Kim Clijsters

Kim Clijsters Is Ready For Her Final Australian Open
Jan 14

Defending champion Kim Clijsters confirmed today that this will be her final Australian Open.

“Look, you never know, but I doubt it,” she responded when asked if she’d be back. Clijsters has said that she will retire after the summer Olympics in London.

“I just felt very focused on why I’m here, and that’s obviously to play good tennis and try to stay healthy throughout the whole season, not to have major injuries where my season might be a question mark, which I would kind of like to end on my terms,” she said.

Clijsters won the title a year ago beating Li Na. But since has been hampered by a slew of unfortunately injuries including a hip issue last week in Brisbane.

“I’m doing good,” she said. “I think what happened in Brisbane was something that I knew kind of was something that would only need a few days to get better, and it did. I had my scan just to make sure the day after, but that showed no problems. So I was relieved. Yeah, came to Melbourne and started hitting when I got here.”

The 28-year-old Belgian four-time Slam winner said that the last year’s trend of four different Slam winners could continue is again this season.

“I don’t know ’cause out of the four girls last year, you know, besides Serena, who is probably even more powerful than the four of us, it’s all very close,” Clijsters said. “So I think on any given day, whoever just plays that little bit better can win. I think that’s why a lot of girls have belief in their chances to win a Grand Slam is because they have beaten some of the girls that have won Grand Slams before. I think that’s something that this year, you know, a lot of the top players are going to have to be very careful with. There’s going to be a lot of lower‑ranked players who are still going to have big opportunities to beat some top players and get chances in Grand Slams. It’s definitely a completely different situation than we had let’s say eight years ago or so where it was kind of easy to almost pencil in quarterfinalists or semifinalists in the draw. I think that’s completely different now, which makes it more fun. But I think you have to be ready from the first match onwards because you can have really tough matches already.”

Clijsters begins her title defense against a qualifier in the first round.
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an update on Clujsters's injury (Jan 12):

Clijsters had a scan on her hip, which showed she had not suffered a muscle tear. On Thursday, she trained at Melbourne Park freely and looked to be in strong shape to defend the title she won last year.
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Update on Kim Clijsters' injury:

Kim Clijsters' injury in Brisbane has been diagnosed as a thigh muscle spasm and she should be able to play the Australian Open, her coach, Carl Maes, told The Age.

"Kim will be resting for a few days and get intensive treatment" and her Australian Open appearance "should not be in danger at the moment," Maes said. Clijsters is scheduled for another check-up on Wednesday.

Update on Kim Clijsters' injury:

Kim Clijsters has been forced to retire from her Brisbane International semifinal clash against Daniela Hantuchova due to a hip injury.

The Belgian said she entered the match feeling “a little stiff” before the problem got progressively worse as the match transpired.

“I just felt my left hip getting tighter and tighter to the point where I felt like I couldn’t go forward with my upper body or put any pressure on when I was landing on my serve,” she said.

“So it was the smartest choice to try and not let it get any worse, to be ready for Melbourne in a couple of weeks.”

“When you feel it getting worse and worse, you almost don’t have a choice.”

However, a hopeful Clijsters said that she had “an OK feeling” ahead of tests on Saturday, which will determine the full extent of the injury.

http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au

The fire is burning hotter than ever in Kim Clijsters' belly and there's no way she's ready to bow out of tennis with a whimper in 2012.
In fact, the ever-popular Belgian has given Australian fans strong hope this won't be her last visit Down Under after stressing retirement isn't in her thoughts.
Although injuries spoiled 2011 following her ``dream'' Australian Open triumph, Clijsters has regained her motivation to take dates of a potential swansong off the agenda.
The 28-year-old admitted on Wednesday she'd set down August's London Olympics as a farewell stage when she started her successful comeback two years ago, while coach Carl Maes this month indicated this would be her final year.
But now she's far more open-minded as she prepares to begin her 2012 campaign at the Brisbane International.
``At the moment, I'm not even thinking about the Olympics,'' she said of retirement talk.
``I don't think like that. In tennis, the season is long and it's tough and I just try to focus on one week at a time and my next focus is Brisbane and that's what I'm training for.
``That's why I came here (before Christmas) to be ready to try and be the best Kim I can when I play my first match here.
``One day at a time.''

