While most players will be hoping to stay injury-free ahead of the French Open Justine Henin may well not mind the odd broken bone after she won her first title since coming out of retirement.

The Belgian warmed up for a crack at a fifth Roland Garros title with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 final victory over Samantha Stosur in Stuttgart late on Sunday.

The win came despite the former World No.1 having broken her little finger 11 days ago while preparing for a Fed Cup match.

But Henin, who is expected to wear a splint on it until the French Open starts, joked the break could have been her ‘lucky charm’.

“Maybe my broken finger brought me luck,” she said. “Life is amazing, when I broke my finger and I heard it was a fracture I didn’t know if I would even be able to come here. I decided to take my chance and would have to get used to playing with a splint.

“As I won the tournament, it was a good decision, but I have to keep playing with the splint for a few more weeks yet, so it was good practice.”

It was the Belgian’s first victory in her third final since ending her 18-month hiatus in January, but the seven-time Grand Slam winner played down suggestions she was in pole position to challenge at Roland Garros.

“It is still too early to talk about Roland Garros, this was only the first tournament of the claycourt season,” she said. “Rome and Madrid are to come and then we’ll see who’s in form.”

But defeated Stuttgart finalist Stosur believes Henin is still the queen of clay, and tipped her conqueror to be a force in France.
“I think she has to be one of the favourites,” said Stosur. “You can’t win the tournament four times and go into it any other year after that and not be the favourite, or at least one of them.

“That is her first win since her comeback and I am sure that will help her a lot going into Roland Garros.

“She set the benchmark for claycourt winners at the French Open,” she added before reflecting on her own performance in the Stuttgart final.

“There wasn’t much in it, I don’t think I did much wrong. That is why she is such a good player, because she does what she needs to do.”