Federer, Henin-Hardenne named ITF champs

Dec 11, 2006, 16:51 GMT

London, England - Super Swiss Roger Federer and Belgian stalwart Justine Henin-Hardenne were chosen Monday as the International Tennis Federation's world champions.

Federer, the reigning Australian Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open champ, is the fourth player to capture the men's honor three straight years, joining Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras, while Henin-Hardenne is now a two-time recipient among the women, having also won it in 2003.

The 25-year-old top-ranked Federer reached all four Grand Slam finals in 2006, with his only loss coming against Rafael Nadal at the French Open. The amazing Swiss went 92-5 and piled up 12 titles, including a third Tennis Masters Cup title in four years.

The 24-year-old Henin-Hardenne, like Federer, also appeared in all four major finals, going 1-3, with the victory coming at Roland Garros. The Belgian star edged out Amelie Mauresmo for the ITF honor, despite the fact that Mauresmo topped Henin-Hardenne in the Aussie Open and Wimbledon finales.

Henin-Hardenne led the WTA Tour with six titles this year, including one at the season-ending Championships, where she laid claim to the year-end No. 1 ranking.

Federer and Henin-Hardenne will receive their awards at the ITF world champions dinner on June 5 in Paris, during the 2007 French Open.

© 2006 The Sports Network