Henin out to make it third time lucky in Stuttgart

STUTTGART (Germany)—World number one Justine Henin said on Monday she is hoping to make it third-time lucky at Stuttgart’s WTA tournament this week after twice losing finals on previous visits here.
The 25-year-old is the favourite in Stuttgart and enjoying a superb season with a convincing 50-4 win-loss record on her way to seven more career titles including two Grand Slams. Wins at both Roland Garros and the US Open have cemented her place at the top of the WTA Tour rankings.
But Henin is yet to win the Stuttgart event having twice been the runner-up when the tournament was previously played at the south German town of Filderstadt. The tournament moved to the state-of-the-art Porsche Arena stadium in Stuttgart last year and Henin is hoping to make it third-time lucky in Sunday’s final.
“It’s good to be back, I just want to take care of myself and keep playing well,” said the Belgian, with the prize of a brand new Porsche at stake for the winner. “Having been beaten in the final twice, I will never now win a final at Filderstadt (having lost to Lindsay Davenport in 2001 and Kim Clijsters in 2003).
“But I enjoy playing here, I like playing indoors, it gives me a lot of confidence.” Henin has a bye into the second-round and will face the winner of Monday’s first-round game between Slovenia’s Katarina Srebotnik and Russian Dinara Safina.
Someone pleased to avoid Henin until, potentially, the final is Serena Williams after the American lost out to the Belgian at the quarter-final stage of Wimbledon, Roland Garros and the US Open this year.
The pair are on seperate sides of the draw, but former world number one Williams is now seventh in the world and the sixth seed is looking to do well after a thumb injury she picked up in the US Open.
“I am still playing a long way from my best level,” said the 26-year-old. “I was disappointed with the way things went at the US Open and I am just pleased to be in Germany with the chance to do well this week.” Williams will face Russian Elena Bovina in the first round.

—Agencies