Tennis story by Georgina Scane, Sat, 28 Jan 2006 16:12:00 GMT


MELBOURNE - Justine Henin-Hardenne retired with a stomach problem to hand over a first Grand Slam win to Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo, who was leading 6-1, 2-0 at the Australian Open Final here today. Henin-Hardenne had put in a listless performance in the first set and her movement looked totally hampered when at 2-0 in the second set, she walked to the chair umpire and said that she could not continue.

"Walking back to my chair, I realized the tournament was mine. I guess the way I reacted would have been different if the match went to the end. But the joy is here ... I've been waiting for this a long time," Mauresmo said. She took a couple of moments to get her focus back and then consoled Henin-Hardenne at the net before raising her arms in triumph. "In French, we have a saying: The sadness of some makes the happiness of others," Mauresmo said. "Things turn around at some point. I had some tough moments myself."

She was talking about her failure to make a single grand slam final since her 1999 loss to Martina Hingis here. "The three main things of the game - tennis, physical and mental - they all come together perfectly." Mauresmo said that she has a 1937 Chateau d'Yquem wine in her cellar that has been waiting for her first Grand Slam.

Henin-Hardenne said she was aware at the start that she could not finish the game, "I had no legs today. I couldn't move. When the stomach is so upset and so inflamed you just don't have any energy," she said. "I knew at the beginning of the match I couldn't win it. I just really tried to stay in the match, but there was no chance for me."

She however said Mauresmo knew she had no chance and played very well according to the situation, "She felt probably I wasn't feeling good and couldn't move very quickly. So she did a good job when we see the circumstances. It's great when you win a Grand Slam after a big fight, for sure, after a normal match. But I'm sure she enjoys this moment, and she deserves that."

Roger Federer kept his date with the men's final and will face Marcos Baghdatis in the men's final tomorrow.

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