Elbow injury sidelines Henin for rest of season

BRUSSELS (AP) - Justine Henin will miss the rest of the 2010 season as she recovers from an elbow injury.

The 28-year-old former No. 1 sustained the injury at Wimbledon in July and said on her website she would not be able to practice again until October.

"I took several medical examinations and it is going in the right direction," she said. "But it is still a slow recovery, so I need to be patient again until the end of 2010."

Henin, a seven-time Grand Slam winner, returned to tennis at the beginning of this season after 18 months in retirement.

She reached the final in her first two tournaments, including the Australian Open, and won titles in Stuttgart and Den Bosch.

However, facing Belgian rival Kim Clijsters in the Wimbledon quarterfinals, Henin fell heavily during the first set. Although she completed the match, losing in three sets, she was subsequently diagnosed with damaged elbow ligaments.

Henin's first scheduled tournament of 2011 is the Hopman Cup mixed team event, starting Jan. 1.