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Clijsters beats Henin in a thriller

Clijsters beats Henin in a thriller

AAP/Image: SMP Images Saturday 9 January 2010 32 Comments »

Justine Henin went inches from completing two fairytale comebacks in one match before life-long rival Kim Clijsters claimed an epic Brisbane International final on Saturday night.

The dream all-Belgian decider in Henin’s first tournament back on the WTA Tour lived up to its billing and more with the pair slugging it out for two hours 23 minutes in a tense thriller.

Henin did produce one comeback during the match itself, fighting back from a set and 4-1 down, but in the end she couldn’t quite complete the overall comeback of winning her first tournament back.

The 23rd meeting between the pair had more twists and turns than a Hitchcock movie before Clijsters triumphed 6-3 4-6 7-6(6) with her fourth match-point.

Although she dominated the first set and a half, Clijsters was forced to save two match points at 4-5 in the third set to take the title.

The 26-year-old looked down and out at 3-0 down in the deciding set after losing eight straight games to surrender a 6-3 4-1 lead at a packed-out Pat Rafter Arena.

Henin’s unbelievable turnaround in her first tournament back following a 20-month hiatus after retiring when No.1 in the world stunned all and sundry.

The numerous momentum swings brought the two fierce but respectful rivals to combined laughter at one stage as Clijsters levelled at 3-all in the third with an exquisite point featuring a series of angled drop shots.

Her victory ended a three-match winning streak to Henin in their head-to-head rivalry which now stands at 12-11 in favour of Henin.

Clijsters’ surprise US Open victory, in her third tournament back out of her own retirement, suggested she had overcome the nervous attacks which had been an Achilles heel in her first career.

But she once again suffered a severe case of the wobbles just two games away from her 36th WTA title.

Her previously impregnable game was littered with unforced errors as Henin stormed back into the match to take the second set and lead 3-0 in the third.

Even when Clijsters steadied and broke back to be level at 3-all she missed a sitter of a smash on a break point for Henin to serve for the championship at 5-3.

Amazingly, the ice-cool Henin did just the same on break point for Clijsters to breathe again.

The tiebreak was a snapshot of the entire final with Clijsters shooting out to 5-1 lead when she fired down her first ace of the match, on her second serve no less, before she missed three match-point chances at 6-3.

Clijsters thought she claimed the title and raised her arms with the third but a backhand was called out.

Henin levelled at 6-6 before serving her 11th double fault, allowing the 26-year-old to close out the fluctuating encounter.

Henin’s long-time coach Carlos Rodriguez was well pleased by his charge’s display and rated it one of the best encounters between the pair.

“It was an amazing match and she looked great,” he said.
“From my side it was one of the best matches between Justine and Kim.

“I don’t expect such a high level after such a long period of time [out of the game].

Rodriguez admitted Henin was fatigued in the tiebreak but said she accepted the defeat much better afterwards by fighting back to 6-all.

“Kim is the boss there (in the tiebreak),” he said. “But the tiebreak is the heart more than the legs and the body.”

More to come.

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  • Anonymous

    I had the same thought while watching, in fact, it is the best match in almost two years. Great quality and that’s what women’s tennis was lacking. Thanks for coming back you two.

  • Bill.

    A gutsy win for Kim. There were bad line calls for both players but it was a great match! Kim didn't fold as in the past against Justine, so hopefully that monkey is off her back. And giving her prize money to that hospital for children just proves what a class act she is! It was worth getting up at 4:A.M. in Canada to watch. We love you Kimmie!

  • mrjomi

    congrats kim !! great to hear that u hv donated the prize money to children's hospital in brisbane..!
    truely amazing person u are !!!

  • albert

    wow.. i am the first… congrate Kim…. you are cool.

  • Nina

    I am disappointed that Justine didn't win, however, it was a fantastic performance by her and she lost only by an half inch. Both were working extremely hard out there and it was a pleasure to watch.
    If this is the form Justine has only on the very first tournament all the WTA should be scared… Another slam title is coming for her. There can only be the one winner although in this case both would deserve to come first!!!

  • http://www.myspace.com/nucityboy ama abdy

    i just listen at radio and read on the scoreboard. but yea…. im happy Belgian take the winner, Henin or Clijster it doesn't matter, i love them all.
    i wish this year they can win all grand slam :)
    go henin, go clijster. bye bye all russian and usa :)

  • sebastienk

    Congratulations Kim and Justine!

  • aileene, singapore

    this is a great performance from Justine, her first tournament on her return and she goes all the way to the final, and all the way almost! just about perfect preparation for her first grand slam of the year! all the very best for Melbourne Justine we are behind you all the way!!

  • Marine

    I think this match had a higher level of play than any grand slam final + end of the year championships in 2009.

  • ikahn_hut

    i really support justine to be the winner, but both of them show us such a great game. so, both of you are the winners of this tournament. good luck on australian grand slam… ^^

  • aldonius

    In brisbane (host city no less) it's almost 11 pm and the TV broadcast is currently not even half way through the 2nd set…

    thumbs down seven.
    (sorry for thread hijack)

  • Sandy

    Congratulations Kim.You are truly a beautiful person.Thank you for donating to the hospital.It was my nephew Dylan that you visited in hospital along with others.The children and their families are really doing it tough and your acts of kindness really go along way for them.God Bless You!

