Justine Henin Wins 32nd Straight, Awaits Maria Sharapova in Quarterfinals
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Jan 19, 2008 | Print | Email | Bookmark | Free Subscription
World No. 1 Justine Henin won her thirty-second consecutive match on Sunday with a solid 6-2, 6-2 win over Su-Wei Hsieh at the Australian Open.
Henin will face Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
Henin quickly raced to a 6-2, 5-0 lead in the fourth round meeting, only to falter and lose her serve. Hseih held her next service game before Justine finally served out the match on her third match point.
Maria Sharapova also advanced to the round of eight on Sunday afternoon. The fifth seed defeated her countrywoman Elena Dementieva in straight sets 6-2, 6-0.
Although her new service technique produces fewer errors, Dementieva is not putting as much pace on her serves. This low-risk approach eliminates most of her double-faults, but it gives power players - like Maria - a chance to get a good swing on her second, and even first serves. Her fastest serve of the match clocked in at 173Km, far less than Sharapova’s highest at 186Km.
If Henin and Sharapova’s quarterfinal is half as good as their last meeting at the Sony Ericsson Championships in November, Tuesday’s match will be one not to miss.
pov | Jan 20, 2008 | Reply
How is Henin winning? Looking at the match stats, she was outplyaed in almost every way.
Match Summary Henin (BEL)Hsieh (TPE) 1st Serve %30 of 63 = 48 %29 of 50 = 58 %
Aces20
Double Faults41
Unforced Errors2324
Winning % on 1st Serve20 of 30 = 67 %8 of 29 = 28 %
Winning % on 2nd Serve15 of 33 = 45 %13 of 21 = 62 %
Winners (Including Service)2016
Receiving Points Won29 of 50 = 58 %28 of 63 = 44 %
Break Point Conversions6 of 9 = 67 %2 of 5 = 40 %
Net Approaches15 of 20 = 75 %6 of 10 = 60 %
Total Points Won6449
Fastest Serve185 KMH165 KMH Average 1st Serve Speed171 KMH145 KMH Average 2nd Serve Speed142 KMH117 KMH
pov | Jan 20, 2008 | Reply
How is Henin winning? Looking at the match stats, she was outplayed in almost every way.
Stats are here: http://www.australianopen.com/en_AU/scores/stats/day12/2401ms.html
Aaress | Jan 20, 2008 | Reply
Good question, Pov. Apparently, Justine’s winning the points that really matter, but I’m not convinced that she will be good enough to defeat Sharapova tomorrow.
Henin has never been the best server in women’s tennis, so I’m not puzzled by her low service percentage or double faults, but the key to her continued success is that she returns serve so well.
Lee Chen Siong | Jan 20, 2008 | Reply
So what. justine will definitely delivers when it matters. Playing against Hsieh, a novice for the first time, esp when leading 6-2, 5-0. That explains the late hiccups. But playing Maria in the quarters will be something else. She will simply rise to the occasion to beat Maria, again. You bet.
pov | Jan 20, 2008 | Reply
Yeah. It’s interesting. I was musing that there’s a state I’ll call winning-ness. Most everyone has been there from time-to-time. It seems that certain people lock into that state for longer periods and, no matter what, they pull off the victory. If Justine Henin is still in that state, Sharapova - who I’m rooting for - may have a difficult time.
Lee Chen Siong | Jan 22, 2008 | Reply
My! I was made speechless. Gotta swallow my words! Sharapova simply played a flawless game. Guess you were right to say that Henin was no longer in that state of winning-ness. She was simply outplayed in all departments. Congrats to you and your Maria.