ESPN Tennis

Brian Lynch doesn't profess to be a tennis expert. But as a former basketball pro in Europe, he's well versed in the art of competition. He also knows a thing or two about Kim Clijsters, since they've been married three years.

After watching his wife rally for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Justine Henin at Wimbledon in the 25th installment of the Belgians oft-heated rivalry, he said it was the kind of match Clijsters might have lost in her first stint on tour, pre-motherhood.

Clijsters is now 13-12 against Henin and will be the substantial favorite when she battles volatile Russian Vera Zvonareva in the quarterfinals Tuesday.

"The thing I was most proud of was the way she handled herself following the opening set," said Lynch, a former guard at Villanova. "Kim, before she retired, possibly would have let the match go. She really stayed with it."

Henin became the second comeback Belgian this year. Their previous two much-hyped encounters in Brisbane and Miami in 2010 were settled in third-set tiebreakers. And even though Clijsters prevailed, no one was underestimating Henin.

Clijsters had lost five straight to Henin in Grand Slams dating back to the 2002 Australian Open and was 0-3 in their three previous tussles on grass. A significant barrier was thus overcome.

"This will give Kim the belief that a Wimbledon title isn't a distant dream," said ESPN analyst Darren Cahill. "This was a major mental hurdle for her to climb over. There are still other big challengers that lie ahead in the draw, but to know her game held together and actually got better in the pressure moments will be the most pleasing aspect for Kim."

Brisbane and Miami, dramatic as they were, featured troughs as well as peaks. Monday's tilt on Court 1 was much the same. Clijsters looked completely at ease the first two points, then bizarrely crumbled. In the first set alone, the reigning U.S. Open champion committed 13 unforced errors, a high tally on grass.

Henin proved to be steady, flashing her all-court game and great defense. Who knows what would have happened had the seven-time winner of majors -- Wimbledon is the big one missing -- not fallen as she raced to the net early in the first? Henin injured her elbow, took an injury timeout and revealed postmatch that she was in pain. The serve and backhand particularly suffered.

Clijsters turned things around in the second set, reversing a deficit on serve in the opening game. Her deep groundstrokes pinned Henin to the baseline. In the final two sets, the result was 17 winners and 10 unforced errors. Clijsters was flawless at the net, following up those powerful groundstrokes to claim six of seven points in the final two frames.

"I was definitely going for the lines a lot better, keeping the pressure on her," Clijsters said. "Made a lot more first serves. That was a very important change in the match."

Clijsters' prematch temperament helped, too, Lynch said. The family, which includes lively 2-year-old daughter Jada, enjoyed a barbecue Sunday as the heat wave in London continued.

"She was pretty focused," said Lynch. "At the same time she was a bit looser than I expected."

Closer since returning to the circuit, Clijsters and Henin exchanged kisses on the cheek when it ended -- and truth be told, Henin had to be convinced. Maybe the injury had something to do with it.

Lynch returns to the players' box for more tennis Tuesday, somewhat begrudgingly.

"It's really difficult in the box to watch," Lynch said with a smile. "I barely have any nails left. There's no way to get rid of the stress, because it's a quiet sport. It's not like basketball. I can get out there and yell and stuff."

In some ways, the French Open was predictable: Rafael Nadal won the whole thing. In other ways, it was far from it. Roger Federer lost sooner than expected, the Queen of Clay stuttered, and a scrappy Italian with a big smile made history.

What did we learn from the tournament? Here are seven things from the seven rounds:

First round: Gasquet is the lead in Groundhog Day

Where have we seen this before -- Richard Gasquet blowing a two-set lead at a Grand Slam? Was it at this year's Australian Open, last year's Australian Open or Wimbledon 2008.

Wait, it was all of the above.

Not content with squandering advantages against Mikhail Youzhny, Fernando Gonzalez and Andy Murray, respectively -- an admittedly talented trio -- Gasquet buckled again versus the Scot.

The tormented Frenchman claimed he had nothing left in the tank for the final 2½ sets against Murray after playing a long three-set final in the French Riviera two days earlier. He took a pop at organizers for not giving him an extra day to recover, although he seemed to forget they did him a favor by sticking him on Court Suzanne Lenglen, away from the Center Court cauldron. (Gasquet can't handle the pressure of playing at Roland Garros.)

Murray, rightfully, questioned why Gasquet chose to compete at a tournament a week before the French if he wasn't prepared for the quick turnaround.

Gasquet always has an excuse. He'll never change, and more importantly from a tennis perspective, never reach a Grand Slam final.

Second round: They don't need lights

Who needs lights at the French Open when darkness will do?

In what is believed to be the latest finish in tournament history, Gael Monfils and Italian clay-court specialist Fabio Fognini were finally hauled off Philippe Chatrier at 9:55 p.m. local time on the opening Wednesday. Adding to the drama, it was 5-5 in the fifth set.

"In my 30 years of tennis -- watching qualifiers, Grand Slams, whatever -- I've never seen a match played in that kind of darkness," said ESPN analyst Darren Cahill.

Fognini drew the ire of the crowd -- or what remained of it -- for wanting to stop roughly 25 minutes earlier, at 4-4. Chair umpire Carlos Bernardes finally got fed up of his stalling tactics and hit him with a point penalty. When they returned the next day, Fognini had the last laugh, prevailing 9-7.

The saga overshadowed Monfils' poor play. Like countryman Gasquet, he blew a two-set-and-break lead. Monfils played ultra-conservatively from the baseline, content to soak up pressure instead of taking the initiative.

Third round: Rome is one thing, a Slam is another

Who was the second-hottest player on clay this season? David Ferrer.

Besides winning a title and reaching another final on the Latin American clay-court swing, Ferrer got to the semis in Madrid, Barcelona and Monte Carlo, and went one step further in Rome. His draw in Paris suggested a quarterfinal showing, at worst.

