Kim Clijsters Out of Brisbane Due to Injury

Written by: Staff on 6th January 2012

Kim Clijsters Out of Brisbane Due to Injury |

The first-week run of women’s injuries intensified as Kim Clijsters quit the Brisbane event with a hip flexor injury to put her Australian Open title defense in serious danger.

The 28-year-old Belgian was unable to go on in her semi-final against Daniela Hantuchova – who also benefited in the second round when Serena Williams was unable to play after injuring her ankle. Slovak Hantuchova reached the final 6-7 (4-7), 3-1 after Clijsters retired after treatment and another stab at playing on in Queensland.

Clijsters now has just over a week to try and be fit for the Melbourne start on January 16. The Belgian is the third injury among a top woman player in a season after less than a week of play.

In addition to Williams’ ankle, Maria Sharapova did not start in Brisbane due to an ankle worry and has been practicing in Melbourne in recent days.

When Kim Clijsters opted to dispense with the coaching services of Wim Fissette despite winning three major titles and the WTA Championships under his guidance and re-appoint her former mentor Carl Maes, there were many raised eyebrows.

However, after an enforced five months break because of an abdominal injury, the 28 year-old Belgian seems to have immediately found a rich vein of form at the Brisbane International.

Clijsters’ first two wins of 2012, over former world no.1 Ana Ivanovic and Iveta Benesova, were full of forceful ball striking and exemplary movement to suggest she is a distinct contender at the upcoming Australian Open where she will be bidding to retain the title she won a year ago by beating Li Na in the final.

And, a major reason is her contentment at having Maes back at her side again. The pair initially worked together from 1995 to 2002 and Clijsters said: “Carl knows my game best of all, because he was there for many years, I know his style and he knows mine.

“I didn’t want to waste my time looking for a new coach whose personality might suit me, I didn’t have time for test periods, I don’t have that luxury at this time of my career. Our relationship is different to the one we had before but the respect is very deep.”

During the interim of their partnerships, Maes spent more than five years in England in two spells with the British Lawn Tennis Association where he eventually became Head of Women’s Tennis. He returned to Belgium because he wanted to spend more time with his children and initially coached juniors and worked as a television commentator.

However Clijsters accepted his expertise was too valuable to simply pontificate to tennis viewers. So the pair re-united late last year and she has worked diligently to return to the courts.

“At the start of any year, I need to know I have had a good preparation, to know I can play three sets in any kind of heat, so that I’m not going to be affected by anything in a match,” Clijsters said. “I always love coming down here. I feel at home, Australia suits me and I know I will have tremendous crowd support.”

Topics: Kim Clijsters