TNT Sports
Kim wants better outcome
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Published 18/05/2005 at 17:59 GMT+1
Kim Clijsters may have reached the 2001 and 2003 French Open finals but the Belgian insists she isn't comfortable on clay compared to the hard surfaces of Miami and Indian Wells, the two events she won back-to-back in March. Eurosport caught up with Clijs
Eurosport
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Four years ago, Clijsters lost 1-6 6-4 12-10 to American Jennifer Capriati in Paris. The defeat was followed in 2003 by a 6-0 6-4 loss to compatriot Justine Henin-Hardenne.
But just because she has pedigree in Paris, Clijsters says to those fans expecting great things: think again.
"People think because I have done well there in the past, I'll do well again," she explained to Eurosport.
"I have never had such a controlling influence on clay-courts that I have on other surfaces. For example, I don't feel like I did in Miami and Indian Wells."
"So I definitely have a motivation to try to work harder [on clay] and to feel better by moving better than I used to."
LIFE AFTER INJURY
A career threatening left wrist injury that blighted eight months of last season has helped the 21-year-old to be thankful she can return to competitive tennis at all.
For Clijsters told Eurosport two weeks ago, it is just a case of getting past the clay season and onto the grass and American hard court summer.
The red dirt puts a little extra pressure on her wrist tendon that required surgery on 12 June 2004.
"I feel extra pressure on my wrist when I play a backhand stroke with a little bit more spin and the higher [above shoulder height] ball on my backhand," she said.
"I now have to make sure I look after it following matches and practise sessions.
"My physio is just making sure that I ice it for prevention, and that is probably something I will have to do until the end of my career."
After Hasselt in October last season, Clijsters readily admits her career could have been finished by the injury but appreciates her return to tour action.
"I'm enjoying any little things I can achieve on the court and hopefully I can have few more years left in my career," she reflected.
BACK WITH A BANG
Clijsters took her first tentative steps back on the women's tour at the Antwerp Diamond Games, reaching the quarter-finals at the end of February.
With a world ranking of 138, her clean sweep on the mini-American hard court season in Miami and Indian Wells saw her rise 121 places.
"In America I was moving really well and I was seeing the ball really well," Clijsters explained. "But when I came to Warsaw I felt like I couldn't move at all."
"I'm adjusting to the clay day-by-day and I hope to be ready for the French Open, but I have to be more patient and set my mind a little bit differently.
"From being very aggressive on a hard court and finishing off points on the short ball, on clay it is not always easy because your movement, your positioning is a little bit different."
Only two of Clijsters' 23 titles have come on clay courts. But after four defeats in major championship finals [also 2003 U.S. Open and 2004 Australian Open], her 2005 record of 21 wins and three losses has once again put the Belgian in the frame for the Roland Garros title.
You can follow live coverage on the French Open, from Roland Garros in Paris on Monday 23 May at 11:00cet / 10am on Eurosport TV and eurosport.com
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