Ferrer came unglued against the unlikeliest of opponents, Jurgen Melzer, and in straight sets. Melzer has always had the talent to trouble the elite, but between the ears has been a problem.

Boosted, Melzer finally reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal, rallying from two sets down against the slumping Novak Djokovic. He went out (as usual) swinging against Nadal in the semis.

Fourth round: Henin isn't the old Henin

This was supposed to be Justine Henin's Slam, since she had won 21 straight matches at Roland Garros.

But Henin hasn't fully mastered the art of the comeback, unlike fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters. Henin looked nervy in a three-set defeat to eventual finalist Samantha Stosur.

"When you come back at this level after two years off, you know it's not going to be easy to deal with a lot of situations, and that means I still have to work harder and see it as a big challenge," Henin said. "I took this year as a year of transition, so of course it's hard, but in another way it seems a bit normal."

The seven-time Grand Slam champion continues to glance at Carlos Rodriguez incessantly between points, he continues to coach from the stands, and against Stosur, Henin annoyingly uttered "allez" after "allez" when her opponent missed.

Wasn't Henin supposed to have matured on court?

Quarters: Every streak must end

Among Federer's numerous achievements, reaching 23 straight Grand Slam semifinals is up there. The streak, realistically, had to end sometime, and it was most likely to transpire in Paris.

A year after being toyed with in a French Open final that completed Federer's Grand Slam collection, Robin Soderling ended his 0-for-12 skid against the Swiss by winning in four riveting sets. The slow, heavy conditions hurt Federer.

That said, Federer was flawless in the opening set, hitting 16 winners and only three unforced errors. Soderling's serve picked up, he saved a set point in the third with an outrageous backhand smash -- impressive enough was Federer forcing him to play a shot -- and overturned a 40-15 deficit to break at 5-5 in the third. Not a bad way for Soderling to follow up his 2009 upset of Nadal.

At least the quarterfinal streak remains, as Federer pointed out.

"I really felt like my tennis was good enough to come here and do it again, but that wasn't the case today," Federer said.

Given he'll be nearly 30 next year at this time, the odds are against Federer reaching another French Open final.

Semis: Elena just isn't meant to win one

In the women's game, Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina are the two best active players never to have won a major. Although there's still hope for Safina (so long as she gets healthy), the same can't be said of Dementieva.

The French draw opened up nicely for the Russian. And despite being hampered by a calf injury, she managed to reach the final four. That was where the road ended.

Dementieva, almost in tears on court as the pain escalated, retired trailing Italy's Francesca Schiavone 7-6.

She's 0-6 in her last six Grand Slam semifinals.

"I really wanted to go and play, and even with the pain, I was waking up every morning and couldn't really make a first step," Dementieva said. "It was that painful. But I really wanted to play because it's a very special tournament for me. So I was pushing myself very hard to go through the pain. I couldn't do any better."

We all know what happened in the final. Schiavone's smart, flawless and beautiful tennis made her one of the sport's unlikeliest Grand Slam champions.

Final: Rafa is back

There were times during the French Open when Nadal didn't seem invincible. He looked ragged against Lleyton Hewitt, down a break early, did just enough in each set to top fellow Spaniard Nicolas Almagro, and bizarrely blew a 5-3, 30-0 advantage in the third set against Melzer. Eventually taken to a tiebreak, Nadal almost let that slip.

Given the way Soderling was crushing the ball -- and taking into account last year's eye-popping result -- more than a few were expecting a tight affair in the finale.

It didn't happen. Nadal played some of the best defense of his career, transitioned from defense to offense wonderfully and bested Soderling mentally to win a fifth French Open crown.

"He is very difficult to play against," Nadal said of Soderling, "because he has a big serve, very flat shots, very good shots from both sides, and is very difficult to control. Today I felt great physically. I felt perfect mentally, too."

Nadal didn't drop a set.

In this form, he's the favorite at Wimbledon.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- A few keys so far to the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne:

Shooting from the hip: David Nalbandian rose to the occasion and gave Rafael Nadal all he could handle in the first set of their third-round match. But that 66-minute effort clearly drained the scrappy Argentine in his ninth match back following hip surgery that idled him for most of last season. Despite being made to sweat profusely, Nadal said he's glad to see his pal back on the circuit. "When he's playing at his best level, he makes you feel like you are nothing in the middle of the court, no?'' said Nadal, who is now 2-2 in his career against Nalbandian. Will Nalbandian ever regain the form that made him such a tough out even for the likes of Roger Federer? That will take time and schedule management. Nalbandian will enter a full slate of clay-court events this spring, using wild cards or his protected ranking. But if he goes deep in any of them, he may have to forgo playing the following week; doctors have advised him not to play too many matches too many weeks in a row, especially on a surface where sliding could put more strain on the repairs to his right hip. That message was reinforced by a couple of minor injuries Nalbandian has suffered already this season. He told Spanish-speaking reporters this is the first tournament he's played pain-free since his return in an event in Buenos Aires last month.

Lightheaded, but no lightweight: World No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki didn't ask for the numbers when she had her blood pressure taken on court during the first set of her match against Russia's Maria Kirilenko on Sunday. All the Dane knows is that the reading was low, and she was feeling dizzy. Wozniacki was a finalist at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., and that run, cross-country travel, and a shift from dry to humid weather conditions (which is just as tough as a change of surfaces in some ways) all may have caught up to her in the form of a viral illness. Wozniacki downed Tylenol and Advil, got a rubdown with ice and rallied to win the match. She later told reporters she never considered retiring. It was a great show of spirit by the U.S. Open finalist, and a pleasantly different storyline from the controversial incident last fall at a tournament in Luxembourg, when her father/coach Piotr urged her to retire because of an injury even though she was on the verge of winning the first-round match. In an on-court consultation Sunday, Wozniacki said her father told her, "Relax. You have nothing to lose. To me you're still a champion still playing here, I mean, after two hours and something and not feeling great. I mean, doesn't matter what happens. Just try your best.''

