Henin-Hardenne downplays favorite role
(AP)
Updated: 2006-03-10 10:33

INDIAN WELLS, Calif. - The WTA Tour rankings and seedings for the Pacific Life Open both indicate that Justine Henin-Hardenne is the favorite to win the tournament that began Wednesday.

Henin-Hardenne doesn't think so, however.

"I don't consider myself as the favorite," she said. "If people see me that way, it's fine, but I don't want to listen to that because it doesn't have any importance to myself. I'm just trying to do my job the best I can."

Henin-Hardenne, who won the tournament in 2004, has won two tournaments and compiled a 14-1 record this year. Her only loss came when she retired due to stomach problems while playing Amelie Mauresmo in the Australian Open final.

Top-ranked Kim Clijsters, who is injured, and No. 2 Mauresmo are among the six top 10 players who are skipping the event. That leaves third-ranked Henin-Hardenne as the top seed in the 96-player field.

The Belgian is also in a bracket that includes just one other top 10 player, No. 8 Elena Dementieva. Lindsay Davenport is seeded second.

On the first day of play, the highest-ranked player in action was No. 55 Samantha Stosur of Australia. She advanced by beating Yuliana Fedak of Ukraine, 3-6, 6-3, 6-0.

Americans Ashley Harkleroad and Lisa Raymond also won opening matches.

Harkleroad beat Yan Zi of China, 6-3, 7-5. Raymond needed three sets and a tiebreaker to get by Katerina Bohmova of the Czech Republic, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 (5).

There hasn't been a dominant player on the women's tour recently. There have been eight different winners in the past eight Grand Slam events and 11 different winners in 16 tournaments this year.

"That's good. That's interesting. I feel it's good for the game," Henin-Hardenne said Wednesday.

"It's pretty sad when you always have the same player winning," Henin-Hardenne said. "I think it's very exciting for all the players now that we arrive at a tournament and there's no way you can say, `She's the favorite.' That's very good for all the players, that's good for the crowd, the press, the tour. Everyone is happy about the fact that you never know who's going to win."