Justine Henin-Hardenne doesn’t want to hear that she’s the French Open favourite — she just wants rest.
The Belgian remains unbeaten on clay this year and ran her winning streak to 17 matches by winning the German Open on Sunday, a key tune-up for the grand-slam event starting in two weeks.
”I know everybody is going to talk to me about the French Open, so I’m glad I’m taking time off,” said Henin-Hardenne, the 2003 champion at Roland Garros. ”I’m tired after all this tennis. This week was hard — I’m proud I got through it.”
The former number-one-ranked player, returning after a season plagued by a virus and knee injury, beat Russia’s Nadia Petrova 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 in a match officially listed as just less than two hours.
But with three rain delays, the match actually stretched over five hours, typical for her week at the €1-million event, which was swept by showers and where most favourites were upset on clay courts soaked by rain.
Henin-Hardenne played three-set matches four times during the week, two of them a few hours apart on Wednesday because of the showers.
She learned a few lessons at the tournament: that her new serve-and-volley game can work and that her body can stand up to a beating after the seven-month lay-off that ended in March.
”It was very good that I got through those two three-set matches on one day. Physically, I didn’t know how I was going to react,” she said after telling coach Carlos Rodriguez that she worried about what would happen.
Now she plans to skip Rome this week, take three days off and prepare for the French Open.
The 22-year-old unveiled a new serve-and-volley repertoire that she has developed with Rodriguez. The Argentine, her coach since she was 14, constantly preaches to her to be more aggressive.
Henin-Hardenne used the work-in-progress in her two best matches at the German Open. Her 6-2, 6-4 win against Maria Sharapova ended the Russian’s bid to unseat Lindsay Davenport as the top-ranked player. The next day, she routed Patty Schnyder 6-0, 6-1 in the semifinal.
But Henin-Hardenne isn’t changing her game for the French; she wants to win the only Grand Slam title that’s eluded her.
”I’ve done well at Wimbledon, but I’ve never had the game to win there — that’s my goal,” said the Belgian, the losing Wimbledon finalist four years ago.
This is the third time Henin-Hardenne has adapted. To make her slender 1,67m frame competitive against bigger players such as Sharapova and the Williams sisters, she embarked on a rigorous workout programme two years ago.
Three years ago, she had her serve analysed by the Belgium Olympic programme, rebuilding it to add 20kph.
Her latest win ran Henin-Hardenne’s overall record to 20-1 since her return, gave her a 22nd career title and third consecutive victory to add to Charleston and Warsaw.
But it wasn’t easy for Henin-Hardenne with the downpours interrupting play.
The last break came with the Belgian ahead 5-3, 30-0 in the final set. Henin-Hardenne returned to the court and blasted two shots that the 12th-ranked Russian couldn’t touch.
”They were probably the two most important shots of the match,” Henin-Hardenne said, smiling. ”It was good to come through this. Because of the rain delays, the match was more mental then physical.”
Petrova is among those that believe the Belgian’s recent invincibility on her favourite surface will make her tough to beat at Roland Garros.
”She has to be one of the favourites for the French Open,” the Russian said. ”Her game suits clay.” — Sapa-AP