Justine Henin - Getty Images

 Henin Still the Queen of the ‘Terre Battue’

Reigning Rogers Cup champion Ivanovic makes first Grand Slam final appearance in Paris

June 14, 2007 - World No. 1 Justine Henin continued her assault on the record books over the weekend, capturing her third consecutive French Open singles title and fourth overall, thus solidifying her place as one of the greatest talents women’s tennis has ever seen.

The 25-year-old Belgian dismantled rookie Grand Slam finalist, seventh-seeded Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-1, 6-2 in Saturday’s championship much to the delight of a sold out crowd at the famed Court Philippe Chatrier, a stage that has become synonymous with success for Henin. She joins some elite company in Chris Evert, Steffi Graf, Margaret Court and Helen Willis as the only women to win four or more French Open titles since 1925.

Henin didn’t drop a set en route to her fifth straight Grand Slam final including a convincing straight sets victory over American Serena Williams in the quarter-finals. In addition to her four French Open crowns, Henin also reigned supreme at the 2003 U.S. Open and the Australian Open in 2004. Her six Grand Slam triumphs put her ahead of Martina Hingis and Venus Williams, both have five, and just behind Serena Williams’ eight, on the all-time list.

The 2003 Rogers Cup champion will now take her picturesque one-handed backhand and unmistakable fighting spirit to the grass courts of Wimbledon in two weeks, where she will attempt to complete the coveted career Slam on top of seeking her fifth tournament win of the season.

Henin’s apparent invincibility on clay wasn’t the only storyline making headlines in Paris this year. Among them, the fact that youth was ‘Serbed’ after Ivanovic and fellow Serbian sensation Jelena Jankovic proved to be well on their way to becoming the newest stars of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. The Serbian duo turned more than a few heads during the French Open with their exceptional skill and infectious personalities.

Since claiming her first Tier I title last summer at the Rogers Cup presented by National Bank in Montreal, 19-year-old Ivanovic has been on a mission to conquer the tennis world. She entered the year’s second slam on a high, winning her second Tier I crown in Berlin in early May and continued her impressive play on the clay of Roland Garros. Ivanovic’s victories during the fortnight included a sound semifinal drubbing of a resurgent World No. 2 in Maria Sharapova, and she also came from behind to upend former French Open finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in the quarter-finals.   

Jankovic’s semifinal appearance at the French Open marks yet another milestone for the 22-year-old in what has been a breakthrough 2007 season. She has earned three titles since the beginning of the year, placing her second on Tour in that category. Thanks to her strong, consistent play, Jankovic now finds herself ranked No. 3 in the world, a career-high.

With eight of the tournament’s top nine seeds advancing to the quarter-finals, the Tour’s elite proved to be in fine form at Roland Garros. As a result, numerous marquee week two match-ups were produced  that showcased the pleasant mix of youth, as exemplified by up and comers Nicole Vaidisova and Anna Chakvetadze, as well as the experience of veterans like Henin and Williams, that continues to transcend the women’s game.

With the world’s best players peaking on the eve of Wimbledon, the most prestigious Grand Slam of them all promises to live up to its reputation when the event gets underway June 25 on the courts of the All England Club in London.  
     

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