  • annoyed person

    can i just say, from watching the tennis, the lines people at the tournament aren't doing a very good job XD or maybe there should be hawke eye…

  • ampang

    Henin was just amazing.
    I think we can expect a great thing from her in the Australian Open.
    Nice backhand as always.

  • ralphsteven

    A mum with supurb stamina and endurance. You are a super mum. Your gesture to the Royal Children's hospital is very moving. You have hearts for the needy. Great stuff and thanks a million. All the very best for 2010.

  • ampang

    Considering Kim had a chance to warm up last year in Australian Open and Justine didn't, I think we can expect great things from Justine this year. Her backhand was amazing as always. Last year, the level of women's tennis was below mediocre with no one single player showing us anything particularly amazing. But this year with Kim and Justine, I have no doubt we will see a rivalry equivalent to Federer and Nadal in WTA.

  • StevenDG

    Victory for Belgium on this 9th of January 2010! Kim Clijsters, Justine Henin & Yanina Wickmayer are three winners of an ATP tournament on the same day. Justine is just as much of a winner as Kim and Yanina. She was unbelievable… they all were.
    Golden times lie ahead for the Belgians in the Australian Open. Let us hope.

    And well done Brisbane.

  • Paulez2

    Are you down there concrentrating on that white line and only that white line or watching the Tennis?! I don't think any spectator can really criticize the linespeople no matter what we think we see from the stands. They have the best view and what seems in or out is not always what it seems up where we sit no matter how close we are. That is one of the reasons the lines people are down on court and we are up in the stands as spectators.
    Please keep the comments intelligent.

  • Paulez2

    What a high quality match! Glad I was there to witness it. Henin is an amazing fighter and made the tie breaker go from looking ordinary to spactacular.

    Wow is all I can say.

    http://protennisplayers.blogspot.com/

  • Kimberley

    What an incredible match! It had everything: tension, drama, great rallies, dubious line calls, Kim doing the splits, that extraordinary point with the drop shots…..

    Fantastic to see these two great players bringing everything to the court and showing us all that they are capable of! Congratulations Kim and Justine and thanks for the best women's match in a very long time!

  • anon

    what a great match! both players coming back from “sure”defeat. back and forth, up and down.

    henin: for the future just get the second serve In.

    cliesters: you are solid as a rock, congratulations!

    am looking forward to 2001 matches with s. williams. beat her and send her into retirement.

    brisbane tourny officials: bring in hawkeye: eliminate questionable line calls.

  • benin

    anon you are such a loser,jealousy and very hateful. what reason do you have for your hating S. Williams.

    You are pathetic.

  • Rosanna Frizzo

    Kim played the best women's tennis I've ever seen. Justine is also a legend, she has such fierce determination. The best match ever

  • Cindy

    That was such a great match! I think it's the one of the best women's match I've seen so far.

  • Nina.is.awesome.

    Kim played really well, woooooooooooo! CLIJSTERS FOR AUS OPEN 2010!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Gail

    Dear Craig Willis and Steve the tournament director. Please do not refer to young women, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin as “girls”. I do not expect you would refer to Andy Roddick or Roger Federer as boys. These are professional and highly competent young women, one a mother, and should not be demeaned like that. They played in a women's tournament, not a girls tournament. Most men got over the girl thing years ago.
    It was a fantastic match, showing just how mature and dedicated both women are.

  • Emma

    Benin, I think Anon could have said alot worse about Serena Williams, so I think your comments are a little harsh. I think she is a great player, but I also think she is the most ungracious person and I love nothing better than seeing her lose. However, this does not make me “jealous” of her. Tonight I am jealous of these 2 ladies who showed nothing but determination, amazing strength and power and most importantly, respect for one another. Tonight, Kim and Justine showed why they are nothing but a class act, playing the best womens tennis match I have seen in a long time, and showing why they are the players to beat this year.

  • gooberz

    Great comeback for Justine, reaching the final no less in her comeback tournament and giving the eventual champion earned it. The fight was closer than close and what a fight they had. This is what we missed in the WTA recently. Thanks for coming back! Good luck in all your future matches.

    Congratulations to Kim. You also fought hard and you earned it.

  • Miss Jan

    I would like to say that I enjoyed reading this article as well as watching the match. Nicely written and the imagery used entertaining. Thanks

  • A Stone

    wonderful match, but for $40,000 wouldnt pay her staffs wages for a week would it, why would such high profile international female players come out to Brisbane for a prize money of $40,000 as quoted by media, with this amount going to the Hospital, wonderful gesture by Clistes,
    and again, disgust at Channel 7 showing a delayed coverage of the game, they have 3 channels, and should be made to show games tennis , football etc live it they have the rights, no excuse now for delayed coverage

  • Dazman

    great match, great article, pity about channel 7's delayed telecast of such an important match

  • http://www.healingcrystal.com.au/pages/amethyst-healing-properties Amethyst Healing Properties

    Fantastic match, and an amazing article to sum things up for us. The two ladies really performed great, but it is Clijsters who have emerged triumphant from the game though Henin's courageous performance made it hard for the former to seize the day and claim the trophy. Hoping to see more of them in the future.

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