Bad News: Henin out of French Open; Good News: Eastbourne awaits??

As much as I like Sam Stosur - and admire how she's starting to fulfil her game's massive potential - I'm devastated Justine Henin's out of the French Open. I know I'm far from the only person who finds her the most thrilling player to watch from this generation, man or woman. Her return to the sport's been my greatest joy of the tennis year so far.
"The female Federer" is the familiar description for her creativity, but the difference is the visual "triumph against adversity" factor that always adds extra spice. Unlike Federer, her great shots do not look effortless, and her arrival at the top level of the game when it was appearing that talent might count for nothing if you weren't 6ft tall, was inspirational. Her sudden, shock decision to retire as world no. 1 in 2008 left a gaping hole in the women's game, that only her return has filled. Mixing old school flare with the modern style ("go for your shots, hit huge forehands and backhands, murder any weak second serve") has seen her become both a happy throwback and a pioneer. I'm gutted she won't be winning her fifth Roland Garros crown and eighth Grand Slam title this week.
But there may -and it's only a may - be a good side to this for Eastbourne tennis fans. Although I thought it quite likely Henin would make a late entry to Eastbourne even if she won the French, there's been suggestions that playing Eastbourne so soon after winning in Paris in '06 and '07 hurt her Wimbledon chances. Both years she won the Eastbourne final 7-6 in the third, but lost winnable matches at SW19 - to Amelie Mauresmo in the '06 final and Marion Bartoli in the '07 semis. Both times she suggested that she didn't have enough energy left.
Yet Justine is a player who generally needs more match play than some to acclimatise to a new surface. Winning the one Grand Slam to so far elude her has been her biggest stated goal for her second career. So she'll no doubt be thinking carefully about how best to prepare for her Wimbledon assault. Here's hoping a wildcard at Eastbourne is part of her plans.