Henin's comeback enriches tennis

ABSTRACT From no active players of import in July to three in September, there is plenty to write about in Belgium's national languages of French and Flemish, but the real winner in the return of Justine Henin is women's Tennis.

FULL TEXT Imagine the relief of the Belgian Tennis journalist. Only a few months ago, such work, and the tickets to travel the world with it, seemed to be in the gravest danger. But that was before Kim Clijsters roared back from retirement to win the U.S . Open , with another Belgian, the unseeded 19-year-old Yanina Wickmayer, reaching the semifinals. And that was before the no-longer-surprising announcement Tuesday that Justine Henin was also going to throw herself back into the ring: hopefully as soon as the next Grand Slam tournament, in Australia in January. From no active players of import in July to three in September, there is plenty to write about in Belgium's national languages of French and Flemish. But the real winner in this scenario is women's Tennis. It has been a significantly less interesting complement to the men's game since Henin shocked the sport by announcing her retirement in May of last year. She was still ranked No. 1 then, still the holder of two Grand Slam singles titles and still just 25 years old. Now, with Clijsters' inspiring run in New York and Henin's evident desire to return to the fore, the women's game is back to possessing a blend of established and aspiring stars that is as rich as, well, Belgian chocolate. There are the Williams sisters: Serena, who is still hungry (perhaps a little too hungry), and Venus, who is showing the first hints of decline at 29. There are Clijsters and Henin. There is current No. 1 Dinara Safina, a leader without a major title, and a surplus of former leaders, including Ana Ivanovic, Jelena Jankovic, Am?lie Mauresmo and Maria Sharapova, who just came back herself. There are other Russian veterans with big victories in their past like reigning French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova and reigning Olympic champion Elena Dementieva. And there are the rising youngsters: U.S. Open finalist Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark and Victoria Azarenka of Belarus. It all makes for a surplus of potentially attractive matchups. Consider what Henin alone does for the marquee. She can renew her well-established, frequently spicy rivalries with Serena Williams, Sharapova, Clijsters, Kuznetsova and maybe even Mauresmo if the Frenchwoman does not retire before January. Henin could also face Melanie Oudin, the American teenager who broke through this summer and who has cited Henin as her role model (both players stand small amid the towering women currently populating the elite). What is also reassuring is that with the 26-year-old Clijsters and 27-year-old Henin back in the mix, this generation of women's players - damaged by burnout, injuries and scandal - is nearly back to full strength. There are still a few casualties: Anastasia Myskina, the smooth Russian counter-puncher who won the 2004 French Open, remains retired at 28. The first Swiss Tennis superstar, Martina Hingis, who is still 28 for a few more days, remains suspended from the game after testing positive for cocaine in 2007 and has announced no plans to return once her suspension ends. But the main draws will now be a fairer reflection of what this era really has to offer, although it is not at all clear - or even likely - that Henin will be able to offer herself the same results to which she has grown accustomed. She should still be in her physical prime and still possessed of that gorgeous one-handed backhand, powerful forehand, excellent footwork and technically sound serve. It is quite a varied, eye-catching package, but the physical challenges that required so much of her energy and focus before her first retirement are only growing more daunting. Clijsters is a more powerful athlete than Henin: one perfectly equipped to deal with the modern-day Amazons. Henin had to work so terribly hard to counter the superior leverage of her opponents and was getting bashed around in the final months of her first career, although her heart was presumably no longer in it then. ''Perhaps subconsciously Kim's comeback influenced me,'' Henin said, in comments reported by Belgian news agencies on Tuesday. ''I have lots of admiration for what she did. To come back so quickly to that level, that earns your admiration and it's certainly an inspiration. But that was not a determining factor. The victory of Roger Federer at the French Open this year spoke to me much more. That stirred emotions in me. I sensed something missing.'' The twist here is that one of the reasons that the once-divorced Henin gave for leaving the game so abruptly was that she wanted to start a family. That has not happened. Meanwhile Clijsters has started hers and returned triumphantly with husband Brian Lynch and 18-month-old daughter Jada in tow. One suspects, however, that playing Henin will be the ultimate test of Clijsters' newfound mental strength. Henin has won all three of their previous Grand Slam singles finals and has clearly established herself as Belgium's all-time greatest player. She holds seven major singles titles to Clijsters' two. Henin, with a fresh mind and fresh legs, should remain a formidable opponent. Deeply analytical if inherently insecure, she has made a habit of winning big matches and maximizing her abilities with the help of Carlos Rodriguez, for whom the honorific ''coach'' does not come close to expressing his role in Henin's career. Rodriguez confirmed on Tuesday that he, too, will be back for more as Henin returns with the primary goal of succeeding at the All England Club: first by winning Wimbledon, the only major title she lacks, and later by playing in the Olympics in London in 2012 where the Tennis will be played on the same historic grass courts. ''It's true that this surprised me,'' Rodriguez told Belgian television on Tuesday. ''But I don't know how to respond otherwise. I've always accepted what Justine wanted in the past. I'm fortunate that she is again showing her confidence in me. Once more, I'm ready. Wimbledon, we want it. It's one of the reasons for this comeback. Tennis is what she loves. I'm happy for her.'' It will be intriguing to watch as Rodriguez and Henin think through the state of the game and decide which elements of Henin's considerable arsenal to emphasize. She is that rare contemporary women's player who is truly comfortable in all areas of the court and truly comfortable varying the pace, spin and trajectories of the ball. Henin clearly feels good to have Tennis back. There was something odd and deeply unsatisfying about her initial retreat. Now she insists she has recharged her dead batteries, only to conclude, like many a modern Tennis prodigy, that there is nothing quite as satisfying as hitting a yellow ball across a net with adrenaline and Grand Slam trophies as the rewards.