Justine Henin-Hardenne v Maria Sharapova - Australian Open 2006 Semifinal | AO Classics 

Me too now idont see tennis because Henin IS not playing

@@yosfkarim8013 same here !

I rooted against her but she was a huge talent for sure!

Greatest back handed player of all time

@@yosfkarim8013 Oh you poor thing!! You don't know what you're missing these days then. The women's game has so much depth now that Serena isn't dominating like she did becoming a mother

Same with me.

I feel old I remember when there was only a onehanded backhand. Not that long ago either🤦🏻‍♀️

Alex Brands вот ты придурок

Same here. It's a beaut!

me too

I agree that she's wonderful to watch and a brilliant tennis player in her own right..but certainly not the best, anyone who says so and disregarding Serena, is a subtle, closet racist for sure.

@@angel91485 Sorry but that's ridiculous. I'm not a racist, not even a subtle one. I really don't think in terms of black and white. I'm talking tennis here. Justine compensated her physical 'shortcomings' by technically brilliant tennis. She was one of the few players to really challenge Serena. I have no problem admitting Serena is one of the greatest players ever, if not the greatest. Unfortunately, Justine had a much shorter career for physical and mental reasons. But she was brilliant, maybe one of the purest talents ever to grace the courts.

@@angel91485 you're a clown, this person said BJK called her the best player of her generation (WHEN SHE PLAYED, she retired at 25 years old in 2007). Soon after, Serena was the best woman's player ever. Idk how you are so satisfied to boil everything down to discrimination, don't succumb to the internet brain--

​@@angel91485А при чём тут расизм?🤔

@@angel91485erena is definitely the greater player at the end of the day, but hardcore tennis fans know that from a brief period from about 2003-2007, Justine was the best player in the world by a slight margin. Edging out rivals such as Clijsters, Capriati, and both Williams sisters. She was 5-2 against Serena during this time period. Perhaps the most competitive time in women’s tennis over the past 20 years. Serena has kept it up for way longer though. Henin is a tennis purist’s dream though, because she played a style almost completely non existent on the women’s tour. She was like a 5’3 female Federer.

Like Yoda you speak. Like it I do.

Ivanovic need not be placed in that group. She was nowhere near the likes of a Clijsters or Henin. She fell off a cliff after winning the French Open.

ivanovic is not.

Pomerlain89 but she got back to number 5 in the world?

Mary Pierce should be included in that list.

Pomerlain89 agree, ivanivic out

Thoukis Thoukis wtf

Justine's backhand is tie with Roger for technical perfection.

One -handed backhand though I still have a soft spot for the OG Sabatini. Evert’s two headed IMO ranks as the best two hander and maybe best of all time.

@@senorgato70 Evert played in a totally different era, wooden rackets. Sabatini got to be on something. Sabatini was a pretty teen girl and became a male-looking woman. Besides, her backhand was good but nowhere near a kill-shot. If Justin could get into a good position to execute her backhand, that shot would be a winner.

Is she still around, Maria? I rather miss her. Although a 1 dimensional style i.e. "hitting big" she does execute it so well..Her forehand is a western grip based stoke trained to immaculate perfection which I would often like to refer to during my days as a tennisteacher for a picture perfect example. Very similair to the forehand of both Victoria Azarenka and (Marats sister) Dina Safina (unparallelled World Champion tennis DNA to be ever found among a brother and sister) Maria than adds that Russian-Soul-FightingSpirit that made her one of my most favorite of all time!!

I second that, Power Precision and Perfection such a treat to watch

Graf didn't use her topspin back hand that effectively as Henin did

@@cyriljacob4839 but Graf slice was more deadly than Henin topspin backhand

@@danielrojas4238 hehe what a joke.

Looks like a nightie...

that shoulder injury ruined her serve n her groundstrokes. her ground strokes were so good and that serve won her free pints. After aus open 2008 it was clear she would dominate but it ruined her slam career

That ban certainly didn't help!

Yep, it was the shoulder injury that ruined her for sure.😂

No it was serena who stop her stop at pretty much all the majors

@@dayzour123 she stil won 5 grand slams and 36 tournaments. She has won 80% of her matches and was the highest paid female athlete. She's done better then most on the tour. But some people can stop comparing her to this one player.

