Simona Halep and Justine Henin Tennis Legends Podcast Eurosport

Feels like forever since I've last posted. But the world without sport is a weird place right now.



It feels appropriate for my first post in a while to be with 2 of my fave female tennis players. Past and present.

Justine Henin returns to tennis as coach

Svitolina has enjoyed a rapid rise up the rankings in the last two seasons, earning four Top 10 wins - two over reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber - and making her Top 20 debut last spring, following a run to the quarterfinals of the French Open. Looking to make the next step in her career ascent, Svitolina has been after Henin's expertise since the off-season.

Neither Svitolina nor Henin are the tallest to ever play the game - Svitolina stands at 5'9" to Henin's 5'5" - but the Belgian unleashed a barrage of unbridled aggression combined with an unflappable competitive spirit to finish as the Year-End No.1 three times, win a hat-trick of French Open titles from 2005-2007 (four in total), along with an Olympic Gold Medal in 2004 - recovering from 1-5 in the final set of her semifinal against Anastasia Myskina to dispatch Amélie Mauresmo in the final.

Retiring in 2008, Henin returned to tennis two years later, reaching the Australian Open final in the first major appearance of her comeback, falling to World No.1 Serena Williams in three thrilling sets.

Svitolina already has strong competitive instincts, winning a majority of her three-set matches in 2015, but could certainly benefit from a dose of Henin's aggressive tactics that may encourage her to step into the court and dictate play more often.

wtatennis.com

Justine Henin talks Serena Williams & WTA at Rogers Cup Hall of Fame Induction in Montreal

Justine Henin & Andy Roddick join BBC Wimbledon coverage

Andy Roddick will return to Wimbledon this year in a new role.

“I'm honored to join the BBC team for Wimbledon," Roddick said in a statement. "The Championships will always have a special place in my heart, and I'm excited to come back to cover them."

Also joining the BBC this year will be former No. 1 and multiple Grand Slam winner Justine Henin who will be on radio coverage.

"I feel very excited," Henin said. "Wimbledon has produced a lot of memories for me and it’s great to be able to give something to the listeners.”

Roddick, who retired from tennis in 2012, reached three Wimbledon finals in 2004, 2005, and 2009.

The news of the former U.S. Open champion, known for his quick wit, joining the BBC's live coverage was hailed across social media. Praise also came from Roger Federer on Twitter.

Roger Federer
✔@rogerfederer


Love that @andyroddick is going to be commentating @Wimbledon this year. A-Rod is the man

 Follow

andyroddick 

✔@andyroddick

. @rogerfederer @Wimbledon Hopefully it will be easier to talk about you, than it was to play against you :)

5:33 PM - 9 Jun 2015

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•  1,3071,307 Retweets
 
•  2,5122,512 favorites

tennisnow.com

HAHA!.  A-Rod has always had a great sense of humor. 

Martina Hingis' comeback: wins, loses and beyond

Successful as she’s been in making a comeback in doubles, Martina Hingis’ sojourn back in singles was nonetheless somewhat under-par. Not only did her two Fed Cup singles matches end up disappointingly, there was also a decisive break to the winning rhythm she’d been on, since partnering Sania Mirza before Indian Wells. Lastly, Hingis’ attempt to rejoin the fold of singles tennis – for the third time – also cast attention about players trying to re-enter the sport following a prolonged absence.


Instances of such comebacks have then been both fruitful and unproductive in equal measures, dotting the pages of tennis history. Three noteworthy examples that however come to mind prominently are that of Martina Navratilova, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin.

Navratilova had a good run after coming back from her absence the early 2000s.The American’s case especially stands out for not only was she in her late 40s when she took to playing competitive tennis again, but it was also selective in that she only played in the grand slams – focusing on mixed doubles.


Speaking of Clijsters and Henin, the second time round, both experienced contrasting fortunes while taking a step back into the sport for the second time.


Clijsters, who retired to start a family, was always expected to return – given her own indications to the same. Following her joining the sport again, she won three majors – two US Opens in 2009-10 and one Australian Open in 2011– and even regained the world no. 1 ranking, before calling time finally in 2012. For her compatriot though, the road back proved to be a mixed-bag.


