With the WTA Tour kicking off its clay season this week, Justine Henin signalled her intention to reclaim her mantle as Queen of Clay by winning in Stuttgart to capture the firt title of her comeback.
The Belgian reached finals at both Brisbane and the Australian Open after deciding to end her retirement at the end of last year.
"I never thought I'd be back in Stuttgart," said Henin, who had not played the event since it switched from indoor hardcourt to indoor clay. "Especially on clay, it means a lot to me."
Henin defeated Samantha Stosur 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 to win the final.
"In the third set she just got really aggressive," said Stosur, who was on an 11-match win streak coming into the final. "She broke me three times in a row [in the third set]."
Henin, who will be attempting to win her fifth French Open title in a few weeks' time, will next play the Premier mandatory event in Madrid the week after next. Most of the other French Open contenders, including the Williams sisters, will be in action this week in Rome.
"We have to hard in the next few weeks, few months and -- few years, I hope," said Henin.