@Ashutosh Mishra Yes absolutely. I suppose when you think of the power hitters she's not considered up there with Sharapova, Serena and Venus et al but I agree that her power in relation to size was far more impressive than anyone I've seen (except possibly camila giorgi)

Except that Henin didn't really lack power at all. Technically, she was one of the power hitters. Despite her small stature, she could hit the ball harder that many women who were larger than her. That's what enabled her to keep pace with players like Sharapova and Serena. Look at her matches against players like Hingis or Wozniaki where she overpowered them despite being smaller. Most of it had to do with her technique rather than the length of her arms or muscle weight. Justine had perfect timing off both wings. She knew exactly when to contact the ball in the center of the strings, and had an efficient follow-through motion that allowed her to hit the ball with pace and depth when she flattened it out. She also had a deceptively powerful serve for a woman her height, consistently serving into the 110s. That was really the difference between her and Hingis. They both had a lot of speed, touch, variety, good volleys, and a high tennis IQ. But Justine had the power to go with all of that which allowed her to compete with the big hitters for far longer than Hingis.

МАШУНДРА ФОРЕВЕР!! ТВОЯ ХЕНИН УНЫЛОЕ ГАВНО!!🤣🌺🤣

Sharapova becomes too calculated in serve and return the ball

If Maria would play like she has nothing to loose, which she doesn't at this point in her career. She's won all four grand slams which is a major accomplishment. I completely agree with you, power through don't think so hard, and get back in the players head, I'm scared to play you.. even playing Serena with the only win 2004 Wimbledon was belief, free minded tennis that needs to be her play..

Exactly!!!!! Her strength as a player is power and 1st strike. If you look at her from 2004- 2008, the power and offense got her to her prime. 4 grandslams isnt from running down balls and counter-punching back and forth. @@pbsikes1

She also had to stop using that PED, that could be why she stopped winning...

Very few could defend Maria’s power, except Serena Williams had zero problem with her. It’s like her shots landed in Serena’s perfect strike zone.

To be fair, Sharapova wasn´t any more one-dimensional than players like Seles, or even Davenport. Even Serena wasn´t exactly a model of variety and style in tennis.

Not a Sharapova fan but this was impressive for an eighteen year old screamer.

Kairi 09 me too imiss her

МАШУНДРА ФОРЕВЕР!! ТВОЯ ХЕНИН УНЫЛОЕ ГАВНО!!🤣🌺🤣

She was friendly with both Justine and kim

Deepak Bharmoria because they are blonde

@@casperhuynh2062 not necessarily.They were many other blonde girls but wasn't friendly with them.she was friendly with amelie mauresmo and flavia penetta too.

@@Himachaltimes1999 she respects them because they are older than her. I can see Sharapova respects Venus more than Serena

@@casperhuynh2062 Serena is a bitch for her.she hates her because she had made personal comments against her.and Serena also hates sharapova.she gave 500% to beat sharapova

Same here man.

@CARLOS MAGNUS - Great point but the reality is, at least in my opinion, that there is not one teaching professional that is capable of teaching an up and coming tennis star like a Henin, how to hit a beautiful one hand back hand like she had or how to volley like her, or we would have seen it by now. All we have is a factory of 2 hand backhanders who sadly were not taught properly how to volley on both the men’s and women’s tour.

@@missourimanful except Henin herself perhaps?

But she isn't left handed

@@brenchengbrencheng4794 I meant the backhand one-handed

Even back then though Maria used to struggle with double faults

@@slamandjam2 but it was still way better before shoulder injury

What did she state VER BATUM?

Vishwa Guru Radhakrishnan Justine is great player she s reason to love tennis

@@lifeisnothinglifeisnothing7930МАШУНДРА ФОРЕВЕР!! ТВОЯ ХЕНИН УНЫЛОЕ ГАВНО!!🤣🌺🤣

Justine Henin...the female Roger Federer.

МАШУНДРА ФОРЕВЕР!! ТВОЯ ХЕНИН УНЫЛОЕ ГАВНО!!🤣🌺🤣

Indeed, her timing was just perfect and she was fully utilizing her body

So you're watching the highlights of a terrific tennis match and Justine's watch is bothering you 🤨 As if she's the only player to wear a watch while playing. Many players, Nadal for instance, wear watches (often sponsored) during their matches.

Mauresmo was better at that point. It was an incredibly classless move from Hénin to default 3 games before match point and steal the feeling from Mauresmo. Glad Amelie beat her fair and square at wimbledon 6 months later.

@@jujumusique1305 Nohing classless about being injured. And the second set had only just begun (0-2).

@@fundhund62 stomach bug isn’t an injury.

Marias backhand is her best short. Her forehand is the worst

@@anneneville6255 Not if you play it on the run and on full stretch!! It's extremely hard for a two hander to hit a backhand on the run while being stretched out of position and still push out the needed precision, power and angle. Something which is of no issue against a 1H'ed player.

@ferzy09 Switching coaches would have gotten her insight in new playing technique, I agree there.

@ferzy09 Halep's service is terrible. Being buffed and fit isn't enough to be consistent. Halep lacks technique and tennis intelligence...