Top seeds to meet in Qatar finale - 網球

Top seeds to meet in Qatar finale

By Chris Wang

http://myurl.com.tw/sekb


World number two Justine Henin lost the first set against her semi-final
opponent Jelena Jankovic, but rallied back to win 6-7, 6-2, 6-4 at the Qatar
Total Open on Friday to go through to her second final in a fortnight after
winning the Dubai Open last week.

Henin, who also came from one set down to beat Patty Schnyder in her Qatar
quarter-final, goes into her ninth final out of the past ten tournaments she
has played in, only missing out in her return event in Paris where she was
knocked out in the semis.

The diminutive Belgian twice served for the first set, only to be broken both
times, before going on to lose the set 7-5 in the tie break as Jankovic took
the momentum after being broken herself in the first game of the match.

"I need some tennis," said Henin, who missed the start of the season due to
her marriage break up. I need this kind of match to get my confidence back,
and I'm very happy with the way I kept fighting. I had my chances in the first
set, but didn't take the opportunities," she added at the post-match press
conference.

Jankovic, who had to retire from her semi-final in Dubai due to injury, was
again favouring her left ankle as the match wore on in difficult conditions,
with a light sand storm blowing through Doha for most of the day.

"Everything was difficult, because it's weak and shaky, but I did the best I
could," Jankovic said of her niggling injury. "I'm not moving the way I usually
can, I'm a lot slower."

Fearsome backhands

After letting the first set slip away, Henin stepped up a gear in the second
set, unleashing some fearsome backhands that had the Khalifa Tennis Complex
crowd gasping as the ball sped past her static opponent, and*breaking Jankovic
three times to win 6-2.

The third set was made all the more tense as the players exchanged breaks of
serve, with the windy conditions making receiving easier than serving at times.
"The conditions were very difficult," said Henin.

"I wear contacts, and with the sand and the wind it wasn't easy at all."

The match ended with seven successive breaks of serve, with Henin being broken
when serving for the match at 5-3, only to break back and win it in just over
two hours and twenty minutes. "It was a good fight, she's a real good player,
she's improved a lot over the past few months and I knew it was going to be
tough so I'm happy to win this one," said Henin of her Serbian opponent.

"I didn't know what to expect a few weeks ago when I came back, I've won a few
matches in three sets, so it's good for my confidence. I know I'll need more
time to get back to my best level, and I accept that," added the Belgian.

Old foes

Although Jankovic would have been disappointed, she finishes the tournament at
a career-high rank of number nine in the world after winning in Auckland and
reaching the final in Sydney earlier this year.

Henin faces Russian second seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final on Saturday,
after the world number five defeated Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 6-2 in the other
semi-final.

Kuznetsova knocked Henin out of the Qatar tournament at the semi-final stage
in 2004, when she was the eventual runner-up to compatriot Anastasia Myskina.

"No matter what happens tomorrow, I think I've done a good job over the past
two weeks," said Henin.

"I love finals, it's the best day of the week.(還有誰比Henin更適合說這句話呢:P)

"I'll try to really enjoy the moment, try to play my best and the best player
will win".



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