Abdominal, shoulder, wrist and ankle problems reduced Clijsters to just eight tournaments, retiring with injury in two, in 2011 and led to her rankings slide from No.1 to 13.
She'll line up in Brisbane as the fifth seed behind Sam Stosur, Andrea Petkovic, Francesca Schiavone and Serena Williams but is hitting the ball as powerfully as ever, shown by a recent exhibition win over world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki, and is confident of showing her true colours.
``The motivation is there. Because of the injuries maybe last year it was a little down and it was frustrating,'' Clijsters said after taking daughter Jada to cuddle koalas at Lone Pine Sanctuary.
``I push myself hard every practice now and that's the motivation factor that's there and to achieve that little bit extra that's a detail you definitely need to have.''
Despite Queenslander Stosur being the home favourite, `Aussie Kim' will undoubtedly have huge support in both Brisbane and Melbourne next month.
Clijsters is set to kick off main-draw action on Sunday at Pat Rafter Arena and the venue brings back great memories for Clijsters, who scored an epic final victory over compatriot Justine Henin in 2010 after resuming her career only five months earlier.
``It's always nice to go back to a place where you have done well,'' she said.
``I had one of my better matches in my career when I beat Justine.
``And then what happened early this year in Melbourne; it was a dream come true for me.''

AAP.

Clijsters update:

The popular Belgian (or adopted Aussie), who plans to retire for a second and final time by the end of 2012, began the quest to defend her Australian Open crown with a solid training session in Brisbane yesterday.

The four-time Grand Slam champion known fondly as "Aussie Kim" arrived early for next week's Brisbane International.

She will play on Pat Rafter Arena on Sunday, the opening day of the tournament, provided she does not draw a qualifier.

The first big overseas star to land took to the court the morning after Christmas at a near-deserted Queensland Tennis Centre.

As temperatures soared outside, she had a two-hour hit on centre court, the scene of her 2010 title triumph over compatriot Justine Henin, after which she donated her cheque to the Royal Children's Hospital.

The 2011 season started brilliantly for the 28-year-old mother of one.

She was runner-up in Sydney before adding the Australian Open to her three US Open titles.

After being forced out of the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, Clijsters made a good return to the court with a win over world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets at an exhibition in Antwerp.

Daily Telegraph.

Australian Open champion Kim Clijsters made a successful return to the court by beating world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki 6-2 7-6 (7-5) in an exhibition clash on Thursday.

In front of some 10,000 home fans at the Antwerp Sports Palace, Clijsters proved she has fully recovered from the stomach muscle injury which forced her off the tour in August.

The match was the start of preparations for her Australian Open defence next month, while she is also focussed on a gold medal at the London Olympics in what will be her farewell season.

"So far, and today, everything felt really great," Clijsters said.

"Now I am good to get on the plane and fly to Australia."

She will be Down Under by Christmas and plans to play the Brisbane International before moving camp to Melbourne.

Even though it was an exhibition, Clijsters' serve looked strong and her groundstrokes were often dominating against the Dane.

"I am happy to have played a match and break the rhythm of daily training," she said.

Clijsters regained the world No.1 spot in February and looked set to be one of the dominating players of 2011 until she sustained shoulder and wrist injuries in April, compounded by a sprained ankle after an early exit at the French Open.

Coming back for the US Open, she injured her stomach muscles in a preparation tournament and has been sidelined ever since.

"It's been a year of many more downs than ups," she said.

At 28, she wants to turn that frustration into sheer energy one last time. While unable to work her stomach muscles, she found other alternatives to getting fitter.

