Justine Henin made her comeback to Grand Slam

Justine Henin made her comeback to Grand Slam tennis on Monday night with a 6-4, 6-3 win over fellow Belgian Kirsten Flipkens in her first match at a major since she lost to eventual champion Maria Sharapova in the quarterfinals of the 2008 Australian Open.

Henin quit in May 2008, while holding the No. 1 ranking, but was inspired to return to the tour when her compatriot Kim Clijsters won the U.S. Open in September—Clijsters’ third tournament back from two years out to get married and have a baby.

Unranked and playing as a wild card entry, Henin will now play a second-round match against fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva, the Olympic champion.

A win over Dementieva could put her on course for a quarterfinal against Clijsters, who opened with a 6-0, 6-4 over Canadian qualifier Valerie Tetreault.

Henin into Australian Open quarterfinals

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—Justine Henin has advanced to the quarterfinals of her first Grand Slam tournament in two years when she beat fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3 at the Australian Open.

Henin, who is in her second tournament since returning from a 20-month retirement, dominated the first-set tiebreaker after saving three set points in the 12th game on her serve and trailing 6-5.

Wickmayer broke Henin’s serve to open the second set, and Henin, more importantly, did the same to Wickmayer in the decider.

Unranked and playing on a wild-card entry, Henin will play No. 19 Nadia Petrova in the quarterfinals.

Wickmayer is ranked No. 16 but was unseeded and had to qualify because she was under a suspension—since overturned—for breaching the World Anti-Doping Agency’s “whereabouts rule” when direct entries closed for the Australian Open.