Henin-Hardenne ventures into the unknown
CHARLEROI (Belgium): Former World No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne says she is ready to defend her Australian Open title next month but admits that she does not know what to expect following her recent illness.
The Belgian player was top-ranked in the world after winning in Melbourne, 11 months ago, but was then laid low by a viral condition that sapped her energy and left her exhausted.
She did make a temporary comeback to win Olympic gold in Athens, but was hit by the illness once again after that and withdrew from the circuit.
The buildup to the Australian Open will mark her competitive comeback and she insists that her motivation remains intact.
“I will be heading to Australia with a lot of question marks over me. I know that,” she said after losing 2-6, 5-7 to France's Nathalie Dechy in an exhibition match at Charleroi on Saturday.
“But I think there will be less pressure on me than last year, even if I am the defending champion.
“Above all, it will be the first games back that matter most. They will be very important for me.”
Henin-Hardenne said that she was confident that she had put the viral illness behind her but admitted that it had taken its toll on her fitness.
“Physically, it's obvious that I hit rock bottom,” she said. “Since April with the exception of the Olympics, I have not done much.
“All the successes I had prior to that was mainly due to the work I put in on building up my fitness.” – AFP
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