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PARIS - As always, Justine Henin punctuated her most appropriate shots with shouts of “Allez!” — French for “Come on!”
In this case, it additionally meant, “I’m back!”
Henin took a big step Tuesday in her lapse from retirement, violence Tsvetana Pironkova in the initial turn of the French Open 6-4, 6-3. The compare was Henin’s initial at Roland Garros given 2007, when she won the contest for the fourth time.
“I didn’t know unequivocally what to design and how I was going to understanding with my emotions,” the Belgian said. “As I walked in and I was in to my match, I felt a lot of things were entrance back. It was usually illusory to share this again with the crowd, as they gave me one some-more time great support. So it was unequivocally great to be back.”
Henin rejoined the debate in Jan following a 20-month retirement, and whilst she’s seeded usually 22nd, she’s deliberate one of the favorites for the title.
“She has all of the chances to win this tournament,” pronounced Pironkova, who had played — and lost to — Henin 3 times before. “She still plays great. I don’t think she lost (anything) with that rest that she had. I think she is personification even better. She’s faster, and her strokes are some-more secure.”
Henin endured a little husky moments in the second set, when Pironkova won 3 uninterrupted games for a 3-2 lead. Henin swept 10 points in a row to recover control, and following an additional stagger portion at 4-3, she took the last 6 points.
“I didn’t offer unequivocally great in that match, that’s for sure,” Henin said. “First turn is never easy. So I’m usually happy I came through.”
Henin strike lifelike backhands, nifty dump shots and sepulchral beyond slams — all staples in a repertoire that has helped her win 7 Grand Slam titles. She additionally longed for some-more than half of her initial serves, however, and blew a handful of easy putaways.
“I’ve worked flattering tough in the last couple of months, but the proceed is still unequivocally long,” she said. “I’m probably less unchanging right away than I was in conditions of keeping the power all the time. That’s what I’m workingat the moment.”
French OpenMay 23-June 6, ParisWomen: Schiavone surges to seize crownTennis.com: Killer instinct aids Schiavone NBC video: Soderling could plea NadalMen: Nadal, Soderling set up rematchTennis.com: Soderling shows off his powerFrench Open schedules, scoreboard
Despite the unsuitable play, Henin lengthened her winning strain at Roland Garros to twenty-two uninterrupted matches and 37 uninterrupted sets. She hasn’t lost at the French Open given 2004.
Trying to win the usually Grand Slam pretension blank from her resume, the 12th-seeded Maria Sharapova separated 110th-ranked Ksenia Pervak 6-3, 6-2 Tuesday.
Sharapova had won twenty-four uninterrupted first-round matches at Grand Slams until being dissapoint at that theatre at the Australian Open in January. Now she’s starting a new streak.
Sharapova’s most appropriate display at Roland Garros was the 2007 semifinals. She longed for time this deteriorate with a right bend injury, but won a clay-court tuneup at Strasbourg last weekend.
It was the 18-year-old Pervak’s entrance in the main pull of a vital tournament.
Kimiko Date Krumm additionally done a successful Roland Garros comeback, violence two-time runner-up Dinara Safina 3-6, 6-4, 7-5. The 39-year-old Date Krumm is the second-oldest lady to win a compare in the tournament. She finished a 12-year early retirement in 2008, was personification in the French Open for the initial time given 1996.
French Open scoreboardMen"s, womens singles matches
Seeded women some-more advanced enclosed No. eighteen Shahar Peer, No. twenty-one Vera Zvonareva, No. twenty-three Daniela Hantuchova and No. twenty-nine Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. None lost some-more than 6 games.
Two U.S. women won — Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Jill Craybas. Top-seeded Venus and Serena Williams won their opening doubles match, violence Kirsten Flipkens and Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-0, 6-1.
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