Playing Style
At the 2007 French Open, Martina Navratilova said that "Henin's offense is just phenomenal ... it's sort of like we've got 'the female Federer', or maybe the guys have 'the male Justine Henin', because she is just head and shoulders above everyone else right now." Henin's footwork, balance, and court coverage—and she is adept at changing from a defensive style to an aggressive one.
Despite her relatively small size, Henin has a powerful serve, which has been measured at a top speed of 196 km/h (122 mph) at the 2005 Family Circle Cup. Henin's single-handed backhand is the most powerful and accurate in the game. She can hit her backhand 'flat', with heavy topspin, or slice . Her backhand can also be used to surprise her opponents with dropshots, breaking up the pattern of a groundstroke rally. Her slice backhand is regarded as one of the best of all time. However, Henin's forehand is generally regarded as her most dangerous weapon, and the stroke that she normally uses to dictate the play of a match.
Read more about this topic: Justine Henin
Famous quotes containing the words playing and/or style:
“Sometimes, because of its immediacy, television produces a kind of electronic parable. Berlin, for instance, on the day the Wall was opened. Rostropovich was playing his cello by the Wall that no longer cast a shadow, and a million East Berliners were thronging to the West to shop with an allowance given them by West German banks! At that moment the whole world saw how materialism had lost its awesome historic power and become a shopping list.”
—John Berger (b. 1926)
“It is the style of idealism to console itself for the loss of something old with the ability to gape at something new.”
—Karl Kraus (1874–1936)