MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) Justine Henin felt nervous and afraid, she struggled and was forced to fight back - in other words, she thought it was the perfect return to the Australian Open after a six-month hiatus from tennis.
The seven-time Grand Slam champion started out rusty before rallying Monday to beat Indian qualifier Sania Mirza 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 and avoid a first-round exit in Melbourne.
I have the experience, but I need matches. I need rhythm, and I need fight - like tonight,'' said Henin, the No. 11 seed.It's a good way for me to enter the tournament.''
The 28-year-old Henin is no stranger to comebacks, both personal and professional.
When Henin took her break from tennis, she said she wanted to experience life. She retired with the No. 1 ranking in May 2008, saying she had lost her passion for the sport she began as a child. Her time off turned into a spiritual journey and she returned with a new perspective.
It was one of several steps on the road to finding herself through tennis.
Henin lost her mother to cancer at the age of 12. She dedicated her first French Open title in 2003 to her mother, who had brought a 10-year-old Justine to Roland Garros to watch a tennis match in person for the first time.
She went on to win the French Open three more times, the U.S. Open twice and the Australian Open in 2004. But she endured injuries and, in 2007, the end of her five-year marriage.
(Tennis) gave me so much strength'' after she lost her mother, Henin said Monday.I got the fire when I was on the tennis court.
I think sport has something great. It pushes you to go really deep in yourself,'' she said.It's a beautiful life. It's not an easy life.''
In her first tournament of 2011, Henin led Belgium to the Hopman Cup final, but considers the Australian Open her ``first official match in the last six months.''
The 24-year-old Mirza started off strong, while Henin had trouble finding her rhythm and chasing down shots. Even her trademark one-handed backhand was misfiring, and Henin failed to convert one set point in the first. Mirza then broke the Belgian's service and won the next two games to take the opening set.
I was fighting at every point,'' Henin said.I tried to stay in the match.''
Mirza, a two-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, is trying to claw back through the rankings after dropping from a high of No. 27 to 145, due partly to a wrist injury that kept her out of the game for five months last year.
Her early momentum gave way to errors, though, and Henin rallied in the second set and stormed through the third to finish off the match.
It feels good to lose to a player who you know is of the caliber of Justine,'' Mirza said.I gave everything I had, and she was just too strong in the third set.''
Henin said she felt very nervous'' walking onto the court, and once the match got under way she feltafraid.''
``But the passion is back,'' she said.