(Agencies)
Updated: 2008-03-28 17:05

File photo shows Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne in Dubai. The world number one was named WTA player of the year on Thursday. [Agencies]

MIAMI: World No 1 Justine Henin said on Wednesday that she had considered surgery earlier this year because her inflamed right knee was so painful.

The Belgian chose a more conservative approach instead, receiving a cortisone injection between the Australian Open and last month's Antwerp tournament.

She also took some time off, missing this month's Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells to rest her knee and train properly.

"It's been a chronic problem and it's doing much better," the seven times Grand Slam champion said at the Sony Ericsson Open. "It's already two months after the injection and my knee is really good.

"That was my main concern the last two months and it's going really well, so I'm really happy."

"In Australia, I didn't really have the time to rest and my knee was bothering me and I was thinking about surgery," she added. "After Dubai, I said it's time for me now to really have good preparation, so the last four weeks I've worked really hard."