New lenses give Henin clear view of final (Australian Open Notebook)
By DPA, IANSFriday, January 29, 2010
MELBOURNE - Justine Henin has a clear view of her Australian Open final with Serena Williams, thanks to disposable contact lenses.
The revelation was made to Melbourne’s Herald Sun, with Henin’s physio detailing the visual aid, which appeared to have made all the difference for the Belgian, a seven-time Grand Slam winner.
Henin, who retired for 20 months before a change of heart and a comeback at the Brisbane event early in the month, began using the lenses after laser surgery performed during her retirement.
With the procedure apparently yielding good - but not perfect - results, Henin started wearing the disposable lenses early in the month at Brisbane, where she reached the final.
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WTA boss laments late-night women’s matches
Women are now complaining about new Australian Open scheduling that often left them waiting until the late hours to play the second evening match on five of the seven first nights of the Grand Slam.
“I think equal’s equal, and it’s absolutely right that the women should have to play second. It’s not fair that the guys are always playing second,” said new WTA boss Stacy Allaster. “The number of matches we have on (showcase Rod Laver arena) is about 50-50, and this was a new policy.”
But five of seven in the first week?
“I’d like to see them make a little tweak and try and have a bit more balance,” Allaster said.
The running order was changed for this edition to ensure that the most prominent match of any evening was played first in an effort to eliminate the post-midnight men’s finishes at Melbourne Park, which have drawn fire in recent editions.
The administrator also joined in the complaints about Seven network local coverage of the major, which included cutting away from a Serena Williams-Sam Stosur match to run the evening news and the popular Home and Away soap opera.
“It’s a little surprising,” said Allaster. “News is a major driver of ratings, it’s business, and we understand that, but what typically happens is we get to go to another channel.
“If you’re watching the US Open and you can’t finish the match on ESPN, you’re going to go to ESPN2 or the Tennis Channel. I don’t know the other platforms available, but I’m sure Tennis Australia’s looking at that.”
