Tennis-Henin-Hardenne will play in Fed Cup final

BRUSSELS, July 20 (Reuters) World number three Justine Henin-Hardenne will play for Belgium in the final of the Fed Cup against Italy in September despite an initial threat from her coach that she would pull out.

The French Open champion's coach Carlos Rodriguez told a news conference today that Henin-Hardenne would play in the match on September 16 and 17, the Belga news agency said.

Rodriguez had previously said she was unlikely to take part because of what he described as the shocking treatment she received following her withdrawal from last weekend's semi-final win against the United States in Ostend.

He insisted that Henin-Hardenne had informed team captain Carl Maes about her decision to pull out of the tie a day after her Wimbledon final loss to Amelie Mauresmo, a week before the semi-final, but Maes said nothing publicly for several days.

Henin-Hardenne, who cited exhaustion for pulling out, had also been encouraged to cheer on her compatriots in the tie only to then be urged not to attend for fear that the crowd might turn against her.

Reuters PKS DB2251