Do not forget Henin

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By DARRELL FRY

© St. Petersburg Times,
published July 9, 2001

WIMBLEDON, England -- It would be natural to wave goodbye to Justine Henin and assume it will be a long time, if at all, before we see her like this again.

It happens all too often for players like her, lesser-known players who make a splash at a major tournament like Wimbledon only to never be heard from the rest of the year.

Remember Iva Majoli, who won the 1997 French Open? She hasn't won jack since, and is ranked 45th. And Jelena Dokic, who reached the quarterfinals and semifinals here the last two years, has barely won more than a match or two at other Grand Slam tournaments since.

There is something about Henin, though, that says she's going to be different. Something in the way she chased down just about everything that came her way in Sunday's final. Something in her fearlessness in facing opponents bigger, stronger and taller.

This was no fluke. This kid got no favors. She cut down four seeded players en route to the final, including the hottest player on tour, Jennifer Capriati.

And she gave Venus Williams all she could handle until that third set. She took one of only two sets that Venus surrendered all tournament.

Here's the clincher: Grass is probably Henin's worst surface. She lost in the first round here last year. Mind you, she has an all-court game -- blistering groundstrokes, a heavy serve, touch around the net and extraordinary court coverage. But she's far more accomplished on clay and hard courts.

She won two hard court tournaments in Australia this year, waxing just about everybody she played. She lost one set in those two events. She ripped up the clay court season, reaching three semifinals, including the French Open, where she lost to the eventual runner-up (Kim Clijsters) in three sets.

Oh, we'll see her again.

Did I mention she's only 19? "She'll be back for sure," former Wimbledon champion Martina Navratilova said. "She's a real talent."

She is, as the British might say, a real toughie, a gritty and tenacious Belgian with talent to boot. At 5-foot-53/4 and 126 pounds, she can't have more than 5 percent body fat. The rest, I can tell you, is all heart.

Have you seen this kid's backhand? Already folks are saying it's the best in the game.

That's what you need in order to have staying power on the tour these days. In addition to hunger and consistency, you need a weapon, a shot you can rely on to win a lot of easy points or carry you when times get tough.

How far do you think Steffi Graf would have gotten without that ferocious forehand?

It's crucial for Henin because, in a game being overrun by power and size, she is the antithesis. She is, at least so far this year, proving that shot placement and defense are still effective tools these days. That what she lacks in size and strength can be combated with quickness and spunk.

"I think I have the game to win these kinds of matches," she said after her final-round loss Sunday.

It will, in a way, get a little easier for her. With her run here, she vaults to No. 5 in the world rankings, meaning she'll have easier draws everywhere she goes. Last year, she opened here against four-time Grand Slam champion Arantxa Sanchez Vicario. She won't see anyone of that caliber in the first round anymore.

So, look for her next month at the U.S. Open. And at the Australian Open. And the French Open. And, of course, here. Look for her in the money rounds, right along with the Davenports and the Capriatis.

She'll be the littlest one making the most noise.

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