Henin did make it to the final of the Australian Open in 2010 as a wildcard. But there, she wasn’t able to match the penetrating game of defending champion Serena Williams. While she did win a set off the American, in the end it wasn’t enough to prevent Williams from winning her (then) fifth Australian Open title. The rest of the season was equally tumultuous for Henin for even though she won a couple of titles, she wasn’t able to make deeper inroads into the remaining three grand slams. A year later, after her third round loss in the Australian Open, she chose to retire in what seemed to be an abrupt end to her comeback.

Thus there may be several factors that go into consideration about attempting comebacks, each unique to each player. However, by far the most significant denominator – common to all – is that of time. Not only the time elapsed between retirement and comeback, but also the time thought out by the players to keep continuing, irrespective of whether the results meet their expectations or not.


Navratilova and Clijsters’ successes were hinged dually. One, the way both players focused towards playing to their strengths and the other, the way each used the time spent away from professional tennis to their advantage. Contrarily, Henin in spite of being away from professional tennis for only 16 months didn’t feel inclined to extend her career to beyond a season. This, in turn, raises the question as to whether she would have been able to better her performances by prolonging her comeback for some more time instead of putting a definite stop to it.


Hingis will need to introspect upon this last facet even in the wake of her declaration, in the aftermath of her losses in the Fed Cup, of not going back to playing singles. For, unpredictability still governs the Swiss’ decisions.

Her aspiration to participate in the 2016 Rio Olympics may have brought about her decision to play the Fed Cup, after all these years. But regardless of her ambitions and her declarations, fact remains that the elapsing of time has neutralised many of the key aspects of her game as far as singles’ concerned.

She wasn’t able to do much against Agnieszka Radwanska, who has a similar game in that she doesn’t have a big-hitting and power-packed game of her own, but relies on shot placement and excellent re-direction of the return as her bread-and-butter. That she came short against an opponent with a matching style of play then needs be the crucially decisive element, aided by the passage of time, spurring her to continue playing doubles alone.

tennisworldusa.org

WTA 40 Love Celebration Event

Posted about this back in early June. Here's the whole lovely event with all the past and current #1's :) Thanks Billie Jean King!.

Belgium tennis no longer a force to be reckoned with

BRUSSELS — Not so long ago, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin were dominating women’s tennis and turning little Belgium into a force.

Now, Belgium is facing the prospect of dropping into the third tier of the Fed Cup because the federation is unwilling — or unable — to pay for the surface its players prefer.

Against Poland in the World Group II playoffs, Belgium chose to play on an indoor hardcourt when its players are gearing up for the red clay season in Europe. The switch for one weekend did not sit well.

“We are preparing for clay and Belgium says hardcourt,” said Rudi Kuyl, the spokesman for Yanina Wickmayer, who confirmed Tuesday that she won’t play against Poland.

Kirsten Flipkens, ranked No. 23 and Belgium’s current top player, waited until the last moment before making her decision Tuesday for the April 20-21 best-of-five series.

“Confirmation : i DO play fed cup,” she said on Twitter, adding its wasn’t an easy decision.

Flipkens will be the only top-100 player that fourth-ranked Agnieszka Radwanska and sister Urszula will face. It is a far cry from the days when Clijsters and Henin vied for the No. 1 ranking and led Belgium to the Fed Cup title in 2001 and the final in 2006.

In fact, the last time Clijsters played Fed Cup was also the last time Belgium won, beating the United States 4-1 in February 2011. What followed were four straight losses as Belgium dropped from the elite World Group to World Group II, and now the playoffs to stay out of the Europe-Africa continental zone.

Even with the 35th-ranked Wickmayer, it would have been tough going against Poland. Belgium’s No. 2 instead will be 181st-ranked Alison Van Uytvanck. An-Sophie Mestach is next at No. 330 in the WTA rankings.

When it came to picking a surface, Walter Goethals, the secretary general of the federation organizing the match, said he was always in a bind.

“We had to take a decision on business logic two months ago,” Goethals told The Associated Press. “We didn’t know at the time whether they (Flipkens and Wickmayer) were going to play.”

