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Not technically an upset, but Henin is upset. And has lost.

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Though Justine Henin is playing at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament without a ranking and as a wild card (even though she was not so long ago ranked No. 1 in the world), and though her second-round opponent Friday, Gisela Dulko of Argentina, is seeded 31st and so was, technically, the favorite, it still felt like a major upset just now in Stadium 1 at Indian Wells Tennis Garden after Dulko defeated Henin, 6-2, 1-6, 6-4.

Henin, who later Friday night was to participate in the Hit For Haiti exhibition charity matches, left the court after the loss appearing disgruntled. She didn’t offer even a small wave to the crowd that had loudly supported her, often shouting ‘allez’ (French for ‘go’) to try to motivate Henin, who is playing only her third tournament since coming back from a 16-month retirement.

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As so often happened before Henin took her break from tennis, she was mostly overpowered by the solidly big-hitting Dulko. Henin’s serve was of little help. The return to the top is clearly still a work in progress for the 27-year-old Belgian.

-- Diane Pucin

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