Henin returns to Zurich, headlines star-studded field

Justine Henin will hope that her long absence at the Zurich Open will not slow down her late-season surge.

Henin, the top seed from Belgium, returns to the $1.34 million event for the first time in four years and headlines a draw that includes six of the top 10 players in the world and starts Monday.

In some part due to injuries, the 25-year-old Henin has been forced to stay away from this Tier I tournament since 2003, when she claimed one of her 37 career titles in dominant effort, dropping just 25 of 74 games.

The Belgian is back here riding a hot streak, winning her last three tournaments including her second career U.S. Open crown. She captured her last title at Stuttgart two weeks ago, needing three sets to dispatch Tatiana Golovin in the final.

The result was the only time that Henin had dropped a set over her last 16 matches. She has not lost a match since her shocking collapse against Marion Bartoli in the semifinals at Wimbledon.

Winning eight titles this season and qualifying for the year-ending Sony Ericsson Championships, Henin also already has clinched the world No. 1 ranking through the end of the year. It is the third time that the Belgian will end a year atop the rankings.

One of four players to receive a first-round bye, Henin awaits the winner between Russian Vera Zvonareva and a yet to be determined qualifier.