Has Henin put together a Federer-like campaign?

Give it up for Justin Henin. The Belgian winner has been Federer-like in her collection of a 54-4 record and eight titles this season. Getty Images

MAILBAG Jon Wertheim will answer questions from SI.com users in his mailbag every Wednesday. Your name: Your e-mail address: Your home town: Enter your question:

A certain Justine Henin has quietly established herself as the player to beat in the women's circuit by playing Federesque tennis. Her tempestuous personal affairs are behind her and it looks like what we saw of her this year was only the beginning. Can you put on some earplugs to dull the noise and give her some love?

-- Vijay Kalpathi, Houston

Amid deifying Federer, indicting Davydenko and marveling over the Williams sisters' comings and goings, too many of us -- self included -- are guilty of having neglected Justine Henin. As Vijay notes, she's turned in a year that comes awfully close to Federerian in its all-surface excellence.

Even accounting for an inexplicable upset loss at Wimbledon, she has quietly put together a joke of a season, going 54-4 to date, winning eight titles, and doing it in style. And having failed in the finals of three Majors in 2006, she's not only regained the reigns to her career but also effectively ended the debate over the best player in the women's game. She has now reached the finals of seven of the previous eight she entered.

Yes, coincidence or not, all this comes with "tempestuous personal affairs" behind her. So let's take a minute to praise JH. As a country music lyricist might put it: she lost the hyphen but regained her edge.

How about a little praise for Elena Dementieva? Considering you somewhat harshly described her as "no longer an elite player" in your U.S. Open preview, she looked awfully good in Moscow. Excellent fitness, power from both sides, and I thought I noticed some nice variation in her groundstrokes (the odd topspin shot and a technically sound backhand slice). If she ever figures out that serve, one of the most consistent and pleasant players on tour might have her best years ahead of her?

-- S.J., Oslo, Norway

Absolutely. All credit to Dementieva for a terrific week of tennis -- which, one hopes, is the start of a career renaissance rather than a fall "one off." As S.J. writes, Dementieva has excellent raw materials. She's one of the better athletes on tour; she hits a clean ball off of both sides; she's a strategist. For as much as we all regard her flutterball serve as a punchline, it doesn't hurt her as much as one might think.

Dementieva beat Lindsay Davenport -- whom I believe was ranked No. 1 at the time -- in the 2000 WTA Tour finale and was flavor-of-the-month material heading into 2001. I think that when other players passed her by, her confidence took a hit. And when three Russian women won Slams (two at her expense) it really put her in emotional tatters and made her doubt her game.

Although Dementieva falls under the "mature adult" category, her mother is a ubiquitous presence. When I see that relationship with a mid-career player, my insecurity detector often goes off. Retreats into the familiar.

Again, she ought to draw plenty of satisfaction from last week's play. One tournament does not a career make; but if you're going to mount a comeback, you could start at worse places than beating Serena Williams in the final of a Tier I event. Let's see how this plays out in 2008.

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