Justine Henin 2011 : Aussie Open 2011 ลอยลำเข้ารอบ 3 หุหุหุ
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โดย: juju' s fan IP: 125.24.235.64 19 มกราคม 2554 11:19:45 น.
Mighty Henin proves her class
Much as the Poms are encouraged not to mention the "c-word" in the press bunker at the Australian Open - that would be "cricket" - there was the wildest of dreams floating over the Pommie section of the press corps that Justine Henin might just (and only just, mind you) be in for a bit of a rough time on Day Three.
It is not that the Her Majesty's press have anything against Henin, it is just that Belgium's mighty atom was taking on Elena Baltacha, Britain's No.1. And if the Poms could flatten the Aussies at cricket to win the Ashes then, who knows, maybe Bally could beat Justine.
Nice idea, lads, but no.
Henin, sore elbow and all, was simply in a class of her own as she moved into the third round. She took just 61 minutes to deal with Baltacha's valiant challenge, winning 6-1, 6-3, and now has to face Svetlana Kuznetsova on Friday.
This time last year, Henin was the talk of the town. Only a couple of weeks into her comeback after a 20-month lay-off (she decided to give retirement a try and then decided it wasn't all it was cracked up to be), she reached the final on a wave of emotion and sentiment. But just six months later, she was scuppered by a freak injury and the rest of her season was put on hold.
Playing Kim Clijsters in the fourth round at Wimbledon, she fell over and gave her right elbow a hefty clunk. Little did she know at the time that she had suffered ligament damage so serious that the specialists feared she might never be able to play again. But play she did and even if she has to spend a couple of hours a day treating the problem, she is determined to let nothing get in her way as she chases another major title and rebuilds her career.
"It's not only about Australian Open," she said, "it's not only about 2011, it's about a few years that I want to build this second career. I would say it was very hard last year. I hope this year I'll get the confidence step by step. I'm working hard. I do everything I can. So I think I'm in the right direction. Even if I have to deal with a lot of things, a lot of things are pretty positive."
Certainly Baltacha was not allowed to cause the former world No.1 too many problems. As Henin was making headlines last January, so Bally was making a few ripples of her own. She had only recently broken into the world's top 100 after a lifetime of trying and, by way of a reward, she reached the third round here and faced Dinara Safina on the Rod Laver Arena. And she froze. Overwhelmed and overawed, she could do nothing as Safina, then the world No.2, demolished her.
Coming back to the same arena and again taking on one of the world's best, Bally was not going to make the same mistake twice. These days she is ranked 55 in the world and after a year of rubbing shoulders with the good and the great on the main tour, she feels that she belongs in their company. She may have been sploshed by Henin but she was not going to be humbled by her.
"It was an amazing experience, really amazing experience to play a legend," Baltacha said, still buzzing long after the match was over. "I learnt so much from the match, like really positives of what I'm improved in my game from last year playing a top player, and also things I've got to get better at.
"In the second set, I was like actually, Just get into the match, get into the rally. I managed to do that in the second set. Then I really started enjoying it. I got the fist pumps again. I felt I really was in the match. At 4‑3, she stepped it up a notch, broke me. But it was an amazing experience, really amazing experience."
The crowd soon sensed that they had a plucky Brit on their hands and started to get behind the underdog. By the second set, there were plenty of 'oohs' and 'ahhs' as Bally told herself to stop trying too hard. Providing a running commentary to her own actions - and let's face it: if you talk to yourself, you'll always get an intelligent answer - pumping her fist and yelling "C'mon!" at every opportunity, Bally not only played considerably better in the second set, she was also having a blast. By simply getting stuck into the rally, she could make a fight of it. Well, she could until Henin offered up an "Allez!" or two of her own and shifted her game up a couple of notches.
"I think I've been playing well when I had to," Henin said, "and put the pressure I needed to put at the right time. I was feeling confident in my service games. A little bit less, especially in the second set on the return. But it's been good things. Should have been maybe a little more aggressive beginning of the second set, but generally it's been pretty good."
She is still not sure whether 'it' is good enough to get her all the way to the final like last year, but for now Henin is happy enough with her progress. And with Bally gone, the Poms can go back to gloating about the cricket. There is always an upside to every story.
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it was different match I would say. I think on Monday it was pretty good in terms of it's been a good fight and she put on me a lot of pressure. Today I was more in control during the whole match.
So it was completely different match. But I'm glad I did it in an hour after a pretty long match on Monday.
Q. Was your serve a key today?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I think I've been playing well when I had to and put the pressure I needed to put at the right time. I was feeling, yeah, confident in my service games. A little bit less, especially in the second set on the return.
