MARLOIE (Belgium), Nov 16: Belgian tennis star Justine Henin swapped her racket for a wedding bouquet on Saturday when she tied the knot with childhood sweetheart Pierre-Yves Hardenne.

The 20-year-old bride waved at well-wishers who had gathered outside the church to catch a glimpse of one of the country’s sporting heroines.

Henin met Hardenne, a trainee tennis coach, four years ago at a tennis club where she had been presenting prizes. They were engaged in March 2001.

French tennis professionals Sandrine Testud, Natalie Dechy and Henin’s long-time coach Carlos Rodrigues were among those invited to the wedding in southern Belgium.

One notable absentee was fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters, who had decided to join boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt who is playing in the Masters Cup in Shanghai.

Clijsters beat Henin 6-2 6-1 in the quarterfinals of the WTA Championships in Los Angeles last week, before going on to clinch the title against Serena Williams.

Henin, who turned professional in 1999, is one of four children. She lost her mother to cancer when she was 12 and was encouraged by her father Jose to start playing tennis.—Reuters