05/15/2008 - Philadelphia, PA (Tennis Betting) - One of tennis' greatest champions abruptly called it a career this week, as Justine Henin decided she'd had enough of the tennis lifestyle at only 25 years of age.
Much like Bjorn Borg in the early 1980s, perhaps the Belgian star was burned out. She certainly battled a bevy of physical problems, not to mention a fair share of mental anguish, during her great run, which included seven Grand Slam singles titles, a Fed Cup championship (2001) and an Olympic gold medal (2004).
Henin was often plagued by fatigue issues, and was slowed mightily a few years back by a strain of cytomegalovirus, an energy-sapping immune system problem that often forced her to sleep up to 18 hours a day and left her with barely enough strength to even brush her teeth.
But at no point did we think she'd retire before the midway point of this 2008 campaign.
The former JH-H was 16-4 with a pair of titles this year. Not too bad, right? But instead of continuing her assault on the record books, the diminutive star held a mid-week news conference in her homeland to let everybody know that she was leaving the game for good...with no regrets.
In doing so, "Juju" became the first-ever standing women's No. 1 to retire, and the second Belgian great within the last year to hang 'em up, as former world No. 1 Kim Clijsters quit the sport last year in order to start a family (which she has since done).
"The decision is final, I stop immediately with tennis," said Henin, who was flanked by her long-time coach, Argentine Carlos Rodriguez, at the news conference. "I stop without regret. I've given everything."
She added that she is "not sad, but relieved and proud" of her decision.
Henin, who will turn 26 on June 1, suffered a third-round defeat at the hands of Russian Dinara Safina in Berlin last week and then pulled out of this week's event in Rome, citing (what else?) fatigue.
The four-time French Open champion, who took the last three championships at Roland Garros, opted against gearing up for a shot at a fifth overall and fourth straight title at the only clay-court major, which starts in less than two weeks. The reigning queen of clay ends her career with a 21-match winning streak at RG.
All told, Henin tallied 41 titles on the WTA Tour and more than $19.4 million in prize money. She led the circuit with a whopping 10 titles last year, a year in which she pocketed over $5 million and captured both French and U.S. Open crowns.
The diminutive star first reached No. 1 in October 2003 and this week marked her 61st consecutive one at the top of the rankings, and 117th overall, which is good enough for sixth place on that all-time list.
The 5-foot-5 Henin was best known for that spectacular one-handed backhand, her tremendous athleticism and foot speed, mental strength and an unrivaled work ethic. She was able to combine power and finesse, which enabled her to excel on any surface.
Her outstanding footwork, balance and court coverage were top shelf, and she always demonstrated exceptional volleying skills. Henin also boasted an underrated serve, which topped out at 124 miles per hour back in 2005.
"Pound for pound Justine is the greatest player of her generation," said WTA Tour founder and legend Billie Jean King.
The steady Henin captured every major tennis event, with the exception of Wimbledon; helped tiny Belgium win its first and only Fed Cup title; and was a two-time winner of the prestigious year-end Tour Championships.
"Justine Henin will be remembered as one of the all-time great champions in women's tennis, and a woman who made up for her lack of size with a will to win and fighting spirit that was second to none," said WTA Tour chairman and CEO Larry Scott. "It is rare that an athlete leaves at the very top of her game in this day and age, but Justine has always played by her own rules, in the very best sense of those words. History will remember Justine for not only her seven Grand Slam titles and three years finishing as the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's No.1, but for one of the most graceful backhands the sport has ever seen and an ability to overcome any and all obstacles placed in her way on and off the court."
The three-time year-end No. 1 had some great rivalries, with her countrywoman Clijsters, and Serena Williams. She went 12-10 lifetime versus Kimmy, including a win in the first-ever all-Belgian Grand Slam final at the 2003 French Open. Henin also topped Clijsters in the '03 U.S. Open final and the 2004 Aussie Open finale. Against her arch-rival Serena, Henin was 6-7 and won three straight Grand Slam quarterfinal bouts against the sturdy American last season. Oddly enough, Henin and the former top-ranked Serena never squared off in a major final.
FYI, the two-time U.S. Open champion and 2004 Aussie Open titlist Henin was 6-3 lifetime against Maria Sharapova and 2-7 versus Venus Williams, if you want to compare her against some of her other contemporaries.
Henin, who spent the last eight years inside the world's top eight, was also well known for having a troubled personal life. Her mother died in 1995 when she was only 12 years old, she went eight years without speaking to her estranged father Jose, and she divorced her husband, Pierre-Yves Hardenne, in 2007.
One thing I know for sure is that Henin's retirement is bad news for the world of tennis. Tennis, like all sports, is only as great as its greatest champions and its mouth-watering rivalries. And with Henin's exit, you lose not only the compelling rivalry with Serena, but also one of the game's top players of all- time.