But it's been good things. Should have been maybe a little more aggressive beginning of the second set, but generally it's been pretty good.
Q. You talked the other day about how your elbow needs a lot of time to warm up these days. Cold weather, first match, yet you started very well.
JUSTINE HENIN: It's the worst conditions actually, play first match and temperature. The weather doesn't help, that's for sure. So I wasn't, yeah, feeling at my best on this part today.
But I have to deal with it and get ready, be focused on your game, even if it's not easy. But I did a good job about that.
Q. You said you needed matches to get your rhythm. Did that game today provide that?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I need more matches. It's been one more match, and that's always good to have the opportunity to play more matches. Like I said, it's not only about Australian Open, it's not only about 2011, it's about a few years that I want to build, yeah, this second career.
I would say it was very hard last year. I hope this year I'll get the confidence step by step. Yeah, I've been working hard. I'm working hard. I do everything I can. So, yeah, I think I'm in the right direction. Even if I have to deal with a lot of things, a lot of things are pretty positive.
Q. You're No. 2 on the bidding to win the title. Are you a good bet?
JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it's good to know, but still a lot of things can happen (smiling).
Yeah, there are so many factors that we don't control all the time. So it's very, very early to talk about that.
Q. Do you feel like you're well placed in this tournament to win?
JUSTINE HENIN: No. I think, like I just said, it's too early to think about that. I just go step by step. I won my second match. I still have to deal physically with a lot of things. I don't want to look too far, just live day after day, enjoy my victory today, and get ready for the next one.
Q. Do you notice ranking and seeding next to your name or do you just play, a double figure ranking?
JUSTINE HENIN: Ranking, I never think about ranking actually. I know what I did in the past. Of course, I would like to improve and get better. But it's what's going to bring that is just the victories and different wins, winning matches. That's the only thing.
My focus right now is to take care of myself, be in the best conditions, and the ranking, it comes very far in my priorities. There are many things to do before thinking about that.
Q. Did you come to Australia with as many clothes as you've ever brought before? Do you think the weather will have any effect on the draw, matches in a colder climate?
JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it's strange, I would say. I never saw that in Australia. Conditions are not easy for the players, that's for sure; for the fans either; for the organization, certainly.
So it's something we have to deal with and deal with. But I hope it's going to get better. It's a new experience in Australia, for sure.
Q. You play Kuznetsova in the third round. Your thoughts on that.
JUSTINE HENIN: Of course, it's a tough third round, Kuznetsova, even she has been a little more in trouble in the last maybe year or two years. I think she remains a great player, and physically she has a lot of qualities: big forehand, great serve.
So I know I'll have to be at my best to win that one.
When she decided to leave retirement and give tennis a second chance at the start of 2010, Justine Henin knew in her heart that it would have to be alongside Carlos Rodriguez. "She told me I cannot do it without you" recalls Argentinian born Rodriguez, who has been coaching the Belgian champion for 15 years now.
Now that Henin is attempting a second comeback after a six month layoff due to an elbow injury which threatened the rest of her career, Rodriguez knows he cannot expect miracles from this Australian Open.
"To a certain extent, she is ready for this fortnight, although there are still some unknown parameters as far as the injury is concerned. But I am encouraged by the fact that this morning, after having played her tough three-setter yesterday, she is feeling fine. But we have to be realistic, there is still a lot to accomplish for Justine to recover her full confidence, and play up to her potential. Yesterday she had a tough match and, without playing well, she negotiated the situation well to come back and win. As we know Justine, it is certain that during the course of the tournament, she is well capable of changing things, and raising her level. The main thing to focus on is for Justine to make the best of the next couple of years. This being said, she is competitive, and we have high ambitions for this event, that's certain."
As for the key factors which would allow Henin to find her cruising rhythm in Melbourne, Rodriguez knows where to find them. "I think the key factors lie outside the court. You know after her comeback last year, she found herself in shock half way through the season. She had a lot of time to think as she got very scared to never be able to play again. Today she is re-learning how to manage her life during a Grand Slam. And it is this ability to self-manage which can allow her to get the best of her abilities during her matches.
"As of now, the difference between what she is producing on the practice court and what we saw yesterday is huge. During practice she is capable of attacking, and always going forward, her shots are more powerful, while we saw her yesterday only coming to the net 10 times in more than 160 points played. This is far too little. You know, Justine is very excited to compete again. She made some necessary changes in her staff, whether it the physical trainer, the physio, the doctor. Today, she is playing for herself whereas before there was a lot of unnecessary distractions around her. In this respect, I don't think that the injury appeared by chance. Today, her task is to find the right balance between her organization outside the court, and her performance on court. She is on the right track."
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