Henin-Hardenne out of WTA Tour Championships

London:

French Open champion Justine Henin-Hardenne will not play in next week's season-ending WTA Tour Championships in Los Angeles. The Belgian pulled out of the Zurich Open earlier this month with a hamstring injury. More details about her withdrawal will be given later today, her website reported. Henin, a former world number one, has been dogged by illness and injury over the past two years but returned to win her second Roland Garros title in June. The 23-year-old is ranked sixth in the Tour Championships points standings. The top eight players will qualify for the event which starts on November 8. Swiss Patty Schnyder, five-times grand slam winner Venus Williams and Elena Dementieva of Russian occupy the next three places with one regular season tournament, in Philadelphia, to be played. (AP)