Henin defeats Petrova in Liege
28th April 2006
(Liege, Belgium) Justine Henin-Hardenne defeated Russian Nadia Petrova and kept the Belgian hope for a victory alive after Kim Clijsters lost her first match against Elena Dementieva. Henin-Hardenne, the former No.1 of the world, won in 3 sets, 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-3.
Henin-Hardenne, who was born in Liege, came back for 4-1 in the first set, just in time to force a tiebreak against Russia’s Nadia Petrova, who is on a hot streak and won her fourth WTA Tour title last week. Belgians No. 2 lost the tiebreak 7-1 and looked somewhat outplayed by the athletic player from Russia.
In the following set Justine Henin-Hardenne was playing a better game of tennis, and she took the second set 6-4.
“Especially after the first set I was getting tired,” Petrova said. “I didn’t feel quite recovered yet from the previous tournaments I playe, and she played some very good points.”
In the deciding third set Henin-Hardenne took a 3-0 lead and started to play better but asked for a medical timeout after the third game. After serving a double fault at 30 all in the fifth game, Henin did let the Russian come back into the set. Petrova took that chance and came back to 3-2. She hit a ball against the net cord which gave the ball an awkward bounce, and the Belgian did not reach it in time.
At breakpoint for a 4-2 lead, Henin-Hardenne missed the first chance to break; she played the ball wide. Petrova took advantage in return, but the Belgium tied it to deuce.
The next rally was for the Russian again after Henin hit the ball into the net. For the second time, Petrova did not use this advantage, and Henin was on deuce again. After a double fault, the Belgian was on break point again, but this time she hit the ball long.
The next break point went to Henin-Hardenne, who took a 4-2 lead after she won a rally that forced Petrova to hit long. In the following game she held on to her service and a comfortable 5-2 lead. Petrova was under pressure; she had to hold on to her service game to stay in the match.
The first point of the eighth game was a solid winner by the Belgian, but a good winner played by Petrova, answered that point in style. After three unforced errors hit by Henin, Petrova came back to 5-3.
Justine Henin-Hardenne was serving to win the match and trying to keep the Belgian team in the race to win the Cup tie. With a well-placed backhand, she scored the first point. The second point scored, for 30-0, was when Petrova returned the Belgian service into the net. Henin-Hardenne reached matchpoint after Petrova was forced outside the court lines and hit the ball into the net again.
On Henin-Hardenne’s first match point, Petrova again was forced to go outside the court lines after a solid backhand by the Belgian. Petrova could not return to ball and hit it into the net again. Game, set and match for the Belgian Fed Cup team, and Henin-Hardenne had kept the Belgian hope alive.
Belgium won the second match of the day 6-7, 6-4 and 6-3. The teams are tied one all after Elena Dementieva defeated Kim Clijsters in straight sets, 6-3 and 6-4.
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