Former world No. 1 and seven-time Grand Slam winner Justine Henin says she is not ruling out another major title despite seeing her comeback season cut short by an elbow injury.
The Belgian, who will train in southern China this month before heading to Australia to open next year’s season with the mixed-teams Hopman Cup in January, also has her sights set on the 2012 London Olympics.
“Step by step I am heading in the right direction now, but only winning matches can give me that confidence,” Henin told the China Daily, as she passed through Beijing en route to tropical Hainan island.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“I’ve been working very hard. If my elbow continues to improve in the next few weeks or months, I think I have good prospects for the future,” she said.
When asked about the possibility of winning another Grand Slam crown, the 28-year-old said: “If I am physically fine, I hope I can win another Grand Slam.”
She admitted that winning Wimbledon, the only Slam that has thus far eluded her and where she has twice been a finalist, would be “fantastic.”
Henin’s comeback this season ended in June when she damaged a ligament in her right elbow at the All-England Club in a fall during her fourth-round loss to Belgian rival Kim Clijsters.
The four-time French Open champion returned to action earlier this month in an exhibition match against Clijsters, who took the match. Henin will pair with Steve Darcis for the Hopman Cup in Perth, where they are fourth seeds.
Henin admitted the rigors of life on the WTA Tour had taken their toll and coming back early this year after 18 months in retirement had not been easy.
“I had a pretty good start ... but after playing tennis for 14 years it was physically very hard for me to come back. I am just slowly coming back to the top. I was never 100 percent fit this year,” she said.
Looking ahead, Henin — who won gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics — said she hopes to compete for another Olympic medal in London.
“My goal is to play in London,” she said. “Winning the gold in Athens was one of the best moments of my career. It’s special playing in the Olympics. You are playing for your nation and you don’t feel alone on court.”
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
The Minnesota Timberwolves, with so many promising performances spoiled by late mistakes fresh in their memory bank, sure timed this strong finish well. Jaden McDaniels scored a career playoff-high 30 points and spearheaded Minnesota’s stifling defense on an ailing Luka Doncic, and the Timberwolves beat the Los Angeles Lakers 116-104 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Friday night. “Jaden never looks tired. He looks like he could play 48 minutes,” said teammate Anthony Edwards, who had 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists. Julius Randle added 22 points for the Wolves, who outscored