Since the weather doesn’t facilitate playing outdoors in Belgium in mid-April, the federation would have to prepare an indoor clay court, and Goethals said it was simply too expensive.

“I won’t mention any prices but in the past, in Fed Cup and Davis Cup, we have lost a lot of money. And we cannot afford that anymore,” Goethals said.

Wickmayer has a history of back problems and had to pull out because of the court.

“Surface changes can be bad and have affected Yanina before,” Kuyl said. “Now her coach is saying, ‘Sorry, we are preparing clay season and Stuttgart.’” The German indoor clay tournament starts the day after the Fed Cup weekend.

Another issue is ranking points, Goethals said.

“Fed Cup has none and so it comes second,” he said.

If Belgium loses to Poland and drops a division, Goethals fears his top players might not return, although that could bring some positives.

“Then we might have to rely on youth and precocious talent,” he said. “That is also how Clijsters and Henin pushed through.”

washingtonpost.com

Justine Henin welcomes baby girl, Kim Clijsters expecting boy for baby #2!

Do we have the makings of a Belgium’s mixed doubles entry for the 2032 Olympics?

Justine Henin and husband Benoit announced the birth of their daughter, Lalie, last Wednesday. The seven-time Grand Slam champion posted the first public photos of the happy family on Facebook.

“We were anticipating this so much, and now it has happened,” Henin wrote in French. “This afternoon a little fairy arrived to illuminate our lives… She is called Lalie, she is in top form and we are really delighted!”

While Henin welcomed a girl, longtime rival Kim Clijsters is expecting a boy. Clijsters announced she was expecting a second child in February and her husband, Brian Lynch, tweeted Monday that a trip to the doctor’s office revealed they’re anticipating a little brother for Jada.

So will little baby Lailie have a one-handed backhand? Will baby boy Clijsters be blessed with the flexibility of his mom and the height of his basketball-playing dad? Will Jada overshadow them both and offer drama-free dominance of the WTA for a prolonged period of time? Probably not. But it’s all awfully fun to think about.

tennis.si.com

Justine Henin pregnant with first child

BRUSSELS (AP) -- Seven-time Grand Slam tennis champion Justine Henin is expecting her first child.

The retired Belgian player announced Wednesday on her Facebook page that she is pregnant and the baby is due in March.

Henin says she and partner Benoit Bertuzzo ''have some nice news to announce. Yes, soon there will be three of us.''

The former top-ranked player retired for the first time in 2008. She made a comeback in 2010 and retired for good the following year because of an elbow injury.

Henin won four French Opens, two U.S. Opens and one Australian Open.

yahoo sports

Who wants to bet Martina Hingis is next, although I get the feeling Kim Clijsters might beat her to it.

Justine Henin says goodbye for good

Justine Henin has shocked the tennis world by retiring from the sport for a second time in her career.

The 28-year-old seven-time Grand Slam champion announced her retirement on her official website yesterday, a serious right elbow injury cutting short the 'second career' she embarked on this time last year.

Addressing her fans in an emotional letter, Henin explained that following extensive medical tests doctors had advised her to stop playing professionally.

"I spent the last days undergoing various medical tests and they have confirmed that my elbow has been damaged by my adventure in Australia," she wrote, saying she had suffered a great deal of pain since crashing out in the third round of Australian Open 2011 to Svetlana Kuznetsova, but had believed her will power would carry her through.

"Today the examinations are clearly (sic) and the doctors formally my elbow is too fragile and hurt so that my passion and my profession at high level cannot continue to exist...It is now clear and I accept that my career here...finally ends. Even though it's hard, very hard, while I came back with tremendous fighting spirit."

With 43 WTA Tour titles, Grand Slam victories at the Australian Open, French and US Opens, and an Olympic Gold Medal to her name, Henin is one of the most successful female tennis players - and athletes - of all time. She injured her elbow in a fall during her fourth round loss to compatriot Kim Clijsters in the fourth round at Wimbledon last year.

