[新聞] The One and Only
前女雙好手Suarez對Henin的好評～讚啦！
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=3065754
Bigger doesn't necessarily mean better, especially for Henin
By Paola Suarez ESPN Updated: October 16, 2007, 3:24 PM ET
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- The season's not over yet, but the WTA already
has crowned its No.1, and it's a familiar face: Justine Henin.
Physically, the 25-year-old Belgian is one of the tiniest players in the
circuit (5-foot-5¾, 125 pounds), but today she's the fair and square No.1.
It's no coincidence that this is the second consecutive season she will end
as the world's top-ranked player (something she achieved for the first time
in 2003).
In a game where strength and speed are more important every day, what are the
keys to her success?
The Beginning
When Henin entered the circuit in 1998, she was a very complete player, with
a great forehand, an even better backhand with topspin and a very decent
backhand with slice, which all made up for a game full of resources.
Still, the young Henin had a weak spot. Someone had to organize her tactics
and help her become stronger both physically and psychologically if she
wanted to become one of the world's best players.
Her trainer since childhood, Carlos "Titi" Rodriguez, always traveled with
her. Rodriguez, born in Argentina, would play a key role in Henin's
education, both personal and professional. In the long term, that would prove
to be a decisive element on the tennis court.
As Henin gained experience in the circuit and her game improved, her maturity
inside and outside the tennis court progressed at a similar pace. In a
two-year period following her professional debut, Henin made her way into the
top 50, and by 2001, she was ranked in the top 10.
By that time, in terms of tennis skills, she was ready to be the best. But
psychologically, Henin faltered in key moments. The final moments of the big
tournaments seemed to be too much for her. She still had to believe in
herself, needed to trust herself.
The Big Jump
Being No. 1 is not something exclusively attached to talent and/or physical
condition. That perception is extremely mistaken. A player's mentality is
just as important, if not more important, than her physical gifts.
The day Rodriguez finally convinced Henin she really was the best player in
the world in all respects, was the day she made the final transition from
being a very complete player to becoming No. 1.
It's been two years now since Henin started displaying a more confident
attitude inside and outside the court. The consequence is that when you play
against her, she has an edge: She makes you feel she is such a complete
player on the other side of the net that for each ball you play she's got a
solution, she's already figured out what you want to do and how to stop you.
Aside from being very fast and having powerful and almost perfect shots, the
added confidence she has achieved makes her choose the correct stroke with
every ball she plays.
One cannot forget that the beginning of 2007 was personally hard for her,
starting with the divorce from her husband Pierre-Yves Hardenne. The fact
that she was able to return to the circuit after not playing the Australian
Open and make such a successful comeback serves as an example of how the
fears she had in the past are long gone.
It is gratifying to see that in an era when speed, power and strength rule
the circuit, a player like Henin can still beat the great guns by playing a
more resourceful game which is, at the same time, much more attractive to
watch.
Paola Suarez won 44 doubles titles (including eight Grand Slams) and eight
singles titles in her career. She is a frequent contributor to
ESPNdeportes.com.
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