Victory for the Belgians (19/1/2002)

Australia battled Belgium in two women's singles matches in the third round, and Belgium came out on top.

Nicole Pratt faced the No.6 seed Justine Henin, and despite a valiant performance by the Queenslander in the first set, Pratt fell to Henin in straight sets 6-4 6-0.

Lifted by a supportive crowd in the Rod Laver Arena, Pratt recovered from a 0-4 deficit in the first set to break Henin twice and claw her way back to 4-5. But Pratt missed a break opportunity in the next game, handing Henin the set.

The second set saw Henin step up a gear and relentlessly go to work on Pratt, attacking the net at every opportunity and calmly winning the set without dropping a game. Only in the third game of the set did Pratt get a look in, but she missed break point.

"I had a very high level of intensity in the first set, and losing the set I felt pretty disappointed," said Pratt. "In the second set, I had the opportunity to go 1-1 and I missed it. If you give a player like Justine a lead, with a set in hand, then she will be more aggressive and she was."

Despite the loss, Pratt walks away from the Open with a result equal to her career best. Her only other third round appearance in a Grand Slam was in the 1999 Australian Open. She now looks forward to achieving her aims of winning a WTA title and cracking the top 30 during the year.

"The way I've been playing I think that goal is very achievable. I might have to reassess in six months time if I reach what my new goals are," she said.

Australia's other remaining hope in the third round women's singles was 23-year-old Cindy Watson, who lost out to No.4 seed Kim Clijsters in straight sets 6-1 6-2.

Despite the loss, Watson was satisfied with her performance at the Open. "This week has been awesome," she said after the game. "I've been playing well and it has been a lot of fun, so I can't wait for the year.

"I haven't played any of those (matches), if any, against the top players. It's just different, and it takes a bit of getting used to."

Watson will now jump up in the rankings and hopes to have the opportunity to play more Grand Slams. She now aims to crack the top 100.

Even her highly-ranked opponent had some kind words for Watson. "She has had a great tournament and she has beaten some good players," said Clijsters.

Pratt's opponent Henin also praised the performances of the local women, saying they had both performed well with tough draws in the tournament. Asked if the two Belgians had met to discuss defeating the last remaining Australian women, Henin denied it with a laugh. "Sorry about that," she said.

from ausopen.org