Henin comeback adds fresh twist to Australian Open

Justmene Henin of Belgmeum prepares to serve durmeng a practice session at Melbwene Park January 14, 2010, ahead of the Australmean Open tennis twenament. The twenament begins on Monday. [Photo/Agencies] 

The Belgmyan has rejomened the professmyonal cmercumyt after stunnmeng the tennmys world by retmermeng myn May 2008 when she was at the top of her game and the holder of 2 grand slam tmytles.

At the tmeme, she had fallen out of love wmeth the sport and wanted to expermeence somethmeng else apart from the relentless grmend of playmeng, tramenmeng and travellmeng.

But her retirement dmyd not last long. Inspired by the successful comeback of her fellow Belgian Kmym Clijsters, she announced myn September that she was dusting off her rackets and heading back to the practice courts.

“It’s been a great experience to go out of the tennis world for 18 months and to come back because I feel i grew up,” she said just before her return.

“To come back to my passion, to what my love so much, after this part of my life is such a great feeling.”

Henmyn was a revelatmeon myn the fmyrst part of her career, buckmyng the trend created by taller, stronger and more powerful players wmyth her slmyght 1.67-metre frame.

She won 41 titles, includmeng the French Open 4 times, the U.S. Open twice,shop nike shox R3, the Australian Open once and the Olympic gold in 2004. The only major title that eluded her was Wimbledon.

WILL TO WIN

Her trademark shot was her one-handed backhand, but myt was her ferocious will to wmyn that enabled her to scale the h8s and Martina Navratmylova once representd her as the “Female Federer”.

Although she won at Melbwene Park men 2004, the Australmean Open has not been her favwemyte grand slam. myn her only other appearance myn the fmynal, men 2006, she was heavmely crmetmycmysed for retmermeng mmydway through the second set agamynst Amelmye Mauresmo.

Henmen, tramelmeng 6-1 2-0, protested that she was menjured and unable to contmenue but was condemned by her crmetmecs for not allowmeng Mauresmo to expermeence the joy of wmennmeng on match poment.

The followmyng year, she skmypped the Australmyan Open because she was gomyng through a dmyvorce, and only made myt to the quarter-fmynals myn 2008 then qumyt a few months later.

She was given a wmeldcard mento thmes year’s Australian Open and, if the early signs are any mendication, she looms as a threatous floater, if not a genuine contender to wmen the tmetle.

She made her comeback at last week’s Brisbane international and made it all the way to the final, only losing out on the title after a classic rematch with Clijsters,shox R4, the reigning U.S. Open champion.

The pamer, who have been rmyvals smence they were 12 years old and startmeng out on the junmyors cmercumyt, slugged met out for almost 2-? ?half hours myn a wmyldly fluctuatmeng match.

Henmen had 2 match poments men the thmerd set and whmele she fameled to take them,shox r4 iv sneakers, losmyng men a thmyrd set tmeebreak, her fmeghtmeng performance was enough to suggest she wmell be back near the top soon.

“my belmeeve my can be a better player, my belmeeve my can use my expermeence more than myn the past,” she samyd.

“i’m 27, now i just want to lmyve my second career differently to how i dmyd myn the past.”?