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Aus Open: Henin enjoys winning streak already
Justine Henin is enjoying her 28-match winning streak while trying not to think about it too much.
- Associated Press
- Updated: January 15, 2008 04:16 PM IST
Read Time:2 min
Melbourne:
''I don't want to take it as an extra pressure. I have enough,'' the top-ranked Henin said Sunday on the eve of the AustralianOpen.
The last time that Henin played at Melbourne Park, she left the court grimacing from an upset stomach that forced her to quit in the final against Amelie Mauresmo, sparking criticism of her willingness to play through pain. Last year, she was absent while dealing with the breakup of her marriage.
Now, she is clearly in form, and she looked relaxed and smiled frequently at her pre-tournament news conference.
''I left Melbourne with a strange feeling two years ago and wasn't here last year,'' said Henin, the 2004 winner who is seeking her eighth Grand Slam title. ''I missed it a lot. It's a tournament that brought me a lot of joy in the past.''
Henin's streak includes winning the Sydney International final against second-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova on Friday. She wasn't worried about the short layoff before her first-round match Monday against Japan's Aiko Nakamura.
''I thought it was a great match against Svetlana,'' Henin said. ''Very intense, the kind of match you need before a Grand Slam. ''
Her main goal, along with trying to win Wimbledon and the Beijing Olympics, is to avoid the nagging injuries and ailments.
''Just try to stay healthy. That's the key for me,'' Henin said.
Justine Henin is enjoying her 28-match winning streak while trying not to think about it too much.''I don't want to take it as an extra pressure. I have enough,'' the top-ranked Henin said Sunday on the eve of the AustralianOpen.
The last time that Henin played at Melbourne Park, she left the court grimacing from an upset stomach that forced her to quit in the final against Amelie Mauresmo, sparking criticism of her willingness to play through pain. Last year, she was absent while dealing with the breakup of her marriage.
Now, she is clearly in form, and she looked relaxed and smiled frequently at her pre-tournament news conference.
''I left Melbourne with a strange feeling two years ago and wasn't here last year,'' said Henin, the 2004 winner who is seeking her eighth Grand Slam title. ''I missed it a lot. It's a tournament that brought me a lot of joy in the past.''
Henin's streak includes winning the Sydney International final against second-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova on Friday. She wasn't worried about the short layoff before her first-round match Monday against Japan's Aiko Nakamura.
''I thought it was a great match against Svetlana,'' Henin said. ''Very intense, the kind of match you need before a Grand Slam. ''
Her main goal, along with trying to win Wimbledon and the Beijing Olympics, is to avoid the nagging injuries and ailments.
''Just try to stay healthy. That's the key for me,'' Henin said.
Topics mentioned in this article
Tennis
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