Just call her the Queen of Roland Garros. Justine Henin-Hardenne once again is the French Open champion, making it a successful defense of her crown after defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-4 at Court Chatrier Saturday.
With her fifth Grand Slam title, she became the first woman to repeat in Paris since tennis legend and childhood idol Steffi Graf accomplished it by winning in 1995-96.
The 24-year-old fifth seeded Belgian also won her third French Open in four years.
"Winning here for the third time means maybe more than the fifth Grand Slam for me, I mean, because it's physically and mentally very hard on clay," Henin-Hardenne said afterwards to reporters during a postmatch conference.
The champion's third title at Roland Garros tied her with Monica Seles and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario. By prevailing in straight sets, she also became the first female winner to not drop a set in the tournament since Sanchez-Vicario did it in 1994. It was the sixth time since the Open Era that a women's singles winner didn't lose a set en route to the title.
Though she didn't play her best tennis, Henin-Hardenne came through when she needed to the most on the big points against Kuznetsova. In her first final at Roland Garros, the 20-year-old eighth seeded Russian got off to a slow start by dropping her serve right away in the opening game. Unable to get untracked from the baseline, she fell two breaks behind at 1-4.
But just when it looked like Henin-Hardenne would roll to an easy first set, Kuznetsova finally found her game. After breaking for 2-4, she held to cut the deficit to one. Continuing to apply pressure, she had a chance to break again and get back on serve. But the resilient defending champion fought it off with a backhand winner before gaining the crucial hold for 5-3.
After Kuznetsova held for 4-5, Henin-Hardenne served out the set, sealing it with some hustle to force her opponent into netting a forehand.
"I've been very calm during the whole tournament, even if I never really played my best tennis," Henin-Hardenne said after finishing with 30 unforced errors to just 16 winners.
"I played very well on the crucial points, and today again. So I'm very, very happy the way it goes right now."
Despite dropping the opening set, Kuznetsova came out strong in the second holding serve and then gaining a quick break without dropping a point. When she won the first two points of her serve, it was the first eight of the set which had her in position to take control. But Henin-Hardenne fought back to take the next four points thanks to some miscues by Kuznetsova to get back on serve 1-2.
"I didn't use the chances I had. I had so many of them," a disappointed Kuznetsova said after committing 38 unforced errors to only 17 winners. "And she served well some important moments on the lines. But the rest, I was 2 Love, 30 Love, and I felt like I'm in control, same as I was in the end of the first set."
"Then you just miss two balls and then you lose your chance, you know. You let her come back to the match. And if you keep losing, keep missing, you know, you keep letting her back, it's not possible to win."
After a quick hold leveled the set, the two traded holds before Henin-Hardenne grabbed the momentum in the seventh game. Raising her level, she strung together her best points of the match, producing three winners including an overhead to break Kuznetsova again and pull two games within her destiny.
"Crucial game at 3 all in the second. I played my best tennis. I did return and volley. I took the opportunity," Henin-Hardenne pointed out.
"So I probably didn't play my best tennis during the whole match, but at very important games, that's what I did. That's been the same during all my seven matches this week."
After each player held to make it 5-4, Henin-Hardenne served out the match, clinching it on a long Kuznetsova forehand. The triumphant winner raised her arms and celebrated before being congratulated at the net by the runner up.
During the trophy presentation, she made sure to thank her coach Carlos Rodriguez for helping guide her.
"In June, it's 10 years- 10 years of trust, 10 years of respect, 10 years of ups and downs, and we still together," she beamed about their relationship.
"It's amazing. I will never play tennis without him. That's the only thing I know right now."
Bjorkman and Mirnyi Repeat In Men's Doubles: Jonas Bjorkman and Max Mirnyi were repeat men's doubles winners at Roland Garros to win their second Grand Slam title.
The second seeds cameback to defeat the No.1 seeded Bryan twins Mike and Bob 6-7 (5), 6-4, 7-5. The Bryans were aiming for a record third consecutive slam win in the Open Era. But their attempt at history in a sixth straight final was foiled by Mirnyi and Bjorkman who fought hard to pull out the victory in two hours 30 minutes.
"It's sweet to win back to back. One or two points made the difference today," an excited Bjorkman said afterwards.
"It was a big battle between two of the top teams. This is as good as doubles get."
Federer and Nadal Take Center Stage Sunday: A lot will be on the line later today when top seeded Swiss world number one Roger Federer takes on second seeded defending champion Rafael Nadal.
While Federer will be looking to become the sixth man in history to pull off a career Grand Slam (Andre Agassi, Don Budge, Roy Emerson, Rod Laver and Fred Perry), Nadal will attempt to become the first repeat men's winner since Gustavo Kuerten in 2000-01.
Also on the line is Nadal's Open Era record of 59 consecutive clay court wins. If he prevails for No. 60, the 20-year-old Spaniard would become the youngest back-to-back winner since a 19-year-old Bjorn Borg repeated in 1975.
At stake will also be Federer's perfect 7-0 record in slam finals. If he is to make it 8-for-8, he'll have to break his four match losing streak to Nadal. That includes all three of his defeats this year. Even a five set loss in Rome last month in which he held match points before falling in five hours.
Federer brings a 27 match win streak in slams having won the last three ('05 Wimbledon, '05 U.S. Open, '06 Australian Open). His last loss came to Nadal in the French Open semifinals last year.
It's 1 vs 2 for all the marbles. Be sure to tune in at 9 AM on NBC. History could be made.
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