From giddy heights of Wimbledon final to an attack of the sophomore blues

Justine Henin carries a weight of expectation, writes Eleanor Preston.

Americans call it the sophomore syndrome and Justine Henin knows all about it. A year ago she hit the big time, stunning even those who had predicted great things for her by going on a three-week roll during which she reached the semi-finals of the French Open and went all the way to a Wimbledon final.

This year, having reached the ripe old age of 20, with a place in the world's top 10 secure and expectations in her native Belgium sky high, she has to come back and do it all again. As the Americans would put it, there is only one thing tougher than making it to the top, and that is doing it all again the following year.

Henin's solution to the problem is simple. Rather than resting on the glory of 12 months ago, she is doing her level best to forget about it. "I don't want to compare this year to last year because I think that would be a mistake," she says, a wise head on young shoulders. "I've done very well in the first six months of this year so it's very important for me to continue that way and not think about what a great tournament I had last year."

Not thinking about things is easier said than done for Henin. Despite winning five career titles and notching up wins over Jennifer Capriati and the Williams sisters, she has had enough hiccups to earn a reputation for choking.

She famously blew a set-and-4-1 lead over her compatriot Kim Clijsters in the 2001 French Open semi-final, and did the same against Venus Williams in the final in Amelia Island in April.

She atoned for that mental meltdown by beating Serena Williams in the German Open final a few weeks later, but when she was dumped out in the first round of the French Open this year by the little-known Hungarian Aniko Kapros it was taken as another sign of her freezing in the spotlight, though she herself blamed a bout of bronchitis.

"I felt terrible two days before my match and afterwards I could barely breathe," says Henin, who needed two weeks off to get mind and body back together in time for Wimbledon. "I slept a lot because I was sick and I just enjoyed being at home because I had played a lot in the weeks leading into Roland Garros.

"I wasn't sure how my body would react to having had that time off but it's been OK. This week I have just been trying to get as much practice on the grass as possible."

Though clay is the surface on which she grew up, there is no doubt that Henin is every inch a grass-court player and suited to Wimbledon. Her style has always been aggressive and on grass, where she can avoid long rallies against the huge hitters who tower over her, she is always dangerous.

Whereas most of her contemporaries prefer to bludgeon from the baseline and come to the net only to shake hands, Henin grew up idolising swashbuckling serve-and-volleyers such as Stefan Edberg and Steffi Graf.

"I have to use my talent and use what I have to play," she says. "I'm not a strong girl and I don't like to do a lot of rallies so I prefer to come to the net and to be aggressive. They [the other girls] are so strong so I have to play a different sort of game." What is more, she knows how to volley and is in possession of what Martina Navratilova calls "the finest backhand in the women's game", an entirely natural stroke she insists was never taught.

What she was not born with she has acquired through her coach Carlos Rodriguez. When she returned after the off- season she was sporting an imposing pair of shoulders and bulging biceps, the product of a gym regime designed to give her frame a helping hand against the bigger women.

Henin also remodelled her serve, so now she starts from an almost crouching position and bounces the ball only a few inches off the ground before springing up. "I did a lot of power training and worked very hard on my serve but I'll always play with what I have in my game. I have many things to oppose the game of the stronger players. I'm like this and I work with it."

So far her results this year, Paris aside, suggest she is starting to cope with the pressure that comes with success, but even she admits things may change as Wimbledon draws closer.

"Maybe it will be different when I get to Wimbledon," she shrugs, "but I had such a great reaction from the crowd last year and everything went so well that I think when I get there it will only be positive."

Henin's year of near misses

2001 July Beaten in Wimbledon final by Venus Williams

September Hawaii finalist

October Filderstadt finalist

November With Kim Clijsters wins the Fed Cup for Belgium

2002 January Loses Gold Coast final to Venus Williams; loses to Clijsters in quarter-finals of Sydney and Australian Opens

February Loses Antwerp final to Venus Williams

April Loses Amelia Island final to Venus Williams after holding match point.

May Beats Serena Williams in Berlin final; loses Italian Open final to Serena Williams; beaten in French Open first round by Aniko Kapros and bronchitis

June Returns to grass at Rosmalen. Seeded sixth for Wimbledon, will play Brie Rippner of the United States in the first round.

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