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| October 20, 2003 | Monday | Sha'aban 23, 1424 |
Henin is new world number one
ZURICH, Oct 19: Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne overtook compatriot Kim Clijsters as the women’s world number one when she thumped Yugoslav Jelena Dokic 6-0 6-4 in the final of the Swisscom Challenge on Sunday.
Henin-Hardenne was in a class of her own against world number 25 Dokic, winning her eighth tournament in 17 this year.
The U.S. and French Open champion missed out on the number one spot when she lost to Clijsters in the Filderstadt Grand Prix last weekend but made no mistake on Sunday to become the second Belgian to hold the top spot.
“It is just an amazing feeling,” she said. “Now I am number one in the world it is just amazing because I did everything I could and it is a real achievement.”
Dokic, who had shown much improved form to defeat Clijsters in the semifinals, lost her opening service game to 15 and earned just three more points in the set after that.
Henin-Hardenne wrapped up the set in 15 minutes, slamming down aces and dominating the net.
Dokic opened the second set by winning her first point in nine and went on to win the game with the help of a firm smash and some more confident groundstrokes.
She then took Henin-Hardenne to deuce and showed the battling qualities she had displayed in earlier rounds, but squandered three break points and Henin-Hardenne held on to win the game with a crisp volley.
Two games went with serve but Dokic went 40-0 down in the next and after saving one break point she hit long to hand her opponent the crucial advantage.
Dokic’s nerves showed in her eight double faults and first service success rate of just 54 per cent.
Henin-Hardenne, with the prospect of the number one spot spurring her on, never looked in trouble and she secured the win when Dokic hit long.— Reuters
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