Kim Clijsters before comeback in Dubai: "Your punches are still fantastic"
Former number one in the world, Kim Clijsters , has reached the WTA tournament in Dubai. Her much-noticed comeback is taking place at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, it is her first professional tournament since the US Open 2012. People from her immediate area trust the 36-year-old a lot, but her opening task is not an easy one with Kiki Bertens.
by tennisnet.com
last edit: Feb 15, 2020, 02:20 pm
The Belgian’s return to the WTA tour was actually planned for the Australian Open, but an injury she sustained during her training prevented her from performing down under. As a hitting partner of the Belgian Fed Cup team, she refined her shape and accepted a wild card for the tournament in the United Arab Emirates.
"She'll get a lot of support from the fans. If she goes to the tournament, she'll be ready," said Kirsten Flipkens, Belgium's current number one among women. "I don't have a crystal ball, but it is clear that she has a great ball on the racket. Her body has to get used to the rhythm of the match. I am sure that she can reach a very high level again."
And further: "She has been gone for seven years now. It depends a lot on how her body will react to the stress. Hopefully there will be no injury and we will see beautiful things from her."
Xavier Malisse: Clijsters? "She found her rhythm"
Xavier Malisse, ex-ATP professional and training partner of Clijsters, said nothing but positive about the Belgian tennis legend. "They were very good units. I didn't hold back but she found her rhythm. Her punches are still fantastic," said Malisse.
Clijsters was number one in both singles and doubles, and in 2003 she did so at the same time. She won six Grand Slam tournaments, four in singles and two in doubles.
In Dubai, however, Clijsters has a big task right at the start: In round 1, she will meet the eighth-ranked Kiki Bertens.