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Justine Henin Makes Winning Return To Indian Wells
By Richard Pagliaro
Photo Credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve
(March 10, 2010) INDIAN WELLS — Justine Henin didn't look particularly needy playing her first Indian Wells match in four years today.
But after completing a commanding 6-2, 6-2 first-round victory over Magdalena Rybarikova at the BNP Paribas Open, the petite perfectionist wasn't exactly satisfied by the competitive prosperity she's produced in her comeback to tournament tennis.
The Belgian wild card remains one of the most driven players on the WTA Tour so it was not surprising Henin's initial reaction to her win centered around where she's going and what she needs to do to get there rather than dwelling on where she's been.
"I need matches. I need competition," said Henin, who has won her opening-round match in 31 consecutive tournaments. "Mentally, I need tennis, that's for sure. Emotionally, I feel more relaxed...This is only my third tournament so I know I need more matches. Today, I felt strong in my legs, which is good. I still think I need a few more tournaments."
She arrived in Indian Wells for her third tournament of the season unranked because players must play at least three events to earn a WTA Tour ranking. By virtue of today's victory, Henin is projected to crack the top 35 when the new rankings are released on March 22nd. Should she advance to the quarterfinals here, she could rise into the top 30, which would make life easier when she plays the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami later in this month in that Henin be seeded for the first time in her comeback and thus avoid playing another seed in the early rounds.
In her post-match press conference, Henin said her run to the Australian Open final in January taught her she is capable of mastering another major, but has more work to do to get there.
"I still need to get used to the fact I am back on the tour — that's not that easy," Henin said. "Now that I've played a match at this tournament, I feel good. In Australia, I learned a lot of things, but I realized I still have a way to go. Of course what I did in Australia helped me to realize I can make it and be again at the top. I will just give my best and work hard and most important enjoy what I do."
Facing the purple-clad Henin was not a plum assignment for Rybarikova, who had not yet won her first WTA Tour-level match when Henin captured the BNP Paribas Open.
It's been six years since Henin swept six straight-sets victories, including wins over Svetlana Kuznetsova, the top seed this year, and top 10 players Anastasia Myskina and Lindsay Davenport.
An eager Henin race out to a 4-1 lead in her return to the tournament today. She survived a slight speed bump while serving for the opening set at 5-2.
The 21-year-old Slovak, who owns a solid serve and is not afraid to move forward into the court, earned two of her four break points in that eighth game. On the first break point, Rybarikova opened the court, but netted a backhand volley that would have given her the break. Henin double faulted to hand Rybarikova a second break point, but two successive backhand errors gave Henin her first set point.
She wasted no time in converting it. Attacking net behind a forehand, Henin seized the first set after 36 minutes of play when Rybarikova's forehand pass sailed long.
Liberated by the one-set lead, the Australian Open runner-up began to open up her offensive arsenal. Turning her shoulders into her forehand to strike that shot with more pace and depth, Henin followed a forehand down the line to net where she deposited a backhand volley winner to break for 3-0.
Rybarikova briefly extended the match with her best shot of the afternoon — a running backhand pass down the line that brought a burst of applause from the crowd as she held for 2-5.
Henin put the hammer down in the next game with a love hold to set up a second-round meeting with 31st-seeded Argentine Gisela Dulko. The pair met for the only time in the 2006 Indian Wells quarterfinals with Henin cruising to a 6-3, 6-2 win. If Henin can continue the form she's show in reaching the Brisbane and Australian Open finals in two tournaments this season she could be looking at a quarterfinal clash with fourth-seeded Elena Dementieva in what would be a rematch of the explosive Australian Open second-round match, which Henin won 7-5, 7-6(6).
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