TENNIS: Justine Henin-Hardenne vs. Kim Clijsters

TOTW is the ladies semifinal matchup from Wimbledon of Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters. These two girls have dominated women's tennis in the past few years, winning a combined 6 Grand Slams since 2003. And I thought chocolate was the only thing Belgium produced that was any good! Through their power, ability to play on all surafaces, and durability, these Belgian blondes stand out from the rest of the WTA, including the Williams sisters and current wave of stars from Russia.

When comparing Justine and Kim, it's striking just how similar these two players appear to be. Justine Henin-Hardenne is Belgiam, 24 years old, 5'6, 130lbs, turned pro in 1999, currently ranked 3rd in the world, has won 27 titles, and has almost $12 million in career earnings. Kim Clijsters, on the other hand, is also from Belgium, 23 years old, 5'8, 150lbs, turned pro in 1998, currently ranked 2nd in the world, has won 31 titles, and has earned a little over $13 million on the WTA tour. In fact, the only area where you can distinguish these ladies is in the winning of Grand Slam tournaments. While Henin-Hardenne has captured 5 Grand Slams, Clijsters has only one such title from the 2005 US Open.

The winner of this match will play either Amelie Mauresmo or Maria Sharapova in the final. My fickle heart usually beats for Sharapova. But I also admire these Belgians. They always play each other tough, although when the spotlight is shining brightest, Henin-Hardenne is 3-0 against Clijsters in Grand Slam finals.

My pick: Justine Henin-Hardenne. She has an edge over her compatriot when Grand Slams are on the line. Rest assured, this edge does not hold true when beauty is on the line. Kim Clijsters is one of the tour hotties, and while Justine isn't hard on the eyes, there's got to be a reason she's always hiding under that damned hat! Henin-Hardenne only needs a Wimbledon title to complete the career Grand Slam and I think she gets it this year.



So that's what I'll be watching. What will you be watching? Kim Clijsters on the tennis court? Or Kim Clijsters off the tennis court?



PS - Sorry about the PG-13 version, folks. I do have SOME standards around here afterall. Just do a Yahoo search if you want the real thing.