Gutsy Henin makes triumphant return in Brisbane

Belgium's Justine Henin made a triumphant return to professional tennis with a 7-5 7-5 win over Russia's Nadia Petrova in the Brisbane International first round yesterday.

Playing her first official match in 20 months, the 27-year-old Henin showed she had lost none of her fighting qualities as she ground out a hard-fought victory.

Henin quit tennis in May 2008 when she was ranked world number one but announced last year she was making a comeback.

She had been training for five months in preparation for the Australian Open and sent an ominous warning that she is deadly serious about getting back to the top.

"I have been waiting for this moment for so long. I am so happy about what I did on the court," she told reporters.

Defending men's champion Radek Stepanek, of the Czech Republic, beat Australian John Millman 6-4 6-0, while Frenchman Richard Gasquet buried some of his own demons by defeating Finland's Jarkko Nieminen 6-3 4-6 6-4.

Gasquet was cleared last year over a positive cocaine test he said was the result of kissing a woman in a nightclub.

"It is just good for me to play with nothing in the head," he said.

Serbia's Ana Ivanovic registered her first win in almost five months by beating Jelena Dokic 7-5 1-6 6-3 on the Pat Rafter centre court.

Ivanovic, who has slipped to 21st in the world rankings after failing to win a tournament in 2009, overcame a lapse of concentration in the second set to see off Dokic, who contributed to her own downfall with 11 double-faults.