Not a mirror image: Lumping Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic together because of their early exits in the two U.S. Masters 1000 events would be wrong. Djokovic came into Indian Wells after having played far more matches than Murray in the Federer-and-Nadal-free stretch after the Australian Open, going deep in Rotterdam, winning Dubai and prevailing in both his Davis Cup singles matches at home. As Davis Cup veteran Andy Roddick noted, "Putting two on the board when people expect you to put two on the board, it's a stressful thing. To parlay that into two big tournaments is a big ask.'' Murray is in a different, and less encouraging, head space that seems to mystify even him. "I need to get my mind right; I need to focus again,'' he said.

Blame it on Rio: Up-and-comer Thomaz Bellucci's second Masters 1000 event as a seeded player is already far more strenuous and successful than his first. The 22-year-old Brazilian advanced to the third round at Indian Wells without playing a point via his first-round bye and a walkover, then lost. He had to work harder here in Miami, knocking off James Blake and the always-pesky Olivier Rochus in the second and third rounds, respectively. The free-swinging Bellucci has never played his next opponent, Spain's Nicolas Almagro, and Roddick, who beat him in straight sets at the Australian Open, looms in the quarterfinals. Bellucci, who's sitting at No. 32 after hitting a career-high No. 28 earlier this season, is the most successful player from his country since the iconic Gustavo Kuerten. Bellucci's ascent began in earnest during the 2008 season when he won 17 straight matches (and three titles) in lower-level Challenger events on three different continents.

Biggest loser equals big winner: You have to give Murray-killer Mardy Fish, who lost somewhere between 25 and 30 pounds in a concerted effort following knee surgery last fall, a great chance against Spanish lefty Feliciano Lopez on Monday. Fish beat the two-time Wimbledon quarterfinalist last year on grass at the Queens Club when he was still wearing size 36 jeans. His waist is a svelte 32 inches now.

Beat the clock: Both Roddick (55 minutes) and Kim Clijsters (50 minutes) won their matches Sunday in considerably less time than it took for Nalbandian to win the first set against Nadal. Clijsters seems to have made a course correction after letdowns at the Australian Open and Indian Wells, dropping just three games in two matches.

Next weekend's Final Four picks: Federer versus Roddick, and Venus Williams versus Justine Henin.

Parting shot: Kudos to Fernando Gonzalez, Roddick, Jim Courier, Kuerten and Sony Ericsson tournament officials for pulling together next Saturday's "Champions for Chile" exhibition to raise money for earthquake relief. Just wondering if the players are going to be miked.

KEY BISCAYNE, Fla. -- These two go way back. They've played a dozen matches over the past nine years. One came out of retirement this season aiming to win the only major that has eluded her. The other, an Olympic gold medalist, doesn't want to quit until she's won her first Grand Slam event. One wears her desire on her sleeve and the other wraps ambition in self-effacing grace. Justine Henin and Elena Dementieva, petite versus statuesque, both arguably more complete players than ever, will meet in the second round of the Sony Ericsson Open on Friday night -- the second time they will have faced off in the early stages of a big tournament since Henin's return in January.

That is a production made possible by the fact Henin is still floating in the draw much as she floats around the court, still officially unranked as of the entry deadline for this event (she's back in the WTA rankings at No. 33 this week). Fans will consider it a treat, but how about the combatants?

"I love this kind of situation because I know I'll have to give my best and to play my best," said Henin, 27, the seven-time Grand Slam champion who ended her hiatus in part because she wanted another crack at a Wimbledon title.

The fifth-seeded Dementieva refused to characterize her draw as a bad roll of the dice. "If you're coming to the tournament and you want to win, you have to beat everyone," she said quietly.

This match will be a sequel to the epic second-rounder the two played in Australia, where Henin prevailed in two tense sets, 7-5, 7-6 (6) in what ESPN analyst Mary Joe Fernandez called the women's match of the season thus far: "They were toe-to-toe the whole way." The win extended Henin's series lead to 10-2 over the Russian. This week, she proclaimed it the best match they've ever played, and said the 28-year-old Dementieva deserves to be in the conversation with Serena Williams as the most consistently dangerous players on the tour.

"I thought she was a much better player when I've played her than when I retired," Henin said. "That's for sure. More consistent. Her serve improved a lot, and in Australia she was at a very high level. … She's a fighter. She never gives up. She goes on everything, and with a lot of intensity."

Dementieva admitted Henin walked on the court in Melbourne enveloped with a certain mystique, along with a beefed-up forehand and renewed energy for the game. Fernandez said she sensed past history definitely weighed on Dementieva's shots, making her more tentative on a few key points. "For sure, she's got to overcome that, and see playing [Henin] early as a bigger opportunity, not a disadvantage," Fernandez said.

It would be hard to call the result an upset, but Dementieva said she has since studied the video and is determined to keep recent history from repeating itself.

"To play her again after such a long time was emotional, I guess," Dementieva said. "I just want to have another chance. I think playing her after two years, maybe I didn't know exactly what to expect from her, how much she was ready physically. Now it looks like she's really in good shape and I'm not waiting for any easy points. I want to go on court and fight for every point. I'm not surprised with Justine playing well. I know her very well and she's a great champion. But it was very impressive to see her back after two years not playing. It didn't take her too much time, one tournament, and she was ready to play until the final and win the big thing."

True, but since raising tennis' collective expectations in Australia, Henin's comeback trail hasn't been completely smooth. She rested in February and returned at Indian Wells only to fall in the second round to Argentina's then-37th ranked Gisela Dulko. Henin said afterward that she never found her rhythm and added that the match proved "I have a lot of things to work on."

