Seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Henin produced the biggest win of her comeback from 20 months in retirement by defeating Dementieva in the night match on Rod Laver Arena.
The second-round win for the unranked Henin was another step closer to a possible quarterfinal match against U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters, who scored a 6-3, 6-3 win over Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand.
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here“It was very emotional for me on the court at the end because there was so much intensity,” Henin said. “It’s magical to win this kind of match in this kind of atmosphere.”
It was Clijsters’ U.S. Open title only three tournaments back from two years in retirement that inspired Henin, another Belgian, to return to the tour.
Clijsters and Henin met in the Brisbane International final nearly two weeks ago, with Clijsters winning a close three-set match in Henin’s first official tournament in her comeback.
Against Dementieva , Henin had a match point at 5-4 and 40-30 but netted a forehand. Dementieva produced consecutive backhand winners to even the second set.
Henin again had a chance to serve for the match but was broken, with Dementieva forcing a tiebreaker and then leading 3-1. The Russian also had a set point in the tiebreaker before Henin won three straight points to finish it off in 2:50.
Henin said the appreciative crowd and the scope of her win made her happy she returned to the sport.
“The crowd gave me so much, so respectful at the end. That’s why I probably came back on the tour, was to live this kind of match.”
After her match, Clijsters had a few words of warning for Henin after admitting that she doesn’t always play her matches “conveniently, but good enough.”
“But when I had to play well against Justine, I was able to really raise my level,” Clijsters said. “That’s something that obviously after having been off for a long time, it takes time to get that. I was happy I was able to do that against Justine, and at the Open last year as well.”
Next up for the 26-year-old Clijsters will be No. 19 Nadia Petrova, one of the Russian women already into the third round along with French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, last year’s Australian Open runner-up Dinara Safina and Maria Kirilenko.
Third-ranked Kuznetsova beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 6-2 and No. 2 Safina had a 6-3, 6-4 win over Barbora Sahlavova Strycova.
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Clijsters wins opening match at BrisbaneYeste hints at new challenge
