Federer's Female Doppelganger Advances

Pale as a ghost and sometimes seeming almost too frail for this world, Justine Henin is an unlikely champion, however used to it tennis fans now are. Her winning is becoming almost as predictable as Federer's. Is she emerging as Federer's female doppelganger?
Before you scoff at the notion, consider that while Federer has advanced to the past nine Grand Slam singles finals, Henin was in all four finals last year and now will have appeared in two of the four this year. Sure, nine out of nine is better than six out of eight, but six out of eight isn't bad. In fact, it's awfully good. If Roger Federer's record wasn't so gaudy, there might be a lot more talk about how dominant Henin has been on the tour in recent years. And a lot more talk with Henin. In my local coverage of Henin's win today over Venus, the coverage immediately ended after Henin had won--not one second was spent on any reaction from Henin.
Both Henin and Federer won their first Grand Slams in 2003, winning their Grand Slam of choice, the French Open in Henin's case and Wimbledon in Rog's. She looked even slighter at the time than she does now and was still battling her nerves at the end of matches in that era to a ridiculous degree. Even today, closing matches quickly can be one of her few weaknesses, as her broken service game in the penultimate game of today's semi-final win over Venus showed.
Few would have predicted that Henin's emergence would begin the decline of the Williams sisters' dominance of women's tennis. But consider this--before Henin won the French in 2003, Serena had won the previous four Grand Slams, the much-heralded Serena slam. And before Serena's run, Venus had won half of the previous women's Grand Slam events.
After Henin won the French in 2003, it soon was a very different story. Over the next four years, Serena has been able to win just three more Grand Slams, less than she'd bagged within the previous 12 months before Henin's first Grand Slam. And Venus has fared worse--only two, though unforgettably spectacular Wimbledon victories. Meanwhile, Henin has collected five more Grand Slams, as much as the Williams combined after her first Grand Slam win.
Has she dominated as much as Federer? Of course not. But she has dominated more than is commonly acknowledged. Justine is more Federerlike than most realize with her brilliant shot-making and ability to make adjustments in matches in order to win.
I was sorry to see Venus miss what very well may be her last good shot at winning the U.S. Open. She is 27, after all. But who else would have become become only the second player to beat both Williams sisters consecutively in a Grand Slam but Henin?
Hingis was the last to accomplish the feat and was so exhausted by it she lost to Capriati in the finals of the 2001 Australian. Everyone assumed Hingis would have another shot at a Grand Slam. Hingis loomed in people's minds large. She just seemed so dominant when she was at the top of her game.
Yet Hingis won a total of only five Grand Slams, just two more than Capriati, who people now barely mention, and an accomplishment Henin already has topped. Yes, of course, Hingis' five victories are impressive. But Henin now has eclipsed her.
It's time for Henin to impress us more, not because she's lacked the achievements to impress. But because most have failed to see how great a champion, she's become.
She's emerged as a real Federer.