05/15/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Tennis Betting) - One of tennis' greatest champions abruptly called it a career this week, as Justine Henin decided she'd had enough of the tennis lifestyle at only 25 years of age.
Much like Bjorn Borg in the early 1980s, perhaps the Belgian star was burned out. She certainly battled a bevy of physical problems, not to mention a fair share of mental anguish, during her great run, which included seven Grand Slam singles titles, a Fed Cup championship (2001) and an Olympic gold medal (2004).
Henin was often plagued by fatigue issues, and was slowed mightily a few years back by a strain of cytomegalovirus, an energy-sapping immune system problem that often forced her to sleep up to 18 hours a day and left her with barely enough strength to even brush her teeth.
But at no point did we think she'd retire before the midway point of this 2008 campaign.
The former JH-H was 16-4 with a pair of titles this year. Not too bad, right? But instead of continuing her assault on the record books, the diminutive star held a mid-week news conference in her homeland to let everybody know that she was leaving the game for good...with no regrets.
In doing so, "Juju" became the first-ever standing women's No. 1 to retire, and the second Belgian great within the last year to hang 'em up, as former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters quit the sport last year in order to start a family (which she has since done).
"The decision is final, I stop immediately with tennis," said Henin, who was flanked by her long-time coach, Argentine Carlos Rodriguez, at the news conference. "I stop without regret. I've given everything."
She added that she is "not sad, but relieved and proud" of her decision.
Henin, who will turn 26 on June 1, suffered a third-round defeat at the hands of Russian Dinara Safina in Berlin last week and then pulled out of this week's event in Rome, citing (what else?) fatigue.
The four-time French Open champion, who took the last three championships at Roland Garros, opted against gearing up for a shot at a fifth overall and fourth straight title at the only clay-court major, which starts in less than two weeks. The reigning queen of clay ends her career with a 21-match winning streak at RG.
All told, Henin tallied 41 titles on the WTA Tour and more than $19.4 million in prize money. She led the circuit with a whopping 10 titles last year, a year in which she pocketed over $5 million and captured both French and U.S. Open crowns.
The diminutive star first reached No. 1 in October 2003 and this week marked her 61st consecutive one at the top of the rankings, and 117th overall, which is good enough for sixth place on that all-time list.
The 5-foot-5 Henin was best known for that spectacular one-handed backhand, her tremendous athleticism and foot speed, mental strength and an unrivaled work ethic. She was able to combine power and finesse, which enabled her to excel on any surface.
Her outstanding footwork, balance and court coverage were top shelf, and she always demonstrated exceptional volleying skills. Henin also boasted an underrated serve, which topped out at 124 miles per hour back in 2005.
"Pound for pound Justine is the greatest player of her generation," said WTA Tour founder and legend Billie Jean King.
The steady Henin captured every major tennis event, with the exception of Wimbledon; helped tiny Belgium win its first and only Fed Cup title; and was a two-time winner of the prestigious year-end Tour Championships.
"Justine Henin will be remembered as one of the all-time great champions in women's tennis, and a woman who made up for her lack of size with a will to win and fighting spirit that was second to none," said WTA Tour chairman and CEO Larry Scott. "It is rare that an athlete leaves at the very top of her game in this day and age, but Justine has always played by her own rules, in the very best sense of those words. History will remember Justine for not only her seven Grand Slam titles and three years finishing as the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's No.1, but for one of the most graceful backhands the sport has ever seen and an ability to overcome any and all obstacles placed in her way on and off the court."
The three-time year-end No. 1 had some great rivalries, with her countrywoman Clijsters, and Serena Williams. She went 12-10 lifetime versus Kimmy, including a win in the first-ever all-Belgian Grand Slam final at the 2003 French Open. Henin also topped Clijsters in the '03 U.S. Open final and the 2004 Aussie Open finale. Against her arch-rival Serena, Henin was 6-7 and won three straight Grand Slam quarterfinal bouts against the sturdy American last season. Oddly enough, Henin and the former top-ranked Serena never squared off in a major final.
FYI, the two-time U.S. Open champion and 2004 Aussie Open titlist Henin was 6-3 lifetime against Maria Sharapova and 2-7 versus Venus Williams, if you want to compare her against some of her other contemporaries.
Henin, who spent the last eight years inside the world's top eight, was also well known for having a troubled personal life. Her mother died in 1995 when she was only 12 years old, she went eight years without speaking to her estranged father Jose, and she divorced her husband, Pierre-Yves Hardenne, in 2007.
One thing I know for sure is that Henin's retirement is bad news for the world of tennis. Tennis, like all sports, is only as great as its greatest champions and its mouth-watering rivalries. And with Henin's exit, you lose not only the compelling rivalry with Serena, but also one of the game's top players of all- time.
And for the record, I can't think of anyone I enjoyed watching more than the determined Belgian.
Is Henin truly gone for good? My gut feeling says yes. But don't forget that Borg attempted that ill-fated comeback in the early '90s, with his trademark headband and wooden racquet in tow.
Farewell, Queen Justine!!!
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The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center Nick Mangold (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers Reggie Williams and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
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