This week, the Belgian star pointed out that she navigated her way through a tough draw in Australia, then fell down when her path looked less obstructed at Indian Wells. Playing a top-10 player in the second round may not be all bad. "I don't feel lucky or unlucky," she said. "I just feel happy to be back on the courts."

Justine Henin's return to tennis has been a godsend for the sport.

Everyone is familiar with her glorious playing style, but another side of her was evident following a 6-2, 6-2 win over Magdalena Rybarikova of Slovakia in the opening round of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells on Wednesday. During her postmatch press conference, Henin responded to questions from reporters in a thoughtful, analytic and candid manner, reminiscent of Andre Agassi at his media-masterful best.

And, of course, she does it with almost equal dexterity in English and French.

Against the No. 53-ranked Rybarikova, Henin began the match by crushing a semi-leaping backhand outright winner and then played about as well as she could have hoped, considering it was her first match since a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 loss to Serena Williams in the Australian Open final more than five weeks ago.

That came at the end of a tumultuous month of January that began when she reached the final in Brisbane, losing 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(6) to fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters after having two match points, in her first tournament after 20 months out of the game.

"I wasn't really disappointed," Henin said about her Australian experience and the loss to Williams. "I always had the feeling that to build things you have to go step by step. Maybe inside I felt it was a bit early. [Serena] was better mentally. In that kind of situation, I wasn't used to it. And I thought that, and was pretty nervous in the final.

"I just had a few days off [after the final] because four days later I was on the court. And then I got injured in my leg, and for a week I had to stop. We worked very good, especially physically, the last few weeks, and we went to another level with the hard work. I can already feel it, but now, with the matches, we'll see how it's going to work."

Belgian reporters were told by her coach, Carlos Rodriguez, that Henin, 27, has built up more muscle in her leg to protect against the hamstring problem, something that has been an ongoing concern during her career.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion said about her second incarnation as a player, "When I started, I said I'd probably need four or five months to really be physically at my best level. I still think I need a few more tournaments."

Some observers might disagree, especially those who recall her performance against Elena Dementieva in a highly touted second-round match at the Australia Open. It was played at a sublime level of excellence and intensity, with Henin defeating the then world No. 5 by a 7-5, 7-6(6) score.

"What I felt that night was amazing, the support from the crowd and the fact that Elena was at her best level at the time," Henin said. "She won in Sydney [the previous week] and she was confident and one of the really best players of the tournament, and I knew it. The days after that were pretty difficult because I gave a lot in that match, and I was still a bit short physically. I just went for the opportunities, and we both played at an unbelievable level. It was fantastic. It's the best memory of my Australian Open this year."

Looking ahead to the busy upcoming six-month stretch of tournaments, Henin said, "I need tennis, I need to play, that's for sure. Emotionally, I feel much better than in the past. Physically, I feel better now than when I was in Australia.

"After Miami, there will be a break of three weeks before Fed Cup [in Estonia the weekend of April 24-25]. With the goal of the French Open and Wimbledon, it's going to be busy in the next few months. I'm not going to play too many weeks in a row, and I'm not really clear about my schedule on clay. But I'm going to try to be smart in terms of the calendar to be fresh every time I walk on the court."

A player with a background as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, Henin will be taking part Friday night in the "Hit for Haiti," an already sold-out exhibition to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake. She will team with Martina Navratilova against Steffi Graf and Lindsay Davenport in a doubles match.

"When they asked me, of course I said yes at the first second -- we're all concerned about this," Henin said. "That's the first point, and I think it's an honor to be on the court with all these amazing champions for this kind of cause."

Henin spoke about Graf, who remains her undiminished idol. "I'm still the little girl in front of her. I met her when I was No. 1 in the world, but still it doesn't make a difference for me. I will always remain a big fan. She's an inspiration."

Following 2010 runner-up finishes to Clijsters in Brisbane and to Williams at the Australian Open, along with the Indian Wells event, she now has the three tournaments required for a WTA Tour ranking. She will return in the top 35 and could go as high as top 20 by winning the title.

"It's not something I've really been thinking about a lot," Henin said. "Of course I've got some goals, but right now to not be a seeded player is not something that puts a lot of pressure or weighs on me, because I'm lucky enough to go out on the court and do what I love. Sure, I want to get a ranking near the top, but everything in its own time."

She revealed that one aspect of her new outlook on life involves doing a lot of reading and listening to music.

When she was asked if it also included drinking a little more wine, she replied, "I really love wine. I'll occasionally have a glass, but it's still rare."

The crown jewels of the winter season are back, leading off with Indian Wells, and so are the big stars. Roger Federer, once again the undisputed men's No. 1, makes his first appearance since the Australian Open, as does Rafael Nadal, third in the rankings and defending plenty of points prior to Roland Garros. Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin will be on offer, too, with the former looking to prove a point following an early, embarrassing loss in Melbourne.

Keep an eye out for these five storylines in the California desert.

Battle of the (un)fittest

Who'll win the men's title? It could be a case of the last man standing.

Half the top 10 is banged up. Federer has just recovered from a lung infection, Rafa's perennially wobbly knees meant an enforced absence post Melbourne, Andy Murray complained of a sore back, hip, groin and knee in Dubai, Nikolay Davydenko is nursing a sore wrist, and Andy Roddick's shoulder wasn't 100 percent at recent stops in San Jose and Memphis.

U.S. Open champ Juan Martin del Potro's momentum was quashed by a bum wrist, and he's out altogether.

Heck, we're only into the third month of the season.

Federer had his first hit in 2½ weeks Saturday, so he'll hope to ease into the tournament. The slow hard courts of Indian Wells haven't been kind to the Fed Express the previous three years. Guillermo Canas knocked the Swiss out in the second round in 2007, Murray downed him comfortably in last year's semifinals, and Mardy Fish pulled off a shocker in the 2008 semifinals. That season, though, Federer was working his way back from another illness, mono.

