Anybody watching this? It's a blockbuster match-up on paper, but living up to the billing on court as well thus far. It's the first time these two have played since Jankovic hit the No 3 ranking, and the first time on hard court since Doha. It's also the very first final they have both contested, and both women are vying for a fourth and fifth title on the year respectively (having each won across three surfaces). And of course they have a storied history, five of their six encounters going to three sets and Jankovic having won the first in nearly all of these, as well as squandering big leads in a couple. Their Roland Garros clash was a dud, but then nobody can take a set off Henin in Paris and it's a coup if they can win more than five or six games.

Jankovic led 4-2, and despite having saved three break points against her (including 15-40 when trying to consolidate her lead), the pressure on her service games finally told and she double faulted on break point to put the first set back on serve 4-3. Some great court coverage in their rallies, as one might expect, with Jankovic seeming to try to take the ball as early as possible and Henin coming forward to take balls out of the air.

Henin seemed on the verge of reeling off five games in a row from 1-4 down, threatening at 15-40 on Jankovic's service game, but a couple of loose forehands lets her off the hook and Jankovic stops the rot to hold for a 5-4 lead.

Not a whole lot to separate the two just yet; Jankovic is making slightly less UEs but her serve is proving a bit more vulnerable than Henin's, unsurprisingly.

I only just realised this had started :angry:

Henin got the inevitable break and now serving for the set. I think she'll take this in two tight ones.

Jankovic bails herself out yet another 15-40 hole with some clutch serving, and holds a couple of game points but remains locked at deuce (earning one in particular with a thrilling net exchange, with Henin running up to a drop shot and tossing it just over for her own drop shot, with Jankovic coming up with a great cross-court volley that goes from one sideline to the other with a little help from a let cord), but Henin leaps on her next break chance and will serve for the set 6-5.

Nice commentary Manzi :ok:

Janky has just saved a set point :clap:

That tie break really exposed how much more agressive Justine is than Jankovic. When Justine is firing like that Jelena can't quite cope with the pressure.

Henin's forehand has been wild on a few points, and it costs her a service break (and a set point) to take the first set into a tiebreaker, which it probably deserved given the play from these two.

Unfortunately it's not terribly suspenseful, with a few cheap UEs from Jankovic and stellar offence from Henin to give herself a 5-1 cushion at the change of ends. She wraps it up not long after and takes the set 7-6(3). She will also start the second set serving, which will put some mental pressure on Jankovic if she finds herself serving to stay in the match at 4-5 and 5-6. That's a big if, as now I see Henin closing it out in two for her second Toronto title.

Er, nevermind. Jankovic seems determined to stay in this and breaks Henin to 15 to start the second set on a higher note.

(Also, now that I've had time to glance through the thread again, I should have said fifth and sixth titles respectively in the lead post.)

Definitely, although it's so tough for Jankovic to sneak a ball past Henin, who not only gets to her shots but returns them with interest. Jankovic had a tough three-setter against Golovin last night (some really high quality there, among the best matches on the women's side I've seen in a while) whilst Henin rolled over Yan in the afternoon so even if this does go to a decider I wonder if Jankovic will have enough energy left to see it through.

Justine holds after a tough game. So it's 2*-1 with only one break, which means very little with these two in any case.

I still see Justine winning this in two, she looks so focused.

For all that, however, it's looking a bit like that tight first set took something out of Justine. A confident hold to love from Jelena consolidates a 2-0 lead, and though she fights to deuce on Justine's next service game, the No 1 still holds to keep it just the one break down 1-2.

I would've bet money Jelena would have a let down and get broken there :rolleyes:

She lost her advantage, and if Justine holds here, she's going to be playing catch up again. A game she isn't so good at :huh:

Jankovic breaks Henin in to lead 3-2 but how long will it last?

I should know better than to predict these matches though, now Janky serving for a 4-2 lead.

I wouldn't have taken that bet, either. :P Broken to 15, on a double no less.

But Jelena rebounds to break to 30, and Justine's poor 1st serve % is really starting to tell on her. A quixotic challenge shows her last ball to have been well wide, and Jelena will try to consolidate a second break into a 4-2 lead. I think she'll manage it this time. (Okay, actually I have no idea where this is going, but it's certainly fun to watch.)

So it goes from 43 to 45 with Jelena serving to stay in it.

Well, here we are. Another 4-2 lead gained, another 4-2 lead lost, and the finish line is in sight for Justine at 5-4. I'm hoping to see a little more of this match but it's not likely.

5-5 40-40 Is this the longest game ever?!

That could have been a stunning turnaround. From championship point down 30-40, from 40-love on Henin's serve, to seemingly countless Advantage Jankovic points that would have let Jelena serve to take the match into a decider, where a seemingly worn-down Henin would probably have been vulnerable. Instead after nine deuces come and gone, Henin takes her first game point in yonks despite being on the defensive the entire point.

Even if Jelena hangs on here at 5-6 I don't fancy her chances in a tiebreaker.

So Justine manages to pull through a very tight match. Jankovic put in a good perfomance and could well be Justine's biggest opposition at the US Open!

Hmm, well Jelena couldn't hold. Another painful loss for her, especially considering she led in the 1st set as well.

I think we will see less three setters from Henin/Jankovic from now on though. Justine seems to be able to play Jelena better these days, regardless of how low her serving percentage is.

As I said after the French Open, I think Jelena's opportunity to get a win against Justine has come and gone. I see this going the way of the Kuznetsova H2H :yikes:

Well, unbelievably Jelena saves triple championship point, and another (for five total) but gives Justine far too many chances and on an inside out forehand return winner, it's Henin who prevails yet again for the title. Well done.

It's strange but a 7-6(3), 7-5 scoreline actually doesn't do Jelena any justice. That 5-all game was like a third set on its own. :P Unfortunately for her I can't see her defeating Henin as long as she remains at No 1, and she'll be praying to be on the opposite side of the draw from her nemesis come USO time.