In her first match in four months Kim Clijsters, feeling "perhaps fitter than ever", defeated world No.1 Caroline Wozniacki in a singles match-up at the 2011 Diamond Games exhibition, 6-2 7-6(5). The Belgian continued with a 6-2 6-1 victory in doubles, playing with her younger sister Elke Clijsters, an ITF Junior Doubles World Champion, while Wozniacki was teamed up with Belgian world No.26 Yanina Wickmayer.

The 10,000 spectators at the Antwerp Sports Palace were treated to a number of entertaining stunts.

Wozniacki and Clijsters were imitating infamous WTA screamers: Read more »

In her latest blog entry Kim Clijsters reveals that her injury recovery process is progressing well, she's practicing three or four times a week, preparing for the Antwerp Diamond Games exhibition on December 8 and the 2012 season which the Belgian will open with the Brisbane International which starts on January 2.

Clijsters is working hard with her new coach Carl Maes and new sparring partner Stefan Wauters, and the regime is going to include even more tennis hours. At the same time, her injuries of right foot and stomach muscles are responding well to recovery exercises.

While in Belgium, Clijsters is spending time home with her family, husband Bryan and daughter Jada, trying new recipes in the kitchen, which are optimized for her best tennis results. (via Beyond the Baseline, photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Two big stars of women’s tennis have ended cooperation with their coaches – world No.5 Li Na with Michael Mortensen who coached her since April this year, and world No.9 Kim Clijsters with her long-time coach Wim Frissette.

The main reason Li fired Danish coach Mortensen is that she felt he was giving her false encouragement and confidence.

He tells me everything is perfect, everything is fantastic. I say, ‘Yes, everything is fantastic, but I always lose first round.’ I mean, this is not fantastic. I think we need to change something. I think maybe the team or coach just try to give me confidence, but I don’t think I get [it].

The start of Li’s cooperation with Mortensen was fruitful, including her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros, but the Chinese has since won more than one match at only one tournament.

As for Clijsters, the Belgian has replaced coach Wim Frissette with Carl Maes. Frissette was her coach from 1995 to 2002 and joined her team again earlier this season.

Clijsters is still enjoying her time off the Tour. The last tournament she played was the Rogers Cup (source: Beyond the Baseline, photos: © Neal Trousdale)

Twice-defending champion Kim Clijsters will not play the 2011 US Open which starts August 29. The Belgian hasn't recovered from the stomach muscle injury which forced her out of the last week's Rogers Cup. The 28-year-old needs time for rest and treatment and is planning to miss the rest of the season.

"Two weeks of rehab was not enough. Obviously I'm very disappointed. I trained very hard this summer and felt in a good shape to play," said the three-time winner of the US Open.

Clijsters will now be focusing on 2012, says her official website.

The most important thing right now is that I should make a full recovery, so I will also drop the rest of the season. I'll pick up training slowly and carefully and prepare for 2012, but without a specific time frame or pressure. I had two tournaments to go this autumn, but they are not worth the risk. I would not be able to get enough points to compete in the WTA Championship anyway… I am now focusing on 2012, on the Olympics. Who knows? This time I might make it through without any injuries and I might feel up for a last US Open.

(photo: © Neal Trousdale)

Kim Clijsters was playing her first match since ’s-Hertogenbosch in June and a right ankle injury, but her comeback lasted for only a set and a half as she retired from her opening match at the Rogers Cup against Zheng Jie with left abdominal injury. Clijsters won the first set 6-3, and retired in the second at 1-2.

Clijsters already had an ultrasound and she was diagnosed with partial tear in her left stomach muscle, which she first felt during her warmup for the match.

Serena Williams’ comeback is still fresh and she has already clinched a title at Stanford and in her first-round match against Alona Bondarenko at the Rogers Cup Serena won stunning 100% of points on first serve and 76% on the second. Also, in the 6-0 first-set win Serena lost only four points. Not to mention that the set lasted just 16 minutes! Final result: 6-0 6-3.

Ana Ivanovic also advanced to the second round, not troubled by qualifier Zhang Shuai en route to a 6-1 6-1 victory. Another Serbian, Bojana Jovanovski, got past the first round, but it was a retirement win – Jelena Dokic withdrew while trailing 2-0 with right shoulder injury. Last week’s titlist at Carlsbad Agnieszka Radwanska also won her first round, with a 6-4 6-1 win over Elena Vesnina. (photo: © Neal Trousdale)