Henin: Dubai kick-started my success

Dubai: There is something about Dubai that agrees with defending champion Justine Henin and the world number one will be hoping her affinity for the city continues this week.

It was after taking the Dubai crown last year that Henin went on to claim nine Sony Ericsson WTA Tour titles including two Grand Slams.

She hasn't exactly had a bad season so far in 2008 either with wins in Sydney's Medibank International and Antwerp already under her belt.

Focused

Yet this year the unbeaten-in-Dubai Henin is probably facing her toughest line-up in the emirate to date and Maria Sharapova, the in-form Australian Open winner who turfed Henin out of the quarterfinals in Melbourne, lurks with intent at the other end of the draw.

But Henin, focused as ever, is concentrating on her own game and refusing to take anything for granted "I love this tournament," said the four-time winner yesterday. "My season really started here in Dubai last year and it was the beginning of an amazing adventure for the rest of the season.

"It's very positive for sure to be undefeated here, but no-one knows what's going to happen. I have to work very hard and I won matches that I could have lost in Dubai." She says that the niggling injury to her right knee that saw her struggle in the Australian Open is much better.

"My knee injury also was very difficult to deal with. Now it's much better but after the Australian Open I had to stop for three weeks and I got cortisone injections. Now it's much better and I can play without pain, but I'm not making excuses - there are a lot of reasons why I didn't win that competition and Sharapova was the main one."