Injury cuts short Henin’s comeback run
January 10th, 2010 - 5:58 pm ICT by IANS
Sydney, Jan 10 (DPA) Former number one Justine Henin’s comeback run was halted Sunday after a left gluteal strain forced her out of the Medibank International tennis.
The unseeded Henin returned this week from retirement that lasted 20 months and lost the Brisbane final Saturday to compatriot Kim Clijsters.
Henin’s upper thigh injury was serious enough to force her pullout from Sydney and throw a scare into her scheduled return to the Grand Slam play at the Australian Open starting in eight days.
“I’m very disappointed that I can’t play Sydney, which I like a lot,” Henin said. “Unfortunately with my injury I need to take rest and won’t be able to play for a couple of days.”
Henin won the event four times and would have played top seed Serena Williams in the second round, had the Belgian, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, gotten past her first-round match.
Nine of the top ten women remain in the field of the event which began Sunday and which features a men’s ATP field.
“My leg was sore for the last few days and really got worse in the third set,” said Henin. “I hope it’s not that serious and I can recover soon.
“It would be a great, great mistake to go and play Sydney and I’m not going to play for a few days.”
Henin continues to undergo treatment in Brisbane before hopefully travelling to Melbourne.
Henin, who took sudden retirement in May, 2008, saying she felt burned out, won the Sydney event in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
- Henin sets up showdown with Zheng Jie - Jan 26, 2010
- Sania Mirza goes down fighting to Henin in opening round of Australian Open - Jan 17, 2011
- Henin is glad to be back - Jan 16, 2010
- Clijsters predicts rapid rise for comeback Belgian duo - Jan 11, 2010
- Injured Henin won't return until 2011 - Aug 19, 2010
- Clijsters-Henin to clash in final at Brisbane - Jan 08, 2010
- Belgian comeback queens in dream Brisbane International final - Jan 08, 2010
- Elbow injury forces 'shocked' Justine Henin to retire from tennis for 'good' - Jan 27, 2011
- Belgian rivals set up fourth-round showdown, Isner crashes - Jun 26, 2010
- Australian Open: Cilic chips away to overcome Roddick (Lead) - Jan 26, 2010
- Unseeded Belgian Henin defeats China's Zheng Jie in Australian Open semi-final - Jan 28, 2010
- Henin works out in Brisbane, determined to make comeback - Dec 29, 2009
- Henin to begin return to tennis in Sydney - Dec 21, 2009
- 'Comeback queen' Henin beats Petrova to reach Australian Open semi-finals - Jan 26, 2010
- Wozniacki confident of getting fit before Australian Open - Jan 12, 2012
Tags: atp, australian open, clijsters henin, compatriot, couple of days, dpa, eight days, few days, gluteal, grand slam winner, great mistake, justine henin, kim clijsters, match, medibank international tennis, pullout, scare, serena williams, thigh injury, upper thigh