Nadal should have skipped Indian Wells and Miami this year to save the knees, some have suggested. You can understand why. He may be the defending champion and only 23, but it's clear he now needs to take such preventive measures to prolong his career. So what if his ranking dips slightly.

The Belgian reaction

After losing to Serena Williams in the Aussie Open final, Henin vowed to work on her fitness because she "suffered a lot" during the fortnight. Faithful coach Carlos Rodriguez also singled out the serve for work.

In the third tournament of her comeback, Henin, a wild card, has a real chance to excel, given the continuing absence of the Williams sisters and Dinara Safina's withdrawal (the back, still). The more she plays, the more Henin's majestic all-court game figures to come together.

Somewhat surprisingly, this is only Henin's fifth visit to Indian Wells, and first since 2006.

Clijsters' only action since a crushing 6-0, 6-1 defeat to volatile Russian Nadia Petrova in Melbourne came in the form of last week's Billie Jean King Cup, an exhibition, at Madison Square Garden.

Clijsters enjoys Indian Wells, winning 14 straight, excluding a walkover loss to American Laura Granville in 2004. Forced to qualify in 2005, her last appearance, thanks to a wrist injury that sent her ranking tumbling, Clijsters beat five seeded players en route to the title, including then No. 1 Lindsay Davenport.

Henin has a nice path to the quarterfinals and possibly a rematch with Elena Dementieva, while Clijsters faces a potentially tricky third-round foe in Alisa Kleybanova.

Serena and Venus will be particularly missed, since they're a combined 24-2 in 2010.

Murray's charm offensive?

It hasn't been the best five or so weeks for Murray, starting with a convincing and demoralizing loss to Federer in the Australian Open final. He could be excused for falling to Federer in the 2008 U.S. Open final, given organizers did the Scot few favors, and it marked his debut in a major final, but many expected the 22-year-old to triumph Down Under.

Murray then drew stinging criticism from a tournament director for withdrawing late from Marseille, and further got into trouble for admitting he toyed with his game in a second-round loss in Dubai to Janko Tipsarevic, treating the clash more like a practice session. (We can only hope Murray continues to be his honest, open self in press conferences, unlike the ultra guarded Tim Henman.)

Murray reached the final in 2009 and needs another extended stay this year to make up for the ugly Melbourne ending.

Sharapova and the rest of the Russian women

Last year Maria Sharapova played in Indian Wells, but only in doubles as her rehab from a serious shoulder injury continued. She enters the 2010 tournament on a modest roll, winning the Cellular South Cup in Memphis in late February.

Wanting matches after an unexpected first-round loss at the Australian Open, Sharapova played five and didn't drop a set. Mind you, the 22-year-old didn't have to face a player in the top 65. Still, Sharapova won more than 80 percent of points behind the first serve against Swede Sofia Arvidsson in the finale, a good sign for her. She wants to extend the run into a big tournament. Sharapova's opener could be against Jelena Dokic, a stiff test.

Another Russian, Svetlana Kuznetsova, is the top seed due to Serena's no-show and Safina's injury. Kuznetsova has twice reached the final in Indian Wells, although when she's the favorite on paper, she rarely delivers. Dementieva can't do much worse than last year. Burned out, the Dementieva of old returned, hitting 14 double faults in a second-round loss.

Kleybanova, armed with a huge game, and Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, a surprise semifinalist in 2009, won their first titles the past two weeks in Malaysia and Mexico, respectively.

The other Argentine

Del Potro is out, but another Argentine, David Nalbandian, is in.

Nalbandian is on the mend from hip surgery, ranked 139th, while fellow veterans Lleyton Hewitt and Tommy Haas sidelined because of hip injuries.

Nalbandian, benefitting from a wild card, remains one of the most talented pros on the circuit and a serious threat to the top five -- when healthy and committed.

He proved yet again how much he loves the Davis Cup, bouncing back from a leg injury to bail out the visitors in Sweden this past weekend and showed ample guts in winning a second-round match in Buenos Aires in February despite the leg troubling him.

If only he could exhibit that kind of heart year-round.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Every Grand Slam event throws up a few surprises, and the Australian Open was no exception. Well, apart from Roger making another Grand Slam semifinal (yawn) and ultimately winning, and Serena doing what she does best -- standing at the winner's podium.

What did we learn from the fortnight? Here are seven things from the seven rounds:

First Round: Sharapova still needs work

When the draw was made, more than a few (this author included) picked Maria Sharapova to reach the semifinals. After all, she landed in the same quarter as the ailing second seed, Dinara Safina, and the slumping eighth seed, Jelena Jankovic.

The three-time Grand Slam champion showed flashes of old form in 2009 following shoulder surgery, too.

Sharapova clearly has plenty of work to do after exiting to friend and fellow glamour girl Maria Kirilenko in a 3½-hour slugfest that kicked off the tournament. The losing Russian delivered 11 double faults after struggling with her serve last summer.

Not the best start in the wake of signing a reported eight-year, $70 million extension with Nike.

"A bad day's not going to stop me from doing what I love," Sharapova told reporters. "I'm still gonna go back on the court and work hard and perform. I'll be back here on a Saturday of the second week."

Second round: Ana is down and almost out

Ana Ivanovic, as hard as it is to believe, was the world No. 1 in June 2008. She continues to slump, much worse than Sharapova.

The stunning Serb, relegated to a seeding of 20th in Melbourne, blew a lead and fell to Argentine Gisela Dulko 6-7 (5), 7-5, 6-4. The ball toss and serve are still a mess. One toss on the deuce side looked like it was headed into the stands, given how skewed it was to the right.