And for the record, I can't think of anyone I enjoyed watching more than the determined Belgian.
Is Henin truly gone for good? My gut feeling says yes. But don't forget that Borg attempted that ill-fated comeback in the early '90s, with his trademark headband and wooden racquet in tow.
Farewell, Queen Justine!!!
<< U.S. announces World Cup semifinal home sites
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The United States men's national team will play
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The Unit
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Johnson, who missed the
<< Brewers P Riske lands on DL
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher David Riske
has been placed on the 15-day disabled list with a hyperextended right elbow,
the team announced Thursday.
Riske left Wednesday's 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles
<< Brewers ink Braun to record-setting extension
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Milwaukee Brewers have signed outfielder
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players with three years or less of major league experience.
The deal, worth a re
Dodgers 3B DeWitt scratched from lineup >>
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Blake
DeWitt was a late scratch from the lineup for Thursday's game against the
Milwaukee Brewers after experiencing lower back pain.
Everyday catcher Russell Ma
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New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Major League Soccer announced Thursday it has
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Coburn, Roberts out for Game 4 >>
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Pittsburgh forward Gary Roberts will miss tonight's Game 4 of the Eastern
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Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Cleveland Cavaliers guard Daniel Gibson will
miss the next 1-2 weeks of action due to a shoulder injury, possibly keeping
him out the remainder of the playoffs.
Gibson left Wednesday's 96-89 loss at Bost
Is there such a thing as a trap game in the NFL?
I once asked that question to Pete Korner, who at the time was office manager and a senior linesmaker for Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Korner almost ripped my head off. There is no such thing as a trap game, he loudly berated me. It’s a myth. The numbers are made using power ratings, he said.
There are trap games, though. They just might not be what you think. The perception is of a good team, say Philadelphia, laying a small number against New Orleans.
Using the highly-respected power ranking from The Gold Sheet, you’d find the Eagles with a power rating of 4 and the Saints at 8. When you factor the game being played in New Orleans, you could see why the line opened so short at less than a field goal.
For some, this makes it enticing to take the Eagles. That’s not a real trap game, though.
A real trap game, says professional gambler Dave Malinsky, is thinking you’re getting value betting a bad team, which brings us to the Oakland Raiders-Denver Broncos matchup.
The Raiders are +15 in this long-standing division rivalry. Denver is on a short week having dispatched Baltimore Monday. However, the Raiders haven’t covered the spread their last 10 games.
Many bettors don’t trust the Raiders to give a full effort. Few think much of Art Shell and his Oakland’s coaching staff.
So oddsmakers have to do something to make Oakland attractive if they hope to get equal action.
Now Malinsky is a value shopper. But he won’t touch the Raiders even getting more than two touchdowns.
“I try to eliminate the undisciplined, unfocused teams because they’re the ones most likely to suffer the bad beats,” he said.
Near the top of Malinsky’s list of stay-away teams is the Miami Dolphins, who have yet to cover a spread this season.
“Whatever you think of Nick Saban, you have to look at the penalties and turnovers,” Malinsky said.
It’s easy to point out the Dolphins failed to get the money this past week against New England because Olindo Mare missed a field goal and had another field goal blocked. But even though the Dolphins outgained the Patriots, 283-213, they committed eight penalties.
Bad teams not only cost themselves victories, but pointspread covers as well. The Arizona Cardinals and Green Bay Packers are two more examples.
The Cardinals couldn’t have been in a better position this past Sunday, up 14-0 at home against a mediocre Kansas City Chiefs squad. But they couldn’t hold it. The Packers got a push against St. Louis, but also could have won losing by three when Brett Favre fumbled at the St. Louis 11-yard line with 44 seconds left.
“The Packers were in a position to beat Philadelphia, too,” Malinsky said. “But they couldn’t even cover double digits.
“These teams just make mistakes and it costs you … they always will look good from a value standpoint. They really will. But that’s the trap.”
Houston and Tennessee rank among the six-worst teams. Malinsky wouldn’t be afraid to take either of these teams, however, if the price were high enough.
The Texans are bad, Malinsky said, but they have some discipline. The Titans showed they could not only come up with an outstanding game plan, but execute it as well, losing by one to the Colts on the road as an 18 ?-point underdog this past Sunday.
“Jeff Fisher is a worker,” Malinsky said of the Titans coach. “I’m not sure how hard Art Shell wants to work when he gets out of bed.”
Fisher, though, could be out as Tennessee coach after this season. Is he still worth backing in the right spot, with the right price, as a lame duck coach?
“It’s in his nature to keep working hard and not worry about any possible lame duck status,” Malinsky said. “He’s coaching for his resume.”
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines.
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers SPORTS TRASH TALK
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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