"Physically, I feel extremely well, perhaps fitter than ever," she said in the run-up to Thursday's match.

ninemsn.

Clijsters returns to Brisbane tournament

Former world No.1 Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams have been added to a star-studded Brisbane International women's tennis field for 2012.

Former world No.1 Williams had been flagged to make her Brisbane International debut in January, setting up a potential re-match with her US Open conqueror Sam Stosur.

But tournament organisers also announced on Wednesday that 2010 Brisbane champion Clijsters would return next year, joining a field that also boasts Maria Sharapova and Ana Ivanovic.

The Brisbane International - from January 1-8 - has been elevated to WTA Premier-level, ensuring the big names will visit the Queensland tournament ahead of the January 16-29 Australian Open.

Prizemoney for the combined ATP-WTA tour event in Brisbane will increase by 63 per cent to $US1.1 million in 2012 then to $US1.55 million in 2013.

But Clijsters was eyeing something much more valuable than prizemoney in Brisbane.

The four-time grand slam champion is craving quality time on the court ahead of her Australian Open defence as she returns from yet another injury.

Clijsters - who famously came back from a two-and-a-half year retirement to win the 2009 US Open - is on the comeback trail again after an injury-riddled year.

She was denied a chance in 2011 to defend her US Open crown due to a torn stomach muscle.

And Clijsters also missed most of the claycourt season and Wimbledon with an ankle injury.

There is speculation the 28-year-old mother will retire for the second time after representing Belgium at the London Olympic Games next year.

'I am really looking forward to coming back to Brisbane in 2012,' current world No.10 Clijsters said.

'With Maria (Sharapova), Sam (Stosur) and Serena (Williams) already confirmed ... it is going to be a tough contest but also be a great chance to test your form leading into the first grand slam.

'Having won the Brisbane event in 2010 and then the Australian Open last year, I am looking forward to getting back on the court in Australia to defend both my titles.

'Australia has always been a home away from home for me and I am very comfortable there.'

Queenslander Stosur will be the crowd favourite at the Brisbane International - especially after winning her first grand slam in September by downing a fiery Williams 6-2 6-3 in the US Open final.

Williams - a 13-time grand slam champion - has the chance to exact some revenge on Stosur's home soil before vying for her sixth Australian Open title.

'I never played in Brisbane and I have never been to Brisbane (but I have) heard great things about it,' Williams said.

'It is the first tournament there (in Australia) ... and it is the big one there this year.

'It is brand new (for me) so all that is going to be really exciting and it will help me with my seeding going into the Australian Open too so that would be good.

'It's my favourite slam (the Australian Open) to play so I (am) really looking forward to going to Brisbane.'

Former French Open champion Ivanovic returns to Brisbane after playing in the 2009 inaugural tournament.

The men's tournament boasts top Australian player and Wimbledon quarter-finalist Bernard Tomic.
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Clijsters makes coaching change

Wim Fissette will no longer coach Kim Clijsters and will be replaced by Carl Maes, the former Belgian Fed Cup captain who also once privately coached the former No. 1, the Belgian press reports. Clijsters is not expected to return to play until 2012 due to a series of injuries.
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Kim Clijsters Withdraws from the US Open

Kim Clijsters officially announced on Friday that she would not play the upcoming US Ope. In a statement released by the USTA Clijsters said :“Unfortunately, I will not be able to defend my US Open title this year because of a stomach muscle injury (left rectus abdominus strain). Two weeks of rehab was not enough to heal this injury. Obviously I’m very disappointed. I trained very hard this summer and felt in a good shape to play the US Open.”“Now there is nothing else I can do than to rest and have treatment every day. If a gradual approach is not taken, I will relapse in the same injury, and therefore I have also no other possibility than to withdrawal from the tournaments in Tokyo and Beijing.”US Open Tournament Director Jim Curley commented: “It is unfortunate that Kim has not recovered from her injury in time to defend her US Open title. We wish her a full and speedy recovery and look forward to her return to New York next year.”