Friday, July 7 2006 14:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Amelie Mauresmo and Justine Henin-Hardenne clash in Saturday's Wimbledon final with both determined to prove they are fighters not quitters. Mauresmo clinched her first Grand Slam title in January with victory at the Australian Open, but it was a tainted win in many eyes as Henin-Hardenne quit with stomach pains when she was trailing 6-1, 2-0.

Adding spice to the controversy was Mauresmo's admission that she was 'ready to die' on court that day in order to secure an elusive title.

The Frenchwoman had to endure further doubts over her position as a Grand Slam winner after Michaella Krajicek retired with heat stress in their third round meeting and second-seeded Kim Clijsters retired with an ankle injury early in the third set of the semi-final.

"I think the final is going to be about tennis," said Mauresmo, keen to play down any lingering bitterness over the manner of her win in Melbourne and become the first French winner here since Suzanne Lenglen in 1925.

"That's what I want it to be. She probably feels happy about it too so that she can have a chance of revenge for what happened in Australia," she said.

French Open winner Henin-Hardenne, who needs a Wimbledon title to complete a career Grand Slam, insists the controversy of her Melbourne performance is a thing of the past.

"It's far away for me now. I want to win another Grand Slam and win Wimbledon for the first time," said the Belgian third seed who has yet to drop a set at the All England Club this year on her way to a second final.

"I don't think about what happened because this is a new situation," she said.

"I don't have anything to prove to anybody anymore. I have proved on the tennis court what a fighter I am, how much I can compete," she said.

Henin-Hardenne is chasing her sixth career Grand Slam title and was the runner-up here in 2001, losing in three sets to Venus Williams.



Back then she was just 19, playing in her first career Grand Slam final and intimidated by just being on the same court as the imposing American.

"It was a time in my career when I was very scared about the power of the other players. I was younger and didn't have the experience I have now. That final in 2001 is not the best memory of my career," she said.

Henin-Hardenne enjoys a 5-4 career edge over Mauresmo and will start Saturday's final as the slight favourite having easily overcome compatriot Clijsters in the semi-finals.

By contrast, Mauresmo needed three sets to beat both Anastasia Myskina in the quarter-finals and Maria Sharapova, the 2004 champion, in the semi-finals.

Her win against the Russian pin-up also snapped a depressing run of falling here in three semi-finals in 2002, 2004 and 2005.

But Mauresmo, who turned 27 on Wednesday, believes she is a stronger, more resilient player buoyed by her Australian Open win and her triumph in the season-ending Tour Championships in Los Angeles last year - the turning point in her career.

"That was definitely a big breakthrough. It helped me a lot in Australia too and will proabably be a big help for the rest of my career," she said.

"That was a big moment, a big change," she said.

Mauresmo also hopes she will inspire the French football team to victory against Italy in the World Cup final in Berlin on Sunday.

"I hope it's a French weekend," she said.