Sydney, Jan 10 (DPA) Former number one Justine Henin’s comeback run was halted Sunday after a left gluteal strain forced her out of the Medibank International tennis.
The unseeded Henin returned this week from retirement that lasted 20 months and lost the Brisbane final Saturday to compatriot Kim Clijsters.
Henin’s upper thigh injury was serious enough to force her pullout from Sydney and throw a scare into her scheduled return to the Grand Slam play at the Australian Open starting in eight days.
“I’m very disappointed that I can’t play Sydney, which I like a lot,” Henin said. “Unfortunately with my injury I need to take rest and won’t be able to play for a couple of days.”
Henin won the event four times and would have played top seed Serena Williams in the second round, had the Belgian, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, gotten past her first-round match.
Nine of the top ten women remain in the field of the event which began Sunday and which features a men’s ATP field.
“My leg was sore for the last few days and really got worse in the third set,” said Henin. “I hope it’s not that serious and I can recover soon.
“It would be a great, great mistake to go and play Sydney and I’m not going to play for a few days.”
Henin continues to undergo treatment in Brisbane before hopefully travelling to Melbourne.
Henin, who took sudden retirement in May, 2008, saying she felt burned out, won the Sydney event in 2004, 2006 and 2008.
rounak