Print

Mail

wiki links

Henin-Hardenne wins French Open with solid display

Justine Henin-Hardenne won her fifth Grand Slam title and her third at Roland Garros, beating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday.

Seeded fifth, the Belgian became the first woman to win consecutive titles at Roland Garros since Steffi Graf in 1995-1996, and the first to win three French Open titles in four years since Graf in 1993-1996.

"The first win was special, obviously," Henin-Hardenne said. "Three is a lot. I'm joining great champions like Steffi Graf or Arantxa Sanchez. I'm very happy."

Henin-Hardenne became the first woman to win the title without losing a set since Sanchez Vicario in 1994. And, for the third time, she won the final in straight sets.

But the victory didn't come easily.

On the warmest day of the tournament under a cloudless sky, the match almost became an endurance contest. Henin-Hardenne looked tired early in the second set and applied a bag of ice to the back of her neck during changeovers.

"Physically I did suffer a lot," Henin-Hardenne said. "I was beginning to feel tired in the last two or three days. I was nervous and could not sleep. ... And I was getting very tired with the heat also."

The men's final may be the match of the year, with Roger Federer seeking his fourth consecutive Grand Slam title -- and his first in Paris -- when he plays defending champion Rafael Nadal.
This story has been viewed 1412 times.