The Hindu : Sport : Henin-Hardenne advances

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Friday, May 27, 2005

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Henin-Hardenne advances

SURGING AHEAD: Last year's runner-up, Guillermo Coria, was leading 4-6, 6-2, 3-2 when Novak Djokovic retired in the second round. — Photo: AP

PARIS: Justine Henin-Hardenne's latest ailment failed to slow her down at the French Open on Thursday.

The tournament favourite and 2003 champion required treatment for a back injury that bothered her serve, yet she still advanced to the third round by beating Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-1, 6-4.

After taking a 5-0 lead, Henin-Hardenne requested treatment during the changeover and grimaced as she stretched her back with help from a trainer. Henin-Hardenne said the previously undisclosed injury involves a nerve, dates back at least six weeks and was not serious.

``I'm going to be fine for the next few days,'' she said. ``I just wanted to be sure it wasn't going to be more serious. That's why I asked for the trainer. It was bothering me only on my serve.''

Henin-Hardenne hit eight double faults and has 17 in two matches. She made only 45 percent of her first serves and was broken three times in the second set.

The injury is the latest in a series of ailments for Henin-Hardenne, who returned in March from a seven-month layoff due to a blood virus and knee injury. Despite rust, back pain and concerns about her stamina, she is 22-1 since returning and has won 19 consecutive matches, all on clay.

Two tournaments this month came despite the back injury.

``It's a pain that I know,'' she said. ``In the evening it hurts when I have to sit down or drive. This is something I've had to live with for a few weeks. At some point I'll have to take a few days' rest.''

Potential opponent

Henin-Hardenne's lone loss this year was at Key Biscayne to Maria Sharapova, a potential opponent in the quarterfinals. Sharapova, seeded second, committed just 13 unforced errors and beat 18-year-old Frenchwoman Aravane Rezai 6-3, 6-2.

``She had nothing to lose, and she was just going for her shots,'' Sharapova said. ``I finally started feeling a good rhythm out there and began playing better.''

Third-seeded Amelie Mauresmo of France defeated 15-year-old countrywoman Alize Cornet 6-0, 6-2. U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova, seeded sixth, defeated Sofia Arvidsson 6-3, 6-4.

No. 7-seeded Nadia Petrova also reached the third round, beating Severine Beltrame of France, 6-1, 6-3. No. 24 Magdalena Maleeva lost to Anabel Medina Garrigues 6-3, 6-4.

In men's play, 2004 runner-up Guillermo Coria, seeded eighth, won when 18-year-old qualifier Novak Djokovic retired with respiratory trouble trailing 4-6, 6-2, 3-2. Djokovic said a sinus problem has bothered him for about a year.

``Every time I get to clay and some long points, it gets worse and worse,'' he said. ``I just couldn't breathe after long points.''

American Vince Spadea also retired. He quit because of a strained stomach muscle when trailing No. 21-seeded Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-3. Spadea estimated he would be sidelined between four to six weeks, which could force him to miss Wimbledon.

No. 9 Guillermo Canas beat Albert Montanes 6-1, 6-3, 6-4.

Warm day

On the warmest day of the tournament, with sunshine and temperatures in the 80s, Henin-Hardenne played the first match on Court Suzanne Lenglen and raced to a quick lead. One game she won despite three double faults and a blown overhead.

Seeded 10th, Henin-Hardenne volleyed well and showed no sign of back trouble during baseline rallies, and she benefited from Ruano Pascual's erratic groundstrokes. Paes-Zimonjic advance

Leander Paes and his partner Nenad Zimonjic of Serbia & Montenegro squeezed past the German-Dutch pair of Florian Mayer and Rogier Wassen 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 in the first round of the men's doubles event.

The Results

Prefix denotes seeding

Men's singles: second round: 8-Guillermo Coria (Arg) bt Novak Djokovic (SEM) 4-6, 6-2, 3-2 retd.; 9-Guillermo Canas (Arg) bt Albert Montanes (Esp) 6-1, 6-3, 6-4; Jurgen Melzer (Aut) bt 29-Mikhail Youzhny (Rus) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(5); 21-Tommy Haas (Ger) bt Vince Spadea (U.S.) 6-4, 6-3 retid.; 12-Nikolay Davydenko (Rus) bt Olivier Rochus (Bel) 3-6, 7-5, 6-2, 6-3; Mariano Puerta (Arg) bt Kristof Vliegen (Bel) 6-3, 7-5, 6-2; Paul-Henri Mathieu (Fra) bt Chris Guccione (Aus) 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

18-Mario Ancic (Cro) bt Oscar Hernandez (Esp) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3; Lee Hyung-Taik (Kor) bt 33-Robin Soderling (Swe) 6-2, 6-3, 6-4; 4-Rafael Nadal (Esp) bt Xavier Malisse (Bel) 6-2, 6-2, 6-4; 1-Roger Federer (Sui) bt Nicolas Almagro (Esp) 6-3, 7-6(0), 6-2; 14-Carlos Moya (Esp) bt Robin Vik (Cze) 7-6(6), 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-1.

Women's singles: second round: Anna Chakvetadze (Rus) bt Klara Koukalova (Cze) 6-4, 6-3; 10-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Bel) bt Virginia Ruano Pascual (Esp) 6-1, 6-4; 7-Nadia Petrova (Rus) bt Severine Beltrame (Fra) 6-1, 6-3; Anabel Medina Garrigues (Esp) bt 24-Magdalena Maleeva (Bul) 6-3, 6-4; Shahar Peer (Isr) bt Kveta Peschke (Cze) 6-1, 1-6, 6-4; 6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) bt Sofia Arvidsson (Swe) 6-3, 6-4; 29-Ana Ivanovic (SEM) bt Iveta Benesova (Cze) 6-3, 6-1; 2-Maria Sharapova (Rus) bt Aravane Rezai (Fra) 6-3, 6-2; 17-Tatiana Golovin (Fra) bt Antonella Serra Zanetti (Ita) 6-0, 6-1; Nuria Llagostera Vives (Esp) bt Kristina Brandi (Pur) 7-6(2), 6-0; 3-Amelie Mauresmo (Fra) bt Alize Cornet (Fra) 6-0, 6-2; 6-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Rus) bt Sofia Arvidsson (Swe) 6-3, 6-4.

Virginie Razzano (Fra) bt Clarisa Fernandez (Arg) 6-1, 6-1; 20-Daniela Hantuchova (Svk) bt Catalina Castano (Col) 6-4, 6-3; 1-Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) bt Shuai Peng (Chn) 3-6, 7-6(4), 6-0; 18-Silvia Farina Elia (Ita) bt Arantxa Parra Santonja (Esp) 7-5, 6-2; 16-Elena Likhovtseva (Rus) bt Mariana Diaz-Oliva (Arg) 6-1, 7-6(3); 8-Patty Schnyder (Sui) bt Sandra Koesel (Ger) 6-2, 6-3.

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