MELBOURNE: Justine Henin insisted she was still capable of beating the top players after she downed fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 6-3 in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday.
Former world No.1 Justine Henin has successfully returned to grand slam tennis with a comfortable Australian Open first-round win over fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens.
Henin controlled the one hour, 13 minute match from the start and was never threatened to run out a 6-4 6-3 winner on Melbourne Park's Hisense Arena.
Unseeded Henin, a seven-time grand slam singles champion, came out of a 19-month retirement to return to professional tennis.
Monday's win puts her on track for a possible second-round showdown with fifth seeded Russian Elena Dementieva, the 28-year-old Russian never allowed Dushevina to settle, clinically dismantling her service game with constant pressure which yielded six breaks.
Dementieva said she had not seen Henin's match but knew the Belgian would be a difficult opponent despite her rustiness.
"I think it's going to be a tough challenge because Justine, she's a very experienced player," she said. "I'm sure she was getting ready for this comeback. So I'm just expecting a tough match against her."
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