STUTTGART, Germany (AP)—Justine Henin ignored a broken finger to win her opening match at the Porsche Grand Prix on Wednesday, ending a two-match losing streak with a 7-6 (3), 6-1 victory over Julia Goerges of Germany.
Defending champion Svetlana Kuznetsova was upset by Li Na of China, who overcame the third-seeded Russian 6-3, 7-5.
Li needed three match points to end a three-match losing streak to Kuznetsova, which included a loss in Stuttgart last year at the same stage. Kuznetsova, the French Open champion, still has a 6-3 career edge.
“I was nervous at the end, my heart was going 220,” Li said of her wasting two match points.
Henin, a right-hander who uses a one-handed backhand, broke her left pinkie while practicing for last weekend’s Fed Cup, where she played and lost.
She had to save three set points to beat Goerges and set up a second-round match with Belgian teammate Yanina Wickmayer.
“I had to change the splint, but it’s much better now,” Henin said. “The pain is much less, although it is still very blue.”
Fourth-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia beat Gisela Dulko of Argentina 6-2, 6-2, and seventh-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia was a 6-2, 6-1 winner over Marion Bartoli of France to remain unbeaten in seven matches on clay this year.
But fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland went out against Shahar Peer in the second round. The 20th-ranked Israeli won 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-2 after wasting a match point before the tiebreaker in the second set.
Henin, who came out of retirement in January and entered as a wild card, faced three set points and saved them all as Goerges, also a wild card, caved under pressure.
Once Henin had won the tiebreaker, she cruised.
“She was positioned to win the first set, but I tried to stay focused,” Henin said. “After that, in the second I started to feel more relaxed and I was more aggressive on the court. …
“It’s my fifth tournament, it takes time. It’s good to be playing matches.”
Henin, a seven-time Grand Slam champion, reached the final of her first comeback tournament in Brisbane and was runner-up at the Australian Open. She lost to fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters, another player who returned from retirement, in the final at Indian Wells and then lost to Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in the Fed Cup last week.
Eighth-seeded Wickmayer beat Francesca Schiavone of Italy 6-3, 6-3.
Jankovic succeeded Henin in 2008 as Stuttgart champion. She improved to 4-1 against Dulko in her bid for a second title this year.
“It was good for the first match. Dulko is tough to play on clay. I played a good first set, but had a few ups and downs in the second,” Jankovic said.
Lucie Safarova advanced when Selima Sfar of Tunisia retired with an ankle injury in the second set. Safarova lost the first set 6-2 and was 3-0 in the second when Sfar quit.