The Belgian first retired on May 14, 2008 when ranked No.1 in the world, her long-time coach Carlos Rodriguez explaining: "Tennis became more than just winning for Justine and just winning wasn't enough for her anymore."

This time retirement was out of the famously strong-willed players hands. "After my crash at Wimbledon in June, I knew it would be difficult to come back. But I had decided to keep playing and to give everything to overcome the injury," wrote Henin on justine-henin.be.

"In these recent months I have rarely been spared from the pain, those last months were very hard. Time has passed and the doubts have grown and only return to the courts would give me answers. Not the answer I was hoping for...unfortunately.

"I'm in shock, of course, even with the work of these past seven months I had to understand there might be a reason for all this...I'm sorry...I had hoped for a different return and dreamed of a different ending.

Thanks for standing by my side during all these years. I will never forget your support and your loyalty."

WTA Tour CEO Stacey Allaster paid tribute to Henin's career saying: "We have all been fortunate to once again have had the opportunity to witness the beauty of her game during these many past months, and no doubt we will miss seeing her on court competing like only Justine can. Justine Henin will go down as one of the greatest female athletes of her era." 

australianopenwebsite

Well, what can you say I sort of said it all the first time she retired back in May of '08.  Except this time it seems even sadder, because it really looks to be for good.

Ending it in the worst possible way too, ending it on your own terms is always better then being forced to do so due to an injury.

Goodbye Justine, thanks for all the craftsmanship and excitement you brought to tennis over the years.  Good luck in whatever endeavours you wish to undertake, the tennis world will undoubtedly miss you.

You can read the entire letter Justine wrote to her fans on her official website.

Kim Clijsters & Justine Henin to unite forces for London 2012?

Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin could team up to play women's doubles in the London 2012 Olympics.

The Belgian pair, who have both made successful comebacks to the sport, are fierce rivals but are willing to put aside their differences in an attempt to dethrone defending champions Venus and Serena Williams.

Henin, who has not played since June after injuring her elbow during her defeat to Clijsters at Wimbledon, returned to action in an exhibition match against her compatriot on Thursday. 

She lost to the US Open champion 6-1 3-6 10-5 in a super tiebreak, but the 2004 Olympic gold medallist revealed the pair were both keen to link up. 

"There is a real willingness to be there," Henin said. "We can already think about it. Everything is open to consider this."


Clijsters hinted 2012 would be her last season in the sport and admitted there would be some scheduling issues to overcome.


"2012 is still far away and we have not seen each other since July," Clijsters said. "But we will certainly talk about it. Obviously for the Olympics, it would be beautiful. It would be nice to go out in such a way." 

ESPN UK

Beating Venus and Serena, oh what a match that would be!.  Here's hoping it happens. 

Kim Clijsters beats Justine Henin in her return match

At the GDF SUEZ Diamond Games in Antwerp, Kim Clijsters beat Justine Henin after an exciting three sets.



At first the match between Kim and Henin did not promise such a thrilling ending. In the first set Kim outplayed Justine completely. It was Justine's first match after months of recovering from an injury. Kim only needed 25 minutes to get hold of the first set, 6-1.



In the second set as well Kim immediately took a break, but then had to slow things down somewhat. Henin started playing better and rebroke. At 3-4, she broke through Kim's service again: with her world famous backhand she opened the field and then she finished it off with a forehand. After exactly one hour Justine equalled in sets, 1-1. Henin won the second set with 3-6.


The third set was a short but powerful tiebreak set, aiming at ten points won. Kim treated the fans with a 'tweener', but the ball from between her legs was out, only just. Still, the fans didn't have to feel sad, as Kim had four match points at 9-5. And Kim finished it off at the first opportunity: 6-1, 3-6 and 10-5 after 1 hour and 11 minutes.


"Justine is a class act," Kim praised her opponent afterwards. "I enjoy watching her play, but not when she is in front of me," she joked. "This match was very intense", Justine said. "I could feel the adrenaline flow through my entire body. Things did not go as I wanted, but it was a delight to be playing here. An awesome audience!"

http://www.kimclijsters.be/ 

Not bad after 6 months of being away. 
 
Every time they play they seem to bring out the best tennis in each other.

