Kim Clijsters beats arch rival to spark hopes of first Wimbledon title

Victor: Kim Clijsters celebrates
10 April 2012

Kim Clijsters, who interrupted her retirement to play a special match to open the Wimbledon roof 13 months ago, is on course to win a first title at SW19 after defeating arch-rival Justine Henin 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 today.

The eighth seed was so inspired by that special match which saw her partner Tim Henman against Andre Agassi and Steffi Graf that she ended her self-imposed retirement — to start a family — and then won the 2009 US Open on her return.

This is her first Wimbledon since 2006 and her power game is in great shape after this exciting fourth-round victory on Court One in the 25th meeting between the Belgians with Clijsters now 13-12 ahead.

Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam Henin has not won and after reaching this year's Australian Open Final — having also come out of retirement — she has proved that the desire to win the biggest titles in the tennis world is driving her forward but she has to wait another year to realise that dream at Wimbledon.

Clijsters, a double Slam champion, is now hoping to make it a first Wimbledon title and with a desire to have a second baby a factor in her continued presence on tour, time is against her which makes this year's bid so important.

Clijsters said: "This was our 25th battle and go way back and played some good stuff out there today. She started really well and I felt a bit overwhelmed and it was up to me to serve better and stay in the points. I am going to go out and give it my best in the next match and see what happens."

Henin fell heavily in the third game of the opening set, racing into the net to take on a short ball, her feet slipped and the 17th seed crashed to the court and hurt her right elbow. Although it didn't appear to affect her ability to serve with venom or fire off big ground strokes, the 28-year-old called for the trainer to treat a graze on the arm.

Henin made a spectacular start to the match, firing off her trademark backhand winners and forced Clijsters to try and match her with forehand strokes that all too often flew long.

Clijsters was also undermined by double fault problems and this inconsistency was to prove impossible to overcome in the a first set that only lasted 29 mins with Henin taking it 6-2.

Clijsters cut out the unforced errors that had littered the first set and with her serve more reliable was making her long time rival work hard to hold her own serve in this latest meeting between the two Belgian players.

Henin had to give up her serve in the fourth game to give Clijsters a crucial 3-1 lead after netting a routine backhand and suddenly the match was tied one-set all. Clijsters continued her resurgence by taking the opening game of the deciding set and there was no holding her back as she triumphed in 90mins.

China's Li Na, the ninth seed, had an easy 6-3, 6-2 win over seventh seed Agnieszka Radwanska to reach the last eight while 11th seed Marion Bartoli, a former finalist, was a shock loser 6-4,6-4 to Bulgaria's Tsvetana Pironkova.

Britain's Laura Robson made a commanding first-round appearance in the girls' event with the former champion dismissing the challenge of Japan's Risa Ozaki 6-0, 6-1.

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