Clijsters v. Hewitt

[Donny]

Kim's true love match

By Digby Beacham - Fox Sports

BELGIUM'S Kim Clijsters has zeroed in on fiance Lleyton Hewitt in the eagerly awaited "Love Match" after steering her country to victory over the Slovak Republic in yesterday's Hopman Cup tie at the Burswood Dome.

Clijsters said she "definitely" wanted to beat Hewitt when Group B heavyweights Belgium and Australia lock horns tomorrow morning, the prize for the winner almost certainly being a berth in Saturday's final.

The women's world No.2, who became engaged to Australia's top player on Sydney Harbour just before Christmas, was far happier to speak about the intriguing match-up than Hewitt, who has continually dodged answering the question since his arrival in Perth last Friday.

"Oh yes, definitely, yes," Clijsters said, when asked if she was keen to win the mixed doubles, the first match she has played against her off-court partner of four years.

But Clijsters was under no illusion about the task her and compatriot Xavier Malisse faced against Hewitt and Alicia Molik before a sell-out crowd.

"I think everyone knows he doesn't have that many (mistakes)," Clijsters said.

"I've practised with him a lot of times, he doesn't make any mistakes which for the opponent can get frustrating so I know that I don't have to get frustrated if it does not go my way. It's a new experience, I haven't been in that position."

On rankings, Clijsters should account for Alicia Molik, while Hewitt will be heavily favoured to beat Malisse, setting up a live mixed doubles rubber.

Clijsters ensured Belgium made the perfect start yesterday when she crushed Daniela Hantuchova 6-1 6-2 in only 40 minutes, her fifth win in as many meetings against the young Slovak.

Malisse then teased the Belgian supporters as only he can do when he beat Karol Kucera 6-2 1-6 6-1 to secure the tie.

Kucera appeared to have nullified Malisse's heavy groundstrokes in the second set, but his forehand errors in the deciding set proved costly.

In contrast, Hantuchova had no answer to Clijsters' power and precision from the outset, slaughtering her own chances as well by making an amazing 34 unforced errors.

Hantuchova, who has been ranked as high as No.5 but starts this year at 19, has won just eight games in her last three losses to Clijsters.

"I didn't think I would start the year like this," Clijsters said. "I was practising good but not feeling as good as I did out there and it is a nice sign to take into the next round.

"Today I played really well and she probably didn't, but a few players will struggle here because it is the first tournament of the season."

Clijsters said the decision to do a lot of sprint training in Adelaide had been beneficial and would enable her to make a serious charge at this month's Australian Open.


Clijsters, 20, engaged to Lleyton Hewitt, 22, dazzled all when she strode on to the court at the Hopman Cup in Perth with her flashy diamond engagement ring on display.

Diamond valuers contacted by The Daily Telegraph yesterday put a retail price tag on the solitaire diamond ring - estimated to be between four and five carats - of more than $200,000.

Clijsters, who will play against Hewitt in a mixed doubles match tomorrow, said yesterday the impending wedding was one of her main goals for the year.

She said no date had been set as she and Hewitt still had to sit down and work out the fine details.

"I don't think there is any pressure on our relationship. It just depends on the way you look at things," she said yesterday.

"We are in the highlights a lot of the time, because we play tennis and it does not influence us at all, and I don't think it will change anything at all."

Sporting the monster rock on her left hand, the blonde Belgian, ranked second in the world, powered to victory against world No.19 Daniela Hantuchova 6-1 6-2 yesterday.

[Donny]

Injury turns love match sour

Fox Sports

LOVE turned to pain for Belgian tennis ace Kim Clijsters when she was forced out of the Hopman Cup mixed teams international tennis tournament with an ankle injury here Wednesday.

The world number two women's player had to retire in the third set of her women's singles match against Australian Alicia Molik after failing to respond to courtside treatment.

Tournament organisers said later the injury was an acute soreness of the ankle and Clijsters had been taken for a precautionary scan to assess the damage.

Shortly after, her new fiance Hewitt suffered a similar fate, rolling his ankle in the sixth game of the third set of his match against Xavier Malisse and also requiring courtside treatment.

But the Australian managed to play on and appeared comfortable playing with strapping and an ankle guard to win the men's singles 3-6, 6-1, 6-2 against Xavier Malisse.

Belgium then forfeited the mixed doubles giving Australia a 3-0 win in the tie.

The doubles encounter had drawn widespread attention and a crowd of more than 8,500 to the Burswood Dome with the promise of a head-to head love-match between Clijsters and Hewitt.

The injury also left a cloud over Clijster's immediate playing commitments in Australia.

The Belgian, who is chasing her first grand slam singles title, is scheduled to play in a tournament in Sydney starting Monday next week before heading to Melbourne for the Australian Open from January 19.

Hewitt said Clijsters had been deeply upset by the injury and it was not clear yet if she would make the Australian Open.

"I went and saw her and she was obviously pretty distressed at the time," Hewitt said.

"We're not sure how bad it was but it was obviously pretty disappointing to happen a few weeks before a grand slam. Touch wood, hopefully it's not as bad as it looked."

Of his own injury, Hewitt said he was lucky he had been wearing an ankle brace while playing.

"I was lucky I was wearing my ankle brace otherwise I would have been out of the whole Australian summer," Hewitt said.

"I felt it twist pretty badly and the ankle brace actually controlled me before I fell over which is a good thing. It just felt week afterwards when I started putting pressure in it.

"So I made sure I got it taped and hopefully I'll be right."

Hewitt also required treatment after the match but was expected to have played in the mixed singles match which did not eventuate.

Clijsters had shown impressive form in her first match of the tournament defeating Slovakian Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 6-2.

She and Molik shared a set apiece when Clijsters blew four match points in the second set tiebreak with the final score 3-6, 7-6 (8/6), 2-3 when Clijsters retired.

Top seed and reigning champion the United States was scheduled to meet France later Wednesday.