I'm looking forward to more clashes between them next year.

Justine Henin back in action and facing Kim Clijsters again

Justine Henin will make her return from a six-month spell on the sidelines in an exhibition match against her Belgian compatriot Kim Clijsters on Thursday, her coach has revealed. 

The former world number one damaged ligaments in her right elbow at Wimbledon in June but is now "ready to play a tournament", according to her trainer Carlos Rodriguez. 

The match against Clijsters will take place at a gala event in the Belgian city of Anvers.

Henin, currently 12th in the WTA rankings, resumed training at the beginning of October with the aim of being fit for the start of the 2011 season. 

She will begin the 2011 campaign at the Hopman Cup mixed international team tournament in Perth, Australia in January, when she is likely to team up with her countryman Ruben Bemelmans. 

Henin, 28, made her return to competitive tennis last January after 18 months in retirement.

Her 'second career' began well, as she reached the Australian Open final and won tournaments at Stuttgart and Rosmalen, before falling to Clijsters in the last 16 at Wimbledon. 

Interviewed by Belgian daily La Derniere Heure/Les Sports on Wednesday, Rodriguez said that Henin "definitely has three great years at the highest level ahead of her". 


http://www.timeslive.co.za/sport/tennis/article805242.ece/Henin-to-face-Clijsters-in-comeback-match

I have to say I'm really looking forward to her return at the Aussie Open, the women's field really needs more variety.

Kim Clijsters/Justine Henin face-off on home soil in December

On 9 December, Kim will play Justine Henin at the Diamond Games in the Antwerp Sportpaleis. Yanina Wickmayer and Francesca Schiavone will take part in the event as well.

Like that the Diamond Games will be an opportunity to relive the initial BNP Paribas Fortis Best of Belgium setup earlier this year. Then Henin had to bow out due to the elbow injury she developed in Wimbledon.

Justine is currently recovering well and is pressing for a thorough preparation autumn to be fit for the start of the next season early January. Henin: "I'm happy to get this new opportunity to play Kim, especially before a home audience. I cherish warm memories about Antwerp, so seeing the Sportpaleis again will be great."

The same Sportpaleis is a second home to Kim, a location that has offered her a lot of memorable moments already. In December she as well will be prepping for the new season. Clijsters: "Everybody knows how fond I am of matches on home soil. Playing Justine makes it even more exceptional, especially since we last missed out on each other in July. It is also a great opportunity for me to give something in return to the people who stayed up all night to be watching my watches at the US Open."

The Diamond Games in Antwerp have more top level tennis on offer. The third Belgian ace, Yanina Wickmayer, plays the French Open title holder Francesca Schiavone! In-between the audience will be treated on a musical act.

Organiser Bob Verbeeck: "We held our very first Brilliant Game in 2001, in the Antwerp Sportpaleis as well, with two promising Belgian tennis players. Nine years and twice a career later they play each other again, undoubtedly before a huge crowd. In the meantime we now even have a third top player and she will have to dig in deep to keep Schiavone at bay. Two absolute top level matches."

The Diamond Games take place on Thursday 9 December in the Antwerp Sportpaleis.

Kim's official website

Justine Henin wins in Stuttgart!

Stuttgart, Germany (AHN) - Justine Henin grabbed her first tournament win since emerging from retirement, defeating Samantha Stosur 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 in Sunday's final of the Porsche Grand Prix.

Henin played in five tournaments before capturing her 42nd career title with an impressive showing against Stosur, who is currently ranked No. 10 in the world.

She sits in 2nd place on the WTA tour of active players with most titles won, second only to Venus Williams (43).

The native Belgian, currently ranked No. 23 in the world, was ranked No. 1 before her two-year retirement. The win will likely put her back into the top 20.

Henin advanced to the finals of both her first two tournaments since returning last fall.

She lost to Kim Clijsters at the Australian Open tuneup in Brisbane and to Serena Williams at the Aussie Open.

Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7018573666#ixzz0mu1SEsMs

After a long string of loses since her return it was only a matter of time before she won one.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Justine is a shoe-in for the French Open. Allez Justine!.

