Berlin (AP): Even after another painful loss at the German Open, Justine Henin's rivals still think the Belgian can pull it together to win a fifth French Open next month.

Dinara Safina said the world No. 1 can bounce back after she beat Henin 5-7, 6-3, 6-1 yesterday. Serena Williams had a similar view after her 6-3, 6-1 rout of Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska extended her streak to 17 matches.

"Henin's such a great winner," said Williams, who reached the quarterfinals. "She can play a lot better. She knows that, and she can take solace in that fact."

Williams handed Henin the worst loss for a No. 1 player in nine years last month at the Sony Ericsson, 6-2, 6-0. That came after the Belgian was knocked out of the Australian Open in January by in another hard loss, 6-4, 6-0, to Maria Sharapova..

Some now wonder if the game has changed too much for Henin, even on her favorite surface.

"Henin has mastered clay, but I think the game is getting more powerful, like Serena is playing," said Ivanovic, the world No. 2 who advanced against Sybille Bmmer, 7-5, 4-6, 6-4.

After the Williams loss, Henin took a month off to nurse a knee injury and refocus on tennis. She returned to play an event she has captured three times, twice ahead of a French Open title in June.

The Belgian never shook off her tentativeness against Safina, the 17th-ranked Russian who hadn't taken a set against her in five previous matches. After 2 hours-w, 34 minutes, Henin missed the line with a hard forehand to end the match.

"The whole match I didn't have the intensity, I didn't have the consistency," Henin said. "It wasn't enough today. Now we have to see in the next few weeks."