Clijsters and Wickmayer out Down Under

Flemish tennis pros Kim Clijsters and Yanina Wickmayer both crashed out of the Australian Open in Melbourne in the early stages last week. Clijsters, who won the US Open last September, was handed a shock third round defeat by Russian veteran Nadia Petrova, 6-0, 6-1. It was a surprising blow for one of the game’s top female competitors, who has not been beaten so badly since 2003. "I was completely off," Clijsters said. "I made all the mistakes. It sucks that it has to happen at this stage of this tournament. That's sport: it can happen."

Wickmayer, US Open semi-finalist in September, was beaten by fellow Belgian Justine Henin in the fourth round 7-6, 1-6, 6-3. Wickmayer, 20, raced through the second set to take the match into a decider, but looked tired as Henin claimed the third set. Indeed, it seemed like the fallout from last November’s ban from playing for failing to comply with anti-doping rules had caught up with her: although the penalty was later overturned, Wickmayer missed the entry date for the Australian Open and had to go through three qualifying games before starting the main tournament.

Earlier in the tournament, two other Flemish players were knocked out in the first round: Kirsten Flipkens, beaten by Henin, and Kristof Vliegen.

Leo Cendrowicz

(January 27, 2010)