ETA: Justine is second not only to Venus Williams with 43 titles total, but also to Martina Hingis who won her 43rd (after coming back from her first retirement back in '06).

Just thought I would mention it ;).

Kim Clijsters overcomes Justine Henin in Miami

Kim Clijsters has defeated fellow Belgian Justine Henin 6-2, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6) in a seesaw semifinal at the Sony Ericsson Open.

Clijsters needed four match points in the second tiebreaker to close out the victory Thursday night. Her opponent in the final Saturday will be three-time champion Venus Williams, who beat Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-4.

Clijsters appeared on her way to an easy victory when she led 3-love in the second set. Henin rallied and took a 2-love lead in the third set before the momentum again swung, with Clijsters winning 13 of the next 14 points.

Much of the match was sloppy, with 18 double-faults and 103 unforced errors. Some of the best exchanges came in the final tiebreaker, when Clijsters hit five winners.

CBS13.com

I had the privilege (and the misfortune) of seeing this match live thanks to the internet (you'll understand why I say that in a bit).

Clash of the Belgians it was indeed, and 'seesaw' doesn't even begin to describe this match.

I actually thought that nothing could rival their last meeting in Brisbane Australia earlier this year (and I don't think this one quite did as well in terms of quality).

But it certainly delivered in the drama department once more. Boy did it ever!.

If there were anymore double faults or unforced errors I think my computer would have ended up in shambles.

Anymore momentum changes and I would have ended up with a serious case of whiplash *lol*.

The whole match was equally as dramatic as it was frustrating. I honestly did not know who would win till the very last point.

Next Kim faces Venus Williams in the final. As much as I would love for the match to be entertaining and for the fans to get their money's worth.

I think just this one time I'm going to opt for a boring one sided victory (with Kim in full control). One roller coaster match per tournament is enough.

Save the rest of the drama and excitement for the French Open in May. That tournament is gonna need it.

With all that being said, I have to thank Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin for deciding to comeback on tour.

Matches like these remind me why I fell in love with this sport in the first place. So thank you Kim and Justine for a somewhat crazy, but undoubtedly unforgettable ride.

And for bringing some vigor back to the WTA.

Kim Clijsters & Justine Henin having fun at Roland Garros

The things one can find on the Internet:



*LOL*

Here's a rough translation courtesy of tennisdelight.com

Translation: Justine enters, Hi then she throws the towel and says BYE Kim Enters, IS this yours and she throw the teddy bear.

Then the guys say “do you know how to recognize Belgian fans at Roland garros” his friend replied “no” then he said “they will buy a ticket to watch at center court but Justine is playing at lenglen”.

Then Justine enters ” do you know how to recognize french supporters at Roland Garros , they will buy ticket for the finals but no French player in the final, BYE

I would love to know what year this is from, if anyone knows please feel free to tell me in the comments.

Justine Henin moves on Kim Clijsters goes out at Aussie Open

In an inexplicable fashion, Kim Clijsters crashed out of the Australian Open against the Russian Nadia Petrova, winning just one game on the way to a loss ESPN.com’s Ravi Ubha called a “savage beating”.

Day 5 provided the most dramatic day of tennis for this year’s tournament so far, as Andy Roddick fought off a spirited opponent and Justine Henin and Svetlana Kuznetsova mounted furious comebacks to keep their title dreams alive.

Playing sloppy tennis, Clijsters was ushered off the court in 52 brisk minutes in the worst loss of her career. Ben Smith wrote in The Times that Clijsters could do nothing to “stop the rot,” and the Belgian agreed.

“I was just questioning myself, just questioning myself out there a lot,” Clijsters said in her postmatch interview. “You don’t really know, why is this all of a sudden happening? You just try to stay calm because there were points where I really like wanted to break my racket into pieces.”

Her countrywoman Justine Henin held up her end of the Belgian bargain on Friday, storming back from a set and a break down to defeat a gutsy Alisa Kleybanova, 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

Peter Hanlon of The Age said Henin weathered Kleybanova’s blows well to chalk up her 500th career victory.

