Henin wins Stuttgart title, Dulko & Pennetta win in doubles

In Stuttgart, Justine Henin, playing as a wild card, reached her third final since returning to the tour, and this one went her way. Henin defeated Sam Stosur 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 in a match that had its ups and downs for both players. Both played very well in the first set, but Henin was able to get a crucial break. In the second set, Stosur escaped breaks twice, and gained so much momentum that she was able to dominate Henin--who made a series of unforced errors--6-2.

The third set was up for grabs, and Henin, consistently taking the ball very quickly, grabbed it with a stunning display of tennis. This display included a series of the kind of volleys that are really difficult to execute, yet Henin makes them look so easy. There were a few good rallies--one in particular--near the end of the match, but there was little that Stosur could do about Henin's combination of aggression and precision.

In doubles, the number 1 seeds, Gisela Dulko and Flavia Pennetta, backed up their big Miami win with a 3-6, 7-6, 10-5 victory over 2nd seeds Kveta Peschke and Katarina Srebotnik.

Henin now has 42 singles titles.

This is Dulko's eleventh doubles title, and Pennetta's eighth; it is the fifth title for Dulko and Pennetta as a team.