The Aussie press would have loved an extended stay from Ivanovic, since she's dating Australian golfer Adam Scott. She was even dubbed "Aussie Ana."

"I think I just have to be patient," the 22-year-old, perennially on best-looking lists, told reporters. "It will take some time. I do feel better on the court. I feel like my old self."

Ivanovic hasn't reached a Grand Slam quarterfinal since claiming the French Open in 2008.

Third round: Isner is here to stay

Who's the second-best American man out there, behind Andy Roddick? Based on recent results, it's John Isner -- not James Blake or Sam Querrey.

Isner began the season by winning a first title in New Zealand, getting a pat on the back from Federer. Despite being tired, the 6-foot-9 Isner, a better athlete than 6-foot-10 Croat Ivo Karlovic, still got to the fourth round by upsetting 12th-seeded Frenchman Gael Monfils.

The 33rd seed competed well against eventual finalist Andy Murray in the last 16, earning a set point in the opener.

"This is a great start to the year," Isner, struck down by mono last year, told reporters. "I won eight matches in a row at this level. It's a great accomplishment. I know that if I can continue this type of consistency, my ranking is going to continue to climb."

Blake lost a five-set thriller to U.S. Open champion Juan Martin del Potro, with Querrey continuing to struggle since suffering a freak arm injury in September. Querrey lost to 33-year-old German Rainer Schuettler in the opening round.

Fourth Round: Wozniacki is suffering from post-U.S Open blues

Caroline Wozniacki, owner of a wonderful smile, is great for the women's game. But it's evident the 19-year-old Dane needs to get more aggressive if she wants to remain in the top 10.

Wozniacki rarely registered more winners than unforced errors on her way to the U.S. Open final in September, relying on the bigger hitters to be off their game.

China's Li Na swept past Wozniacki in straight sets. Wozniacki, with an inflated seeding of fourth, struck all of three winners -- yes, three -- coupled with 22 unforced errors. Mind you, Wozniacki was nursing a slight injury to her right leg.

"There's a long way to go," Wozniacki told reporters. "There's a long year ahead of me. Now I'm going to go and practice and work even harder, and come back stronger, hopefully."

We don't doubt it.

Quarterfinals: Andy can play aggressive

No one in his camp admitted it, but Andy Murray's clash against Rafael Nadal was a defining moment in his career. Many experts expected Murray to win a first Grand Slam in 2009, but his best performance turned out to be a semifinal showing at Wimbledon.

Murray played more offensive than ever before, hitting big with his forehand, serving and volleying, and stretching Nadal out of position with his compact two-handed cross-court backhand.

Nadal's ailing right knee, which forced him to retire in the third set, had little to do with the outcome.

"His serve was unbelievable with my chances, at 30-all, at 0-30, with the break points," Nadal told reporters. "He's doing really well, and I think he has a big chance to win this tournament."

Nadal is supposed to be gone for a month with the knee injury, and his ranking dropped to fourth Monday. If he's out longer than expected, a tumble to fifth -- or worse -- isn't out of the question as the season develops.

Can you imagine a Federer-Nadal quarterfinal at Roland Garros?

Semifinals: Roger is a comedian

When Federer obliterates opponents, like he did against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in 90 minutes, it gives him more time to chat courtside. Better for us.

The Swiss turned comedian in a five-minute interview with Jim Courier on Friday night.

First up was how much he works in the offseason.

"It's all talent. I don't work," Federer began, drawing laughs from the crowd at Rod Laver Arena. "I just sit on the couch. All I do really is take care of the kids."

On facing Murray in the final: "I know he'd like to win the first [major] for British tennis, for what is it, 150,000 years?"

About an hour later in his news conference, Federer turned more serious, piling the pressure on Murray and taking a shot at his game, not for the first time.

"I think he really needs it more than I do," Federer said. "So I think the pressure's big on him."

Murray, speaking to British reporters Saturday, claimed the barbs were "irrelevant." But later, he added, "If every time he loses to me he thinks it's because he hasn't played his best, well, every time I've lost against him I don't think I've played my best, either."

They still don't like each other.

(Federer had the last word, on the court, Sunday.)

Final: Serena is an all-time great

Justine Henin was playing only the second tournament of her comeback, and she'll get even better as the season progresses.

But Williams, far from her best, too, proved for the umpteenth time how big her heart is.

Williams saved a flurry of set points and won the first set, which was vital given she's never lost a match at the Australian Open when taking the opener.

She struck a horrible-looking passing shot, sent a serve past the baseline and lost 15 straight points from the end of the second set to the start of the third. Earlier in the second, Henin reeled off eight consecutive points. Did we mention Williams had a bad hamstring, calf, ankle and wrist?

When it really mattered, though, Williams came out firing early in the third.

"She's a champion," Henin told reporters. "She plays the right shot at the right time."

Williams racked up a 12th major to pull into a tie for sixth with one of her mentors, Billie Jean King. Next on the list are Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova at 18, quite a leap.

Don't bet against Williams to catch the duo.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- The first Grand Slam of 2010 is over, sadly.

Serena Williams continued to prove she's one of the greatest women's players of all time by landing a 12th major, while more and more will suggest Roger Federer is the greatest of all time after he cruised past Andy Murray in the final.

Here's a look back at the best and worst of the Australian Open.

Most valuable men's player: Roger Federer

Coming off a loss to Juan Martin del Potro in the U.S. Open final, more than a few thought Federer had little chance of winning in Melbourne. Case in point: None of the six ESPN.com tennis "experts" picked Federer to win. (What do we know?)

Federer used a combination of his enormous talent and court intellect to collect a 16th major, getting past tricky encounters in the first round and quarterfinals, pretty much cruising the rest of the way.

If this is any evidence, the 28-year-old has plenty left in the tank.