Source: nytimes straight sets blog

Wow while Justine fought like a tiger and moved on to the round of 16 poor Kim Clijsters went out with a whimper.

It was heartbreaking to watch.

This is the woman who just last year won the U.S. Open (after being away from the game for almost 3 years) and just a week ago in an epic with Justine Henin won Brisbane International.

She just wasn't there mentally today at all, her serve just went away. I don't know whether she was just distracted with family stuff, or what but it's too bad.

Because she really had a shot at this thing with the way she was playing up to this point.

Hopefully she'll regroup and do better in the next major. Guess I'm rooting for Justine.

Thank goodness Roger Federer is still in this thing

Kim Clijsters Brisbane International Final Highlights

I'm still trying to find the whole thing. But in the meantime enjoy some highlights of this amazing match.



There was so much ebb and flow in this one, just when you thought one player had the edge the other one came back.

Matches like these is what the sport is all about, and to think this is only the first one of the year!.

If these 2 meet again in the Aussie Open it'll no doubt be one hell of a memorable match.

One thing is for sure the Williams sisters better watch out! (with the way these 2 are playing I doubt Serena will be the one lifting the trophy this year).



Awww, how nice was it of Kim to donate the money she won to the Children's Hospital she visited.

"Aussie Kim" has such a great big heart =). We really need more players like her out on tour.

Kim Clijsters wins thriller final against Justine Henin in Brisbane

Kim Clijsters holds aloft the Brisbane International trophy. Picture: Darren England (I love that cheeky smile =)

Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters enjoy the limelight after their epic final. Picture: Darren England

IF last night's Brisbane International women's singles final was the reunion, then bring on the rematch.

Kim Clijsters and compatriot Justine Henin renewed their gripping rivalry after almost four years apart, with Clijsters winning the Belgian civil war in a dramatic three-set thriller.

It took a third-set tie-break to separate the pair, Clijsters throwing her arms skywards in relief and jubilation after the 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6) triumph.

The pair traded blows as first Clijsters then Henin climbed on top of the contest before the tense finish.

The tennis was not the highest quality from two stars of the past decade. Both made forced and unforced errors, more so as their legs tired in the third set, and fired almost 20 double faults between them.

Clijsters had the stronger legs, saving a championship point when down 4-5 in the third to lift her 36th career title.

The win could send her into the world's top 15 by the start of next week's Australian Open while the encouraging hit-out will give Henin faith that she can trouble more top 20 players in her comeback season.

Clijsters hit the ground running, setting her compatriot on her heels by taking the first two games of the match.

Henin, however, would not go quietly. Looking just as fit and agile as she did before retiring from the tour two years ago, the former world No.1 moved well and made Clijsters chase hard for her points.

Henin counterpunched and worked all the angles, virtually running herself back into the match.

She broke back immediately to give the capacity crowd the sense that this contest would go the distance.

Clijsters seized on the 2-2 first set deadlock to take control of the match.

She recovered from a double fault in the fifth game to string together a succession of clean winners.

The rumbling of freight trains along the line behind the Tennyson stadium seemed to mimic Clijsters' gathering momentum.

Clijsters' power and metronomic rhythm from the baseline helped her dominate on service and capitalise on two break points to forge ahead 4-2.

Not many would have spotted the understated fist pump from Clijsters as she finished an easy service game to stretch her lead.

But no one at Pat Rafter Arena missed the repeat performance, another clenched fist, this time more emphatic than the first, accompanied by a guttural "c'mon" after winning a crucial rally that all but clinched the first set.

The momentum from her powerful finish to the first set continued early in the second.

Clijsters had a 2-0 lead before fans who had stepped out for a coffee could reclaim their seats.

Henin was gone, unravelling by the minute.

She made errors that were uncharacteristic for a player with a reputation for consistency and precision. Or so it seemed. Down 4-1, she staged a spirited comeback that wrestled the whip from Clijsters' fingers. Then it was Clijsters' turn to feel the pressure.

From a seemingly impregnable position she conceded four consecutive games to hand Henin the second set but pulled herself together to take the final-set tiebreak.

Couriermail.au

Ok, now I REALLY wanna see this match!.