Henin's Wimbledon quest - 網球

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Henin's Wimbledon quest
By Sophie Brown

Henin captured her fourth French Open title earlier this month
World number one Justine Henin believes this year represents her best chance
yet of winning Wimbledon, the one Grand Slam event to so far elude her.

Henin, runner-up to Venus Williams in 2001 and Amelie Mauresmo last year,
told BBC Sport: "I'm feeling good and I think I'm better prepared than
before.

"I wasn't good enough when I played Venus. Last year I was very close to
winning but I wasn't very fresh mentally and physically.

"I hope this year will be different."

Victory at the All England Club would see Henin join the exclusive club of
women to have won all four Grand Slam events and would cap an eventful six
months for the Belgian.

She has regained top spot in the Sony Ericsson WTA rankings this year despite
missing the season's first major, the Australian Open, to deal with the
collapse of her four-year marriage to Pierre-Yves Hardenne.

Then after her brother suffered a serious accident, she was reunited with her
estranged father and siblings, to whom she paid emotional tribute when
winning her fourth French Open title last month.

"It's been tough - I've had a lot of things to deal with," the 25-year-old
admitted.

HENIN'S WIMBLEDON RECORD
2006: Runner-up
2005: First round
2004: Didn't play
2003: Semi-finals
2002: Semi-finals
2001: Runner-up
2000: First round

"I changed a lot of things in my real life. In January I wasn't an athlete
any more, I was a woman trying to find my way."

The changes in her life have given the public a new perception of Henin.

She is still as intense as ever both on and off court but appears more at
ease with herself and her role as a tennis superstar.

"People see me differently now," she said. "They see a little more the real
Justine because I'm a bit more open than in the past. When I am happy, I am
able to show how I feel."

This emotional balance means she is determined to give her all to winning
Wimbledon but does not feel that being unsuccessful would leave a hole in her
career.

"Winning Wimbledon would be a great achievement but it wouldn't be the end
(if I didn't win)," she said.

"It would be great because I've made a lot of sacrifices and as a little girl
I couldn't imagine that this would be the only Grand Slam that I wouldn't
have won in my career.

"But it wouldn't make me more happy.

"Some big champions never won the French Open or another Grand Slam and won
all the other ones. It doesn't make a big difference."

Just two weeks separate Roland Garros from Wimbledon and Henin's grass-court
preparations have been hampered by the fact that she has reached the final of
the French Open four times in the last five years.

"There's never too much rest for me because I always play well in Paris but I
always give it the best I can," she said.

"I wasn't far away last year. I kept fighting so hard at Eastbourne, winning
the final 7-6 in the third set, right after winning the French Open.

"At Wimbledon I thought that slowly during the tournament I was getting
tired. This year I hope I'm going to be fresh enough to get to the end."

But she will be buoyed by her latest French Open success, which she describes
as the best of her Grand Slam wins so far.

"Paris is my favourite tournament and my family was back in my life which
brought pressure (it was the first Grand Slam they had watched her in) and my
draw was very hard.

"But now winning Wimbledon is my focus and I will give it the best I can. It
will be hard but I love a challenge and I hope I can do it."


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