The pain in her knee was so searing that Justine Henin-Hardenne knew there was only one thing to do -- stop.
It didn't matter that the Belgian star was playing before a home crowd on Sunday or that the Fed Cup crown was on the line in the deciding doubles match. Her body finally had enough in the third set, and the title went to Italy.
"I could not stay on court for another point," the French Open champion said. "It was like a ball blasted me at the back of the knee."
Francesca Schiavone and Roberta Vinci beat Henin-Hardenne and Kirsten Flipkens 3-6, 6-2, 2-0, giving Italy a 3-2 victory and its first title in the top team event in women's tennis.
Henin-Hardenne did not have much of a supporting cast as Belgium went for its second Fed Cup title in five years. Kim Clijsters, ranked No. 4, was in the building, but sitting courtside. She withdrew from the final several weeks ago because of a wrist injury.
A weakened Henin-Hardenne gave Belgium a 2-1 lead with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Schiavone in the first reverse singles. But Mara Santangelo thrived in her Fed Cup singles debut, beating Flipkens 6-7 (3), 6-3, 6-0 to tie it 2-2 for Italy.
"Mara opened the door for us," Italy coach Corrado Barazzutti said. "She knew that if she loses, the team loses."
Belgium's undoing in the doubles came early in the third set, trailing 0-40 on serve. Henin-Hardenne went to the sidelines and her heavy bandage was undone. After a long massage, she returned. But when she lost her game, she called it quits to the dismay of the Spiroudome crowd.
"It is not the way we like to win," Barazzutti said. "I am very sorry because she is a great champion. But we really fought very hard throughout the tournament."
Even before the doubles, Henin-Hardenne feared the worst. She was already dealing with fatigue, an eye irritation and back pain, let alone her knee.
"I [had] no option but to play," said Henin-Hardenne, who appeared in the finals of all four majors this year.
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