Henin's achievement hailed

BRUSSELS, JULY 10. Belgian newspapers on Monday hailed Justine Henin's Wimbledon achievement even though she lost the final to Venus Williams.

``Justine Henin proved by reaching the finals at Wimbledon she is capable of taking home a Grand Slam title,'' La Derniere Heure daily said.

Headlines cheered ''bravo'' and ``Merci (thanks) Justine'' for her plucky performance against defending champion Williams on Sunday. The athletic Venus Williams overpowered the slight Henin to win the title 6-1, 3-6, 6-0, but it was the Belgian underdog that captured the hearts of the crowd.

''Justine Henin's amazing adventure at Wimbledon ended with cheers from the centre court crowd, who were won over by the Belgian player's tennis,'' the Vers L'Avenir newspaper said. ``(They) recognised her as a future winner. It's written in the turf of the All England Club.''

Henin, 19, played before a devoted fan club that included Belgium's Prime Minister Mr.Guy Verhofstadt, prince Philippe and princess Mathilde.

The eighth seed became the first Belgian to reach a Wimbledon singles final. ''(She) did not take home the most beautiful trophy from Wimbledon but she has joined the club of top five players in the world,'' Vers L'Avenir said.

Little was reported of Henin's reaction to the death of her grandfather hours before the final was played.She returned to her hometown of Rochefort, in southern Belgium late on Sunday, after prince Philippe and princess Mathilde offered the use of their private plane.

-Reuters.

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