Tennis: Head Girl Henin Graduates From the School of Hard Knocks

Justin Henin-Hardenne and Mary Pierce have both experienced their share of personal hardship and their arrival at today's French Open final represents a triumph over adversity.

Henin continues to draw succour from the memory of her mother, who died when she was young and who first brought her to Roland Garros. The 23-year-old Belgian's other travails have been more recent: a debilitating and long-lasting viral illness that brought a stop to her tennis career last year.

"You have all sorts of doubts coming into your mind, like are you ever going to be normal again? I am still experiencing a certain physical fatigue and mental tiredness, but the difference now is that I am not worrying about it any more."

Pierce, at 30 edging towards the end of her career, experienced unhappy times too, the victim of an overbearing father. Then, after winning the French title in 2000, came a serious shoulder injury that refused to heal properly. "But I had something inside of me that was telling me: 'You know, you're not done.' I still don't know what that means today. It could be the results on the court; it could be something else."

Despite their respective adversities this is the fifth slam final for them both. Henin's have been compressed within a four-year span, beginning at Wimbledon in 2001 when she lost to Venus Williams, whereas Pierce's have been spread over a decade.

After losing to Williams, Henin won her next three finals, all against her compatriot Kim Clijsters: here and at the US Open in 2003, and in Australia last year. Pierce lost her opening slam final here against Arantxa Sánchez Vicario in 1994; beat the same opponent in the 1995 Australian Open; lost in Melbourne two years later against Martina Hingis of Switzerland, and then won the 2000 French Open against Conchita Martínez.

Those five years since Pierce won her second major have seen wholesale changes in the game, with virtually every newcomer able to hit the ball with the power that once singled out the French woman's game. Her forehand remains a formidable weapon, however, and now, after four years of not being to train properly, Pierce is as fit as ever.

"I just keep on persevering and believing in myself. There's no secret. Hard work always pays off, sooner or later."

Pierce and Henin have met three times previously. Pierce has not won a set, and Henin is undefeated on clay this year, a run of 23 matches. "Nobody is unbeatable," said Pierce. "Svetlana [Kuznetsova] had two match points against her in the fourth round."

Much may depend on how Henin serves. She has been having problems with a sciatic nerve, which was clearly affecting her against Nadia Petrova in the semi-finals. However, by the end of that match she appeared to be moving freely.

The Belgian has the best backhand in women's tennis and her inside-out forehand has become an increasingly potent weapon: "We've worked pretty hard on this shot because it gives me more points."

If they are both at their best then Henin should win in straight sets. She is more mobile and has a greater variety of shots, as was most evident when she defeated Maria Sharapova, the world No2, in the quarter-finals. She was on top of her form in that match, whereas against Petrova and Kuznetsova her timing was frequently awry: "I still have my ups and downs, but I hope not to have them against Mary."

If her form should dip then Pierce is very much in the mood to take advantage.