Henin takes aim at Wimbledon

ANTWERP, Belgium: Seven-time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin is setting her long-term sights on a Wimbledon crown after winning her first career title at home in Belgium on Sunday.

The Belgian lifted her spirits after a dismal Australian Open as she won the home WTA Diamond Games 6-3, 6-3 over Italian challenger Karin Knapp.

The world No 1 is keen to complete her missing link of trophies at majors with a title run at the All England Club this summer.

The success in front of a hugely partisan crowd of 15,000 at the Sportpaleis went a long way to boost Henin, who had to take a cortisone shot and rest after losing in the Melbourne quarterfinals.

The Antwerp win was particularly cherished as it came at the event's final edition. A WTA calendar shake-up has wiped the tournament from the 2009 schedule.

"This is a very emotional moment for me," said the world No 1, now a winner of 41 career titles, including her seven Slams.

"I've had tough matches but came through. It's just perfect to win at home in Belgium. I've thought about this for a long time. There was a lot of pressure on me to do well at home.

"It has been my goal this week, I'm so happy I've been able to do it."

But Henin, now with 41 titles, hints at more to come: "Wimbledon is now a huge goal for me, it's the only Grand Slam I've never won."

The win was her 11th of the season against the Melbourne defeat to Maria Sharapova.

Henin has now won ten finals in a row, last tasting defeat against Serena Williams in Miami in April 2007. The Belgian came good on her third appearance in Antwerp after a 2002 final and 2003 semifinal.

She returned home to play for the first time in five years and kept the tournament on its feet financially as more than 100,000 fans came through the doors over the concluding week.

Her succes may give organizers long-odds hopes of soon returning to the WTA fold.

"Selling 100,000 tickets was the aim we had set for 2008 and we'll make it", promoter Bob Verbeeck said.

"I still hope to organize a WTA tournament in the future. We have a loyal and satisfied title sponsor who wants to keep on supporting a successful project.

"In Dubai we will have a meeting with WTA boss Larry Scott. We will bring along our debriefing of the Diamond Games 2008, and witness reports by the players.

"Our ambition remains to organize a WTA tournament with a minimum of three top-10 players and six to seven players from the top 20 - of course including Justine Henin.

"Time will tell, but we should know more by the end of March."

Henin's victory was her second title of 2007 after Sydney in January.

She will next play in Dubai in a week after pulling out of next week's required WTA event in Doha, which will cost her at least $125,000 in year-end bonus pool money.

AFP

(China Daily 02/19/2008 page24)