Justine Henin Wins Top Honors in 2007 Baseline Awards

Tennis fans worldwide have voted, the results have been tallied, and world No. 1 Justine Henin has been named Player of the Year in the 2007 Baseline Awards.

Beating out Venus and Serena Williams and a host of write-in nominees, Justine Henin handily won by capturing 66 percent of the votes cast in the Player of the Year category. The Belgian star won her fourth Roland Garros title in 2007, also the US Open and the Sony Ericsson Championships.

The doubles partnership of Cara Black and Liezel Huber achieved two Grand Slams victories and the season-ending Championships title in 2007. Fans selected the South African/USA team as Doubles Team of the Year.

Complete List of Winners

2007 Player of the Year - Justine Henin
After skipping the Australian circuit because of personal problems, Justine Henin stormed back to dominance on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour by winning ten titles last season. Her match record in 2007 was 63-4 and Henin became the first woman to pass $5 million in season earnings ($5,429,586), passing previous all-time record holder Clijsters’ $4,466,345 total from 2003.

2007 Doubles Team of the Year - Cara Black and Liezel Huber
After reviving a successful partnership that brought them the 2005 Wimbledon ladies doubles title, Cara Black and Liezel Huber reclaimed former glory in 2007 by ascending to the number one ranking as a team and hoisting together the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and the Sony Ericsson Championships doubles trophies.

2007 Newcomer of the Year - Agnes Szavay
Agnes Szavay stormed onto the public’s radar in 2007 when after entering the Pilot Pen in New Haven as a qualifier, she reached the final against top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova. Szavay’s Cinderella run ended with a tearful retirement, but not before she won herself a host of fans and supporters worldwide. In September Szavay won her first Tier II title at the China Open, where she upset world No. 3 Jelena Jankovic in the final.

2007 Fan Favorite of the Year - Jelena Jankovic
Beating out among others Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova, Jelena Jankovic won top honors as the Fan Favorite of the Year. Although she came up short in the singles event of all four Grand Slams, Jankovic captivated and enthralled fans with her cheerful personality, witty tongue, and relaxed outlook on life.

2007 Humanitarian of the Year - Venus Williams
In February the All-England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club announced that an equal purse would be awarded in 2007 at Wimbledon. Relentless campaigning had been made for decades by many now retired and current players, including Venus Williams. It was only fitting that five months later Venus would become the first woman in history to receive the same prize money as the male champion at Wimbledon.

2007 Comeback Player of the Year - Lindsay Davenport
Lindsay Davenport’s remarkable comeback was one of the biggest stories of the year. The thirty-two year-old American gave birth to her first child in June, only to return in September with the title at her first singles event in Bali. One title was not enough for the Tour’s latest Mommy as Davenport backed up her performance in Bali by winning her fifty-third career title in November at Quebec City.

Best Grand Slam Title of the Year - Serena Williams (Australian Open)
Her critics said she was overweight, unfit, and lacking everything apart from blustery confidence, but it was Serena Williams who scored the last laugh. After a few scrappy performances and a handful of amazing wins, Williams demolished Maria Sharapova in the championship match for her eighth major title. Ranked then at No. 81, Williams became the third-lowest ranked woman in history to win a Grand Slam singles title.

Best Non-Grand Slam Title of the Year - Lindsay Davenport (Bali)
When Lindsay Davenport returned to competition at the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic in Bali, the former world No.1 admitted that she had no idea of what to expect from herself. However, after five straight victories, an astonished, but completely delighted Davenport held baby Jagger in one arm and her fifty-second career trophy in the other.

Biggest Upset of 2007 - Marion Bartoli (d. Justine Henin at Wimbledon)
Marion Bartoli played the best match of her career on the biggest stage in tennis during the semifinals at Wimbledon. After being blown away by Justine Henin in the opening set, Bartoli resolved that she did not want her favorite actor Pierce Brosnan, who happened to be in the stands, see her go down without a fight. Fight Bartoli did, and after another two sets of intense tennis, the underdog of the season reached her first major final.

Most Emotional Moment of 2007 - Kim Clijsters’ Farewell Speech at the Proximus Diamond Games
There was barely a dry eye in the house during Kim Clijsters’ emotional farewell to her hometown fans at Antwerp’s Proximus Diamond Games in February. Amelie Mauresmo walked away with the title, but 2007’s event will forever be remembered as the site where one of Belgium’s most beloved athletes said goodbye to the sport and fans she loved.

Best Tennis Innovation - Hawkeye Challenge System at Three Grand Slams
The Hawk-Eye instant replay system has ensured that the days of players having temper tantrums over line calls are gone forever. The challenge system was used worldwide in 2007, including the Australian Open, US Open, Wimbledon, and the season ending Sony Ericsson Championships in Madrid.

Best USA Television Coverage - ESPN2
The home of three Grand Slams, the Pacific Life Open, the Sony Ericsson Open, and the US Open Series, ESPN2 provided millions of fans in the United States with unparalleled coverage of tennis in 2007. The network’s talented team of anchors, commentators, and roving reporters continue to make it the premier destination for tennis in America.

Best USA Television Commentator - Mary Joe Fernandez
Known affectionately as “M.J.” by fans and colleagues, Mary Joe Fernandez is one of the most respected and knowledgeable analysts on television in the United States. Her working repertoire with the biggest names in the women’s game helps bring an insider perspective to every match she covers.

Best Tennis Writer of 2007 - Bud Collins
One of the pioneers of tennis reporting, Bud Collins has been a fixture in tennis for over four decades. His unique, whimsical style of writing in 2007 captivated fans in the United States as he reported from the Grand Slam tournaments for NBC Sports and the Boston Globe. Collins is scheduled to cover the major tournaments for ESPN in 2008.

Best Tennis Website of 2007 - SonyEricssonWTATour.com
The official home of women’s professional tennis online, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour’s website featured live scoring, image galleries, extensive profiles on active and retired players, news, results, player blogs, and a video theater of highlights from every major tournament in 2007.

Best Tennis Blog of 2007 - Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Player Blogs
The top honors in this category did not go to an individual blog, but a compilation of blogs written weekly by the Tour’s players traveling around the world. Memorable moments in 2007 included Cara Black and Liezel Huber’s two-week blog from the US Open, Jelena Jankovic’s first-hand look at the season-ending Championships, and Venus Williams’ record-setting journals during Tokyo’s AIG Japan Open Tennis Championships.

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