Henin on Cloud Seven

Henin, the world8217;s No 1 player, jogged off the court and easily climbed over the court wall to her box, not noticing the security guard tumbling behind her the way other powerful players did in her wake. There, she hugged her coach and confidant of 11 years, Carlos Rodriguez, and allowed herself to celebrate, publicly, a very private achievement.

Their year began in turmoil when Henin missed the first Grand Slam event, the Australian Open, because she was separating from her husband, Pierre-Yves Hardenne. Soon after, Henin reconciled with her brothers and father, from whom she had been estranged. In June, she won the French Open. She lost in the semi-finals of Wimbledon, but was determined to grow stronger from that defeat.

In New York, she never lost a set in this tournament, nor did she lose her serve during the championship match, as she became, at 25, the first woman to beat both Serena and then Venus Williams in the same Grand Slam event and win the title.

She won the match by racing to the net, lofting a soft backhand lob-volley that dropped modestly over Kuznetsova8217;s head. It was an unremarkable winner, but telling for a final that was as lopsided as the two halves of the women8217;s draw.

With the Williams sisters having gone home to heal and the defending champion Maria Sharapova long forgotten after her third-round upset, this prime-time final lacked the glamour and rancour of a big-time rivalry.

But Henin, a 5-foot-5 frac34;-inch, 126-pound featherweight with a heavyweight game, emerged in a class by herself. She had won the 2003 Open title, but she said last night that she felt she was a better player now. On match point, she dropped her racket and immediately looked to Rodriguez.

Henin did not lead the tournament in any statistical category. She had just 21 aces this tournament, her fastest serve topping out at 117 miles an hour. But her precision, from her timely serves to her wicked one-handed backhands, reflected her invincibility. From the start, Henin was primed for the title. She broke Kuznetsova8217;s serve in the first game and won four straight games. Kuznetsova committed 29 unforced errors.

Henin was serving for the match, at 5-3 in the second set, when she double-faulted twice and faced three break points. She fought them all off, pumping herself up with cheers in French: Allez!

And where does she go from here? By winning her seventh Grand Slam title, Henin moved one title ahead of Venus and just one behind Serena among active players. But she still has not won Wimbledon.

Henin smiled and said: 8220;Who knows what8217;s going to happen in next few years? When I was a little girl, I was dreaming of winning just win one Grand Slam, and I8217;ve won seven. All these numbers that are talking to me give me more confidence. It8217;s more than a dream.8221;