Brussels, June 09: A united Belgian press marked the French Open victory of Justine Henin-Hardenne over compatriot Kim Clijsters yesterday with souvenir editions of the country's newspapers.
In a country where long-held language and cultural divisions have been highlighted by national elections, the victory of French-speaking Henin over Belgian-speaking Clijsters was celebrated by the country at large.
"Justine Queen of Paris" ran the front page headline of the French-speaking La Derniere Heure sports section, recalling that the country was "still in a dream" following a match which "captivated an entire nation, only too happy to have recaptured national pride."
About 6,000 people packed the grand place in central Brussels Saturday to witness history being made as the two Belgians slugged it out for the honour of capturing their country's first grand slam title.
Under a sweltering sun, the crowd watched on a giant screen and were rewarded with a 6-0 6-4 victory for Henin-Hardenne over her Flemish compatriot Clijsters.


Bureau Report