"There's no secret behind it," Federer told reporters. "I'm definitely a very talented player. I always knew I had something special, but I didn't know it was like, that crazy."

It's big-time loco, Roger.

Most valuable women's player: Serena Williams

Those who think Williams should have been suspended for her antics at the U.S. Open won't be won over. Williams herself, though, put the ordeal behind her by showing her trademark resolve to win a 12th Grand Slam title.

Williams gutted it out from the quarterfinals onward, beginning with that comeback versus Victoria Azarenka, and pulled it together when she really needed to in the final against a tenacious Justine Henin.

This while battling injuries to most of her body.

A healthy Williams over the next few years collects more majors -- a lot more.

Most disappointing men's player: Novak Djokovic

Djokovic won't get a better chance to reach a Grand Slam semifinal. Champion at the Australian Open in 2008, Djokovic faced Daniel Gimeno-Traver, Marco Chiudinelli, Denis Istomin and Lukasz Kubot in the first four rounds. Pretty tame.

OK, so maybe he couldn't do much about the vomiting and diarrhea that affected him against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the quarterfinals, but the Serb should have wrapped up the match before he really started to feel bad. The wait for Grand Slam No. 2 continues.

Chet Baker's jazz track "Everything Happens To Me" seems apropos for Djokovic. Have a listen, Novak.

Most disappointing women's player: Kim Clijsters

Who saw this one coming? Clijsters, fresh off her U.S. Open title, had to be one of the two favorites in the women's draw alongside Serena, the eventual winner. The Belgian, however, put in the worst performance of her Grand Slam career in the third round, exiting to streaky Russian Nadia Petrova 6-0, 6-1 in under an hour. Ugly.

"I'm sure it's happened before that I felt like I really couldn't hit the ball, that I wasn't feeling well out there," Clijsters told reporters. "But obviously not in the last few years. I don't think so."

Clijsters had no pressure in New York. That wasn't the case in Melbourne.

Biggest breakthrough: Marin Cilic

Cilic was born in tiny Medjugorje, where six children claim to have seen apparitions of the Virgin Mary beginning in 1981. The Croatian's opponents saw plenty of big serves and backhands Down Under.

Cilic, who reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the U.S. Open in 2009, went one better. Furthermore, he battled, rallying to down Aussie wild card Bernard Tomic in five sets, eliminating U.S. Open champion del Potro in five and going the distance in overcoming Andy Roddick.

The 6-foot-6 slugger, without much left in the tank, still stretched Murray to four in the semis.

"It was an amazing experience and amazing result," said Cilic, a titlist in Chennai, India, before the Australian Open. "I think it's one big step forward for myself."

The calm 21-year-old is a Grand Slam winner down the road.

Biggest surprise: The Chinese women

Overheard in the media work room when Zheng Jie and Li Na reached the semifinals: "Who's gonna care if they reach the final?" Following a pause, and with a laugh, "About a billion people," came the reply.

Never before had two Chinese women reached the quarterfinals at a Slam, much less the semis.

Li, ravaged by injuries throughout her career, gave Williams a hard time in their semifinal encounter, losing in a pair of tiebreakers.

Now it's time for the Chinese men to surface. Not one is ranked inside the top 300.

Where are they?

"They're still asleep," Li told reporters. "One day they will wake up."

Imagine when they do.

Most worrying development: Rafael Nadal's knees

Lleyton Hewitt called a press conference Saturday. On crutches, the gutsy 28-year-old Aussie announced he'll be out of the game about four months after a second bout of hip surgery. A Spanish journalist nearby quipped, "That's gonna be Rafa in a few years."

It's hard to argue.

Nadal said he was in tip-top shape this tournament, but in his quarterfinal loss to Murray, the Spaniard suddenly felt pain in his right knee, the same sort of pain he experienced in a troublesome 2009. He's had knee problems throughout his career.

Nadal, 23, is gone for about four weeks -- this time.

Most worrying development, Part II

All the other injuries. Almost everyone was struggling, and we're only in the first month of the season.

Henin struggled with a thigh problem, and the other walking wounded included Del Potro (wrist), Tsonga (wrist), Roddick (shoulder), Murray (back), Robin Soderling (elbow) and Dinara Safina (back).

Most entertaining player: Nikolay Davydenko

Davydenko is the flavor of the month, and he loves it.

His press conferences in Melbourne were neverending. The Russian said he can't handle his drink, his wife could be his coach, and he wants to make plenty of money in business after he retires.

Davydenko blew it against Federer, dropping 13 straight games from a set and 3-1 up.

What went through his mind as he slumped?

"Pissed off," he said with a grin. "What else? I'm pissed off with my serve. It's like everything was s---."

So much for his victories in London and Doha over Fed.

Worst call: Lynn Welch

We all know umps have a hard job. And Welch deserves credit for overruling a call in this day and age of Hawk-Eye.

She was way off the mark, though, when Henin met Yanina Wickmayer in the fourth round. At a key stage of the first set, Henin hit a serve on the deuce side called long. Welch overruled, Wickmayer challenged and Hawk-Eye indicated the ball was way, way long.

Wickmayer, impressively, didn't make a fuss.

Biggest fashion statement: Venus Williams

An all-Williams semifinal failed to materialize when Venus blew a huge lead to Li in the quarterfinals, making it nine years and counting for a major outside Wimbledon.

Williams raised eyebrows with her attire, sporting undershorts the same color as her skin "so it gives the slits in my dress the full effect."

By the way, Williams looked stunning in a black dress Saturday, rooting for Serena from the stands.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Well, that was fun.

The quality of tennis in Serena Williams' win over Justine Henin at the Australian Open wasn't the greatest, but the drama was hard to top. Williams won the final 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to claim major No. 12 and thus tie Billie Jean King for sixth on the all-time list. Here are five things we learned from their wacky two-hour tussle in Melbourne.

