Justine Henin-Hardenne wins Pilot Pen after Lindsay Davenport retires
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Aug 26, 2006 | Print |
Justine Henin-Hardenne has won the 2006 Pilot Pen tennis title after Lindsay Davenport retired with a shoulder injury at 6-0, 1-0 today in New Haven, Connecticut.
Davenport struggled with her serve throughout much of the match, and Justine Henin-Hardenne handed her a dreaded 6-0 bagel in the first set after just twenty-two minutes.
I knew that Lindsay would have to play her best to upset the Belgian, but Justine Henin-Hardenne came out on court today in New Haven and displayed some of her best tennis this season. Her victory today gives her not only the confidence to have a deep run at the US Open next week, but also makes her a legitimate threat for the title.
As for Davenport, she has to be feeling mixed emotions after her disappointing final today. She played well through the first couple rounds of this tournament, and reaching the final in only her second tournament back is impressive. On the other hand, she completely melted down against Henin-Hardenne. She started having trouble with her right shoulder earlier this week, and today the soreness and pain was just too much for her to play through. She took an injury timeout in between the sets, and although she came back on court with patches and bandages, she was forced to retire at 0-6, 0-1.
Watching Davenport’s distress during the match and her tears after retiring, I was reminded of just how much Lindsay Davenport has meant to tennis in not only America, but also the rest of the world. While other tennis stars were waltzing on the runway and highlighting the pages of Sports Illustrated, Vogue, and People, fans could always rely on Davenport showing her best performance and class both on and off the court. Instead of the image of a spoiled millionaire, Davenport portrayed the girl next door, who just happened to make a fortune playing the sport she loved.
Justine Henin-Hardenne’s victory today at Pilot Pen is projected to move her up to No. 2 in the world behind Amelie Mauresmo.
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Vicki Mainard | Aug 27, 2006 | Reply
I have to say I totally agree with comments on Lindsay’s retirement in New Haven. She has been a class act on off the court for a number of years and if she is serious about making this her last US open I hope she can play. With a Monday start that may not be possiable.
coni | Aug 28, 2006 | Reply
yes, i agree too. seeing lindsay cry after retiring made me cry too. she has not withdrawn from uso and will play today. i hope she wins her round 1 match, then take it one match at a time.praying for you lindsay!