You've Come A Long Way, Justine
Sydney Morning Herald
Wednesday January 28, 2004
In the year that has passed since a panicked Justine Henin-Hardenne finally broke her duck against Lindsay Davenport and prevailed in three see-sawing sets at this event, the Belgian has discovered the mettle of a champion.
In yesterday's quarter-final between the pair, one could clearly see the distance the world No.1 has travelled since she blew a one-set and 4-1 lead in last year's epic, a result she salvaged 9-7 in the third set. It was also evident that Davenport, once Henin-Hardenne's bete noir, is no longer in the same league. Not at the moment, anyway.
Henin-Hardenne wiped off an early 0-4 deficit yesterday and successfully fended off three set points (0-40, 4-5) to prevail 7-5, 6-3, only her second victory in seven attempts against the American. By the end of the first set you sensed that Davenport had blown it, that the more athletic Belgian would slam the window that had been carelessly left ajar.
``I wasn't that nervous like I was last year," said the No.1 seed, who took the French and US Opens, her first grand slam titles, last year.
Henin-Hardenne said she had remained ``very calm" at 0-4 yesterday. ``The situation wasn't easy . . . and I just said `OK, forget about everything else, be focused on every point'."
For, once Henin-Hardenne's mindset was corrected, her physical gifts were bound to get her over the line, even against a former No.1 who once had her measure. In some respects, the match paralleled Roger Federer's win over Lleyton Hewitt: the more fluent, gifted player triumphed over a former nemesis, whose edge, hitherto, had been all in the mind.
The longer points lasted, the likely they were to be won by Henin-Hardenne, who made Davenport seem lumbering.
``She's a great athlete. I mean, she gets a lot of balls back," said Davenport.
``She's obviously worked very hard at that. And athleticism certainly helps her."
The withdrawal of Amelie Mauresmo yesterday means Henin-Hardenne is all but assured of a final berth. Her semi-final opponent, Colombia's Fabiola Zuluaga, the 32nd and last seed, is highly unlikely to stretch her.
But Henin-Hardenne, having learned to play the public relations game, was quick to talk up an impending ``tough match". ``I can tell you she's playing very good tennis. She's a very talented player," she said.
Henin-Hardenne struggled to remember her most recent meeting with Zuluaga, in Hobart.
``I was going to say here in Australia, Hobart, but I didn't know if we played each other since that. That was 2000, I think." Doubtless, the match made a more vivid impression on Zuluaga.
A tearful Mauresmo, who withdrew after a painful practice session yesterday morning, revealed she had hurt her back early in the fourth-round match against Alicia Molik.
Molik said she had been unaware that the Frenchwoman had suffered a back strain during the game but Mauresmo confirmed: ``I pulled a muscle a couple of days ago at the beginning of the match against Alicia.
``I was able, at that time, to go to the end because I guess I was warm."
The ankle injury that threatened Kim Clijsters's participation in Melbourne has not stopped her flying through the opening rounds, but a back injury on the eve of her quarter-final may prove to be a more substantial hazard.
Clijsters chose to rest at her hotel while her fiance, Hewitt, was beaten by Federer on Monday night, and sought medical advice yesterday on her latest ailment.
``My ankle is still OK but now I have some pain in my back," Clijsters said, adding it had ``hindered" her in the victory over Silvia Farina Elia . She faces Anastasia Myskina today.
© 2004 Sydney Morning Herald
