Justine Henin to meet Kim Clijsters in her comeback clash
The 28-year-old Justine Henin will make a comeback after six months break on the WTA tour by playing an exhibition match versus the Belgian tennis ace Kim Clijsters on Thursday.
The right hander who is currently ranked number twelve in the South African Airways WTA list, damaged ligaments in her right elbow at the grass court Grand Slam tournament earlier this year during the month of June. However, according to the recent reports,
she is ready to play a competition, as confirmed by her trainer Carlos Rodriguez on Wednesday as well.
The former world number one who made her debut on the WTA tour back in 1999 started her 2010 campaign by playing at the Brisbane International event where the right hander was given a wild card entry into the tournament. She did well to make her way into
the title battle after getting the better of Sesil Karatantcheva, Nadia Petrova, Melinda Czink and Ana Ivanovic. The Belgian eventually was thrashed out by her compatriot fellow Kim Clijsters in a three setter final. The score line was 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6). The
battle concluded in a time period of two hours and twenty three minutes in the end.
At the year’s opening Grand Slam, the Australian Open in Melbourne, Justine started with a straight set win over Kirsten Flipkens. By virtue of this victory, she set up the much awaited round two clash of the competition with the fifth seed Elena Dementieva
of Russia, who she surpassed in two sets. The final match score was 7-5, 7-6(5). Concluding after a time period of two hours and fifty minutes, all the commentators felt this battle was worthy of a final. Justine approached the net on forty three occasions,
winning thirty five of those points. In the next round, the Belgian overpowered her Russian foe Alisa Kleybanova in three sets. The final match score was 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.
The Liege born made her way into the title battle after posting victories over Yanina Wickmayer, Nadia Petrova and Zheng Jie. She met then world number one Serena Williams from the United States of America in the finals who eventually got the better of her
in three sets. The final match score was 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
Her other season highlights include title victories in Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, UNICEF Open and semi-final appearance at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
Her Thursday’s match versus Kim Clijsters will be played at a gala event in the Belgian city of Anvers.
Henin, who achieved her career high ranking of world number one back in 2003, after injuring her elbow during her second round match at Wimbledon, resumed training during the start of October with the goal of being fit for the start of 2011.
The 2004 Olympic gold medalist will start her 2011 campaign at the Hopman Cup mixed international team competition in Australia next month, where she is expected to pair up with her compatriot fellow Ruben Bemelmans.
Justine, 28, after announcing her retirement from the professional game of tennis back in 2008, came out of her retirement last January. She has so far won a total of forty three WTA singles titles on the tour and seven Grand Slam singles crowns, including
one Australian Open, four French Open and two United States Open trophies in New York.
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