They were ready from the outset

We should have known we were in for a memorable night when Williams opened the encounter with an ace. In a gripping first game that lasted eight minutes, Henin blew a break point by shanking a second-serve return, and Williams hit perhaps the worst passing shot of her career, a forehand in which the ball took one bounce prior to hitting the net. The first changeover came in the 22nd minute.

The serves weren't working

As usual, Williams hit big serves at crunch time. Averaging about nine aces prior to the final, the 28-year-old thumped a dozen. But, perhaps a testament to the returns on show, Williams claimed only 59 percent of points behind the first serve.

Henin served poorly for the third straight match, at 50 percent. Six double faults didn't help.

Serena can be streaky

Williams probably set a dubious personal record Saturday, losing 15 straight points from the end of the second set to the start of the third. (No such records are noted.) Further, earlier in the second she dropped eight in a row. Serena let the Belgian off the hook when, up a set, 1-0 and holding two successive break points, she misfired on two straight shots.

The encounter featured 11 breaks and 27 break chances.

Henin stuck to her plan

When Henin returned to the tour following a 20-month hiatus, she vowed to be more aggressive. There was no deviating from the plan Saturday, which was surprising. Henin, one of the smallest players on the tour, hardly hit one of her famed slices and, after winning eight of nine points at the net in the second set, made just four approaches to the net in the third, winning one.

She was content to slug it out with Williams, trying to keep the ball down the middle to open the court.

Three-set matches are fun

Hard to believe, but Henin was involved in the last women's final that went the distance at a major, at Wimbledon in 2006. And like Saturday, she was on the wrong end, losing to now-retired Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo 2-6, 6-3, 6-4. The previous women's final that went three sets in Melbourne featured Serena in 2005. Williams downed Lindsay Davenport 2-6, 6-3, 6-0.

It's about time we get a three-set women's final in New York -- the last was in 1995.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Serena Williams, the most dominant player of her generation, and comeback Belgian Justine Henin clash at the Australian Open on Saturday in a finale most tennis fans wanted after the draw was made. It's about time they faced off in a major final.

Williams leads their head-to-head meetings 7-6.

Who'll win? Here are three reasons why each has a chance.

Justine Henin

Fresher legs: Who would have thought it through four rounds? Henin went two-hours plus in succession against the towering trio of Elena Dementieva, Alisa Kleybanova and Yanina Wickmayer. Her physiotherapist, Marc Grosjean, admitted the 27-year-old was pooped following the classic against Dementieva and had problems sleeping. But since Henin's quarterfinal encounter against another bigger foe, she seems fresh. Starting at 11 a.m. instead of featuring in a night session, Henin benefited from ample recovery time ahead of Thursday's semi against Zheng Jie. And that lasted under an hour.

Williams, meanwhile, accumulated time in the quarters and semis, accompanied by strapping to her right thigh and left calf. She took part in Friday's doubles final, too.

Versatile game: No one on the women's tour can do what Henin does. Not even close. Roger Federer is an equivalent among the men. Henin possesses a wonderful slice -- a rarity these days -- and a beautiful backhand and mixes it up by venturing forward. She can get Williams moving. Williams won't be surprised entirely by Henin's all-court game, given their past. However, the first time Williams battled Kim Clijsters on her comeback, the latter pulled off a convincing win at in the U.S. Open semis, line judge controversy or no line judge controversy. It may take a while for Williams to adapt, and by that time, the first set could be gone. Big hitters without any variety have played Williams up to this point, notably Li Na and Victoria Azarenka. It's destiny: Clijsters was a feel-good story supreme in New York. Back in the game, a mother, and married to an American, Clijsters had more support than any other at Flushing Meadows, barring Federer. You just knew she was going to pull it off.

The stars are aligning nicely for Henin. If Dementieva had forced a third set in the second round, Henin probably loses. Kleybanova led by a set and held two points for a 4-1 lead in the second set, and Wickmayer was close to winning in straight sets.

Serena Williams

She's Serena: Henin won't have as much pressure as in previous Grand Slam finals, but when she steps on court and looks across the net, come on, she has to be slightly intimidated by the 11-time Grand Slam champion. This is Serena we're talking about. And note this stat -- Serena has lost just one Grand Slam final to anyone other than a Williams ('04 Wimbledon to Maria Sharapova). Williams also rallied from a big hole in this tournament, down a set and 4-0 to Azarenka. Is that destiny?

As for her health, well, Williams persevered last year at Wimbledon, despite contesting an extended encounter against Dementieva in the semifinals and playing doubles. Serena derailed Venus in the final. No one is tougher.

Cannon serve: Carlos Rodriguez, Henin's longtime coach, singled out Williams' serve Thursday. Williams owns the biggest serve in women's tennis, and the stroke helped the 28-year-old immensely against Li. Williams won 86 percent of points behind the first delivery and chipped in 12 aces. More than a few, as you'd expect, were at key moments.

Williams leads the women's field in aces (averaging almost 10 per match) and first-serve points won. When things aren't going well from the baseline, the serve comes in handy for capturing free points.

"She have big serve, yeah," Li said simply.

Henin doesn't, although she'll vary speeds and place it well. Henin got away with a first-serve percentage of 53 and 45 in her previous two matches. That won't cut it against Williams.

Extra motivation: Williams is still irked by the hefty $82,500 fine she received for threatening a line judge -- who appeared in Melbourne -- at last summer's U.S. Open. Her postmatch comments in the first round suggested as much.

"I don't know anyone who ever got fined like that, and people have said worse and done worse," she told reporters.

Presumably, Williams wouldn't mind sticking it to the folks who handed out the punishment. Williams has a history of performing well after she feels she's been unjustly targeted.

If Williams beats Henin on Saturday, she gets to 12 on the Grand Slam ladder, the same as pioneer Billie Jean King.