Return of Clijsters, Henin good for women tennis: Monica Seles

Amit Kumar Das
Abu Dhabi, Mar 15 (PTI) The women tennis has got richer
and the WTA competition more challenging with the return of
Justin Henin and Kim Clijsters, says former star Monica Seles,
who has no doubt that the former will be a contender at the
French Open -- the next Grand Slam of the season.
The two Belgian players recently came out of retirements
to make a stupendous comeback to the competitive tennis.
On her return, Clijsters became the first unranked player
and wildcard to win US Open and the first mother to win a
major since Evonne Goolagong in 1980.
Henin too has proved that she is still the same force
which she was before by reaching the finals of the Brisbane
International and the Australian Open this year.
"I think 2010 is going to be as good as it can get. With
the two (Henin and Kim) pushing Serena, Venus Williams, Jelena
Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Dinara Safina, it is going to be
really good. To me all this is going to be great as a tennis
fan," Seles said recently at the Laureas Awards ceremony here.
Now the clay court of the Roland Garros are awaiting
Henis where she has triumphed four times -- including three
consecutive title wins -- before.
Interestingly, it was Seles only who won three French
Open titles in a row in the open era before Henin equalled her
record and the former World number one says the Belgian is
there to grab the fifth trophy in May-June.
"As a former player when I watch, I'd like the best
players to play against each other. That's where you see the
highest level of tennis being played. The Australian Open was
great. The French Open will be even more interesting. Justin
will be the favourite to win the French Open," Seles said.
The Hungarian-American player is eagerly waiting the
second Grand Slam to unfold.
"But Kim is a great mover and a fantastic player. I can't
wait for the French Open to start and watch Kim and Justine
play," Seles, bubbling with joy, said.
Seles, who was listed as 13th greatest player of all time
by 'Tennis magazine', is amazed by the incredible comeback of
the two Belgian players, who she says have become a source of
inspiration for the women tennis players.
"I think, for Kim to have a child along the way and come
back and win a Grand Slam (US Open) last year is really
amazing. The way she played with such mental toughness and
conviction in the US Open will be an inspiration to any
woman.
"And Justin's comeback is great for the sport. She has
already shown her mettle in the Australian Open this year. But
she lost to Serena in the final," she added.
Talking about Roger Federer, Seles said the Swiss star
will set such records that would be hard to break for any
tennis player in years to come.
"It's been an unbelievable year (2009) for him. After a
brief bad period, how he came back to win the French and US
Open was amazing. He is a great ambassador for the game not
only on court but also off-court.
"Roger has dominated his sport to a level we have not
seen before. He is going to set records which won't be broken
for a long time," Seles said.
World Number one in 1991-1992, Seles was forced out of
the sport for more than two years following an on-court
attack by a German spectator, who stabbed her in the back.
But the gritty player battled her way back to the courts
and won the 1996 Australian Open, before announcing her
retirement in 2008.
Seles currently works on women issues and has got herself
involved with various forums like Laureus.
"I do tennis clinics for kids in USA as I like them to
get involved in sports. I also give motivational speech for
women on weight loss issues," said Seles, a member of the
International Tennis Hall of Fame.
"I became an Laureus Academy member recently. I believe
in their message. I have been involved in a project in South
Africa and two different projects in New York. I went to White
House this year to push in for equality for women sports," she
added. PTI ATK DB AT