The Hindu : Sport : Henin retains Eastbourne title

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Sunday, Jun 24, 2007
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Sport

Henin retains Eastbourne title

Remains unbeaten in eight matches at the venue

PHOTO:AFP

ON TRACK FOR WIMBLEDON: Justine Henin lifts the trophy after beating Amelie Mauresmo at Eastbourne.

EASTBOURNE: Defending champion Justine Henin completed her Wimbledon preparations with a 7-5, 6-7(4), 7-6(2) win on Saturday over second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo in the final of the Eastbourne International tennis championship.

Henin remained unbeaten in her eight matches at Eastbourne. This was the top-seeded Belgian’s fifth title this year after victories in Dubai, Doha, Warsaw and Roland Garros. It was Henin’s third win in four matches over Mauresmo since losi ng to her at Wimbledon.

Mauresmo broke to lead 3-1 in the first set but allowed Henin to level in the seventh game on her sixth break point.

After trading breaks one more time, Henin got a third break and went up 6-5 and then closed out the set by serving an ace.

Quick break

Henin also got a quick break in the second set to lead 2-1 with a backhand winner, but Mauresmo fought back to even the score at 4-4.

Mauresmo went on to dominate the tiebreaker, building a 6-1 lead before converting her fourth set point.

A forehand winner gave Mauresmo a break to lead 3-2 in the final set and she claimed her next two service games without surrendering a point.

But she failed to serve out the match at 5-4 when Henin broke with a forehand pass, and the Belgian went on to drop just two points in the tiebreaker.

Chakvetadze triumphs

In the Ordina Open at ‘S-Hertogenbosh, home hope Peter Wessels set up a meeting with Croat Ivan Ljubicic in the final on Saturday.

The unseeded Dutchman beat Frenchman Anthony Dupuis 7-6(5), 7-6(3) in their rain-interrupted semifinal which had been delayed overnight with Wessels leading 6-5 in the first set.

In the women’s final Russian third seed Anna Chakvetadze defeated top-seeded Jelena Jankovic 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-3.

The final was earlier interrupted because of rain with Chakvetadze a break up and leading 2-0 in the first set.

Karlovic triumphs

At Nottingham, unseeded Ivo Karlovic defeated eighth seed Arnaud Clement 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the final of the ATP Nottingham Open on Saturday for his second career title.

The big-serving Croat wore down Clement, who had played twice on Friday, and sealed victory on his third match point when his backhand volley hit the net cord and sneaked over.

The win avenged Karlovic’s quarterfinal defeat at the hands of the 29-year-old Frenchman at Queen’s last week.

The final took place on grass, as scheduled, after organisers were forced to play three of the quarterfinals and both semifinals indoors on Friday due to rain.

The results: At ‘S-Hertogenbosh (Ordina Open): Semifinals: Men: Peter Wessels bt Anthony Dupuis 7-6(5), 7-6(3). Women: Final: Anna Chakvetadze bt Jelena Jankovic 7-6(2), 3-6, 6-3.