Tennis: Kim Clijsters remains in denial of her nerves. After losing her fourth grand slam final and third running against her fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne, she blamed her serve and the excellence of her opponent for the 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 defeat.

Henin, on the other hand, was totally explicit about the pressure. "We are all nervous. It is impossible to play big matches and not to be. In certain situations, both before and during a final, it's just not possible to be calm," she said after adding the Australian Open title to the French and US Opens she won last year.

"It is better to accept this and try to think about other things. I have managed to find the solution within myself. I was feeling under pressure all the time and this was my toughest ever match."

It was also the most competitive of the pair's three finals.

Perhaps the path ahead will become a little less onerous for Henin now. It will never be her style to court publicity in the way of the Williams sisters. But, as with all things in her life, including the death of her mother and estrangement from her father, she will find a way of coping.

Clijsters, 20, is a year younger than Henin and still has plenty of time to win her first grand slam title, although she reiterated on Saturday: "I really don't plan to have a very long career because one day I would like a family."

Her engagement to Lleyton Hewitt ensured the crowd were behind her but after the emotional high of winning the second set, when she bounded to her chair, Clijsters went 4-0 down in the third.

Henin appeared home and dry. Then the nerves really kicked in and Clijsters might have squared matters, only for an over-rule by French umpire, Sandra de Jenken, which allowed Henin to serve out the match.