Fuente : Wimbledon
http://www.wimbledon.org

WIMBLEDON: Hard Times Again for Henin-Hardenne

/noticias.info/ Tuesday, 21 June, 2005

Nobody has ever doubted Justine Henin-Hardenne's capacity for a fight but as the sun began to dip over Wimbledon this evening the Belgian, who won the French Open 17 days ago, was a first round casualty.

Before the Championships began Henin-Hardenne had expressed some doubts about her form to those who were suggesting it was her chance to win. She knew she had to wait to see how back and neck felt after deliberately taking a break from competition between Roland Garros and Wimbledon. The answer to the question on Henin-Hardenne's form was found on No.1 Court when she was beaten by the 76th ranked player in the world, Eleni Daniilidou of Greece.

Henin-Hardenne has a solid record at the top of the game. She first made an impact in 2001 at the age of 19 when she was a semi-finalist in the French Open and runner-up to Venus Williams in a three set final at Wimbledon. As a teenager those results projected her on to the world stage and lifted the status of Belgian tennis enormously - in company with countrywoman Kim Clijsters.

Two years later Henin-Hardenne had most of the tennis world at her feet with a major influence on all four Grand Slam championships - winner of the French Open, winner of the US Open, and semi-final places at the Australian Open and then at Wimbledon. Some year, some player. Henin-Hardenne was the ninth woman in professional tennis history to take the French and US double.

Henin-Hardenne began 2004 by capturing the Australian title. In August she won the Olympic gold medal in Athens. In between, illness meant she did not play at Wimbledon and by her own standards she underperformed in Paris and New York. She ended 2004 by fracturing her right knee in practice for the Australian summer.

Henin-Hardenne finally returned to the tour in the spring in Miami. Things improved, the power and precision were still there, and as Wimbledon beckoned she had a 17-match victory streak behind her.

Things looked good until she faced Daniilidou, who had beaten Henin-Hardenne once before. Henin-Hardenne's double fault to end the contest prompted a wave of sympathy. Maybe the fates will be kinder to her next year.


Written by Barry Newcombe notas_de_prensa_archivo