Almost perfect comeback for Justine Henin

When seven time Grand Slam champion Justine Henin made her decision to immediately retire from Tennis on 14th May 2008, the entire sporting world was shocked. Not only was she the Number 1 player in the world at the time but her decision was made only 11 days before the defence of her French Open crown which she had won on her three previous visits.

Having seen Belgian compatriot Kim Clijsters win the US Open in only her third tournament since herself coming out of retirement, Henin was spurred into coming out of retirement. On the 22nd September 2009, Henin called a press conference and announced that she would be returning to play competitive tennis starting in January 2010.

Henin was given a wildcard entry into 2010 Brisbane International, where she defeated Nadia Petrova and Ana Ivanovic in straights sets en-route to the final. She eventually lost to Kim Clijsters 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 in an epic match which lasted 2 hours and 23 minutes.

Henin's second tournament was the 2010 Australian Open, which again she was given a wildcard entry in order to play. Having brushed past Kirsten Flipkens 6-4, 6-3; Henin was faced with fifth seed Elena Dementieva; in a match that lasted 2 hours and 50 minutes, Henin won 7-5, 7-6 in a match that would have be worthy of the final, and many commentators have described as one of the best ever matches in women's tennis. In round 3 Henin faced 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-2. In the 4th round she faced fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer recovering from a poor second set to win 7-6, 1-6, 6-3.

In the quarter finals Henin found some of her best form to defeat 19th seed Nadia Petrova 7-6, 7-5. Zheng Jie was the opposition standing between Henin and her 12th career Grand Slam final. Henin had won there only previous encunter back in 2005, and this match was to be no different, with Henin winning in emphatic fashion losing just one game on the way to a 6-1, 6-0 victory.

Before the tournament started there was much anticipation about the potential of a Justine Henin against Serena Williams final. The final everyone had hoped for came true when Serena Williams defeated Li Na of China to join Henin in the final. Heading into the final Williams led the head to head 7-6, with the pair having had a number of high profile, often highly controversial matches against each other. This final was no different with both players at the top of their games, trading breaks of serve in a tense match. Henin, had gone into the final hoping for a fairytale comeback story to match Kim Clijsters, however it was not to be the case, with Williams winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Highlights from the final


Henin admitted that she was happy to be back on court: "It's been a very emotional two weeks for me. I thought they would never happen again, that I could come back on the court"

With the clay court season to start in the next few weeks, there is no doubt Henin will be back among the world's top 10 winning major trophies in no time.

Follow Justine's progress as she prepares for the French Open on her Twitter Page

Online Shopping making your money disappear?

Shopping on the high street could soon be a distant memory, as the popularity of online shopping continues to rise. More than one in ten high street shops are likely to become empty in the very near future, retail experts Experian have warned. Whilst in stark contrast online outlets are flourishing in the technological age, as more than ever people are turning on their computers to spend their money. I spoke to one student to get a unique insight into how the draw of online shopping is affecting one student.

Rebecca Harris, 20, from Brighton, has been in financial difficulty for the last year. Since being made redundant from her job in April 2009 she has had no regular income. However despite the knowledge that she was heavily into her overdraft, her love of shopping continued!

PB: So Rebecca what makes you shop online?

RH: Its all over the internet, its just easier to click and have it delivered to your door than to have to go out in all weathers and barge my way through the crowds.

PB: So what websites do you buy from most?

RH: ASOS, Boohoo, Topshop, Republic and very.co.uk are the ones I mostly buy from, but whenever I have a spare few minutes I browse lots of other sites as well.

PB: What makes you use these websites?

RH: I get sent so many emails and offers, things like free delivery and 20% off. I hate to see them wasted.

PB: Surely ignoring the offers would be better than spending large amounts of money?

RH: Yeah that's what my friends say but I just love the fact that I can curl up on the sofa with a cup of coffee and buy clothes knowing that they will be posted through my letterbox, like I said it's just so easy.

PB: Do you think there is anything that could be done to discourage you to spend money online?

RH: Maybe they could print a copy of your bank balance before you order to stop yourself from needlessly spending money! Seeing your overdraft on screen might make you think twice before clicking the confirmation button!

PB: Apart from online shopping, do you have any other financial worries?

RH: Well, online shopping is my biggest weakness, but yes I do have to worry about paying the rent, bills and food, car insurance and credit card bills. So money is always an issue for me. I have had to borrow money from family and that's never a nice feeling.

PB: What advice would you give to other people in your situation?

RH: Budget!- or at least try to! Treat your overdraft as a debt not a luxury. It may be simple to click a button and get whatever you want but at the end of the day it’s just not worth the extra stress!

However, it seems Rebecca is not alone in her love of shopping online. A recently released survey by business firm Deloitte highlights a 10% increase in online spending in the last 12 months with £28 billion being spent in the last six months alone.