tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8811326.post-1193626603055962262008-05-14T22:21:00.008+08:002008-05-15T00:20:56.155+08:002008-05-15T00:20:56.155+08:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/b7/fullj.ca600d2cef01a265f2924c39abe19b39/ca600d2cef01a265f2924c39abe19b39-getty-tennis-belgium-henin-rodriguez-retirement.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="http://d.yimg.com/a/p/sp/getty/b7/fullj.ca600d2cef01a265f2924c39abe19b39/ca600d2cef01a265f2924c39abe19b39-getty-tennis-belgium-henin-rodriguez-retirement.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:arial;" >Coach Carlos Rodriguez is sad now that he has lost his job due to Henin's retirement.</span><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">It is confirmed. Top-ranked Justine Henin has announced her retirement from professional tennis at a press conference in her native Belgium. So this means that the no. 1 spot on the WTA Rankings will go to Maria Sharapova and tailed very closely by Ana Ivanovic.<br /><br />After her loss to Safina in Berlin, following a month of rest, Henin said:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">"What I am have just gone through is not very reassuring."<br /><br />"I was hoping to rediscover my confidence, and it is not easy."<br /><br />"I don't know if something is broken, but I seem to lack the ability. I need to think about."</blockquote>The 25-year-old Belgian, who has won seven Grand Slam titles, is making the surprising announcement at a press conference on Wednesday.<br /><br />Henin’s decision comes less than two weeks before the start of the French Open. She has won that clay court tournament four times. The only Grand Slam still out of reach is the Wimbledon.<br /><br />Henin won 10 tournaments last year, but has been in one of the worst slumps of her career this season. She lost last week in the third round of the German Open and pulled out of this week’s Italian Open, citing fatigue.<br /><br />Henin admitted she'd like to have some time to study and travel away from tennis.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><br />(Image from DOMINIQUE FAGET/AFP/Getty Images)</span><br /><br /></span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" ><span class="ysptimedate" style="font-family:arial;"></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"> </span>hcfoonoreply@blogger.com2