Henin-Hardenne says women’s game getting harder

By Julian Linden

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – The days when the top women could
expect to turn up at grand slams and simply stroll through the
early rounds are gone forever, according to Justine
Henin-Hardenne.

The former world number one says there is so much in depth
in women’s tennis these days that even the best players have to
be on their guard at all times.

“Women’s tennis is changing a little bit. We cannot say
that the first week is easy for the top seeds,” Henin-Hardenne
told a news conference at the Australian Open on Wednesday.

“We have to be focused in every match because all these
players, they want to beat us and they want to be at our place.

“We need to be one hundred percent all the time. I think
that’s changed from a couple years ago.”

As if to prove her point, Henin-Hardenne was given a tough
workout by little-known Czech Hana Sromova at the Australian
Open on Wednesday.

Henin-Hardenne, seeded eighth for the championship, won the
match 7-6 6-1 but it was anything but easy.

The Belgian had never seen the Czech play before and
struggled to adapt to her game in the opening set.

Sromova provided her with plenty of stubborn resistance to
force the opening set into a tiebreak but her challenge faded
quickly in the second set when she rolled her left ankle and
crashed on to the court.

“I hate to play someone that I’ve never seen play or heard
anything about,” Henin-Hardenne said.

“It’s not easy because you don’t know what really to
expect. I don’t like this kind of situation.”

NEW Favorite

The victory enforced the bookmakers’ decision to install
Henin-Hardenne ahead of compatriot Kim Clijsters as favorite to
win the title following a brilliant start to the season.

She has yet to drop a set in her two matches in Melbourne
so far but remains unhappy about her form.

“I wasn’t feeling that great on the court. I was doing the
mistakes and the winners. That’s not the kind of game I like,”
she said.

“I never really found the right balance between aggression
and patience but that’s the kind of match you have to win even
if you’re not playing good.”

Henin-Hardenne took last week’s Sydney International and
has not lost a match in Australia since 2003. She won the
Australian Open in 2004 but injury prevented her from defending
her title last season.