US OPEN 2006 - Love & Pride - 網球

http://www.henin-hardenne.be/bin/index.asp?lang=en

US OPEN 2006 - Love & Pride
02/09/2006:

Justine won Friday's duel with unyielding Ai Sugiyama for a spot in the 4th
round. The match was filled with demanding, yet intricate all court tennis
under colder breezy on court weather conditions which required skill as much
as patience. The final score in three sets 4-6 6-1 6-0. The regal Belgian
will next play Israel's Shahar Peer on Sunday.

Ai Sugiyama is known for her lightening quick footwork, counter punching, and
she was more than a handful for Justine in the first set. The rallies were
filled with complex patterns from the back and the front of the court. The
Japanese player on roaring form this week forged a comeback from 4-1 down to
win the first set as the grand Belgian's racquet timing was off. The First
set went to Sugiyama 4-6 in 42 minutes.

"I didn't have the feeling that I was moving well at the time, and I lost a
little bit my intensity. The conditions were pretty difficult. When I lost
the first set, I understood I had no more choice than winning the next two,
and so to be very focused on every point. Then I played very, very solid
tennis at that time. These kind of things, in the first set, the fact that
she came back, I just have to avoid that in the future." - Justine

The second set featured steady rallies as Justine placed emphasis on topspin
which forced Ai to find her own rhythm and speed of shots. The melody was set
from 2-0, as Sugiyama lost stablity. The quality of the tennis was still as
high as the first set, but Ai could not find the final answers to Justine's
crafty shots. It was 6-1 to Henin-Hardenne in the second set at 36 minutes.

"When I play my game, I do it well," she said. "The fact is that I just have
to keep fighting on every point. Today was a little bit harder for me than in
the other matches, and I really had to work hard." - Justine

The final set was all Justine as she took over the net, and out maneuvered
Ai's racing counter attack tennis. The energy level hardly dropped in the
third set as the always spirited Sugiyama never retreated or went into
defeatist mode even down 5-0. Final set score 6-0 to JH2 in 25 minutes.


Final Score 4-6 6-1 6-0 in 1hr 43 min

--