henin.
"It's going to be fascinating to see how they cope with the single-handed backhand, the angled groundstrokes, the mix of pace and the ability to come up the court and volley.
"Henin will have been watching a lot on TV and always was a smart tactician, so I think she will actually carve up a lot of modern-day players."
The likes of Svetlana Kuznetsova, Jelena Jankovic, Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic, and a younger crop including Caroline Wozniacki and Victoria Azarenka, might just have something to say about that.
Her mental state will be much improved and there's every chance she'll come back a better player - that's wonderful news for women's tennis
Annabel Croft on Justine Henin
Such competition will please WTA Tour bosses, who are aware that their six-year $88m (£54m) title sponsorship deal with Sony Ericsson has yet to be extended.
Clijsters winning the 2009 US Open within six weeks of returning helped rejuvenate the game, and there will inevitably be pressure on Henin to follow suit on 30 January.
Arriving at Melbourne Park with only four matches under her belt after pulling out of Sydney with a gluteal problem is far from ideal preparation.
But there was no sign of pain as she smiled her way through practice on Tuesday in a session focused on her serve, one of the decisive factors in the Brisbane defeat by Clijsters.
Henin admits escaping the "tennis bubble" allowed her to "grow up" and, with her family problems now firmly in the past, she appears to be relaxed, approachable and talkative.
Her coach Carlos Rodriguez insists that if Henin finds the right balance between training and competition - her quest for perfection often saw her practice to the point where she was physically sick - she can conquer her profession for a second time.
Croft knows all about the grind of the tour and burn-out having quit tennis in 1988 at just 21-years-old. She feels Henin's break will stand her in good stead.
"Every player you see on the tour does pretty much nothing other than hit tennis balls seven days a week, 52 weeks a year," explained the 43-year-old. "You live and breathe tennis 24/7.
"Henin has had the opportunity to go away and live a normal life, which very few of the other players have done, and now she can return with a completely different perspective.
"Her mental state will be much improved and there is every chance she will come back a better player - that's wonderful news for women's tennis."
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