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6/13/2001
Clijsters' Wimbledon Preparations Slowed
BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Kim Clijsters is slowed by a sore wrist and shoulder in her preparations for Wimbledon and upset by an ad by her tennis federation.
But she can take some solace in a visit to the royal palace and glowing praise from the prime minister.
She and Justine Henin, the friend and compatriot she beat in the French Open semifinals, were lauded by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt.
``You not only proved your incredible talent but also showed you had great personality,'' the prime minister told the teen-agers.
Clijsters, who lost to Jennifer Capriati in the final in Paris, expects to play Wimbledon, which begins June 25.
But instead of playing the Rosmalen event in the Netherlands next week, she is considering joining her boyfriend, Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt, at the Queens tournament in London.
Clijsters and her family are angry with the main sponsor of her regional federation for publishing an ad with her face superimposed on a famed painting by French artist Eugene Delacroix showing a half-naked French revolutionary.
``What is the world coming to when, without consulting us, a firm latches on to the success of Kim like that,'' said her father, Lei Clijsters.
The regional Flemish tennis federation to which Clijsters belongs said it did not want to interfere in the commercial dispute.
-Alternative Press
--Yahoo! Sports
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Clijsters' Wimbledon Preparations SlowedBRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Kim Clijsters is slowed by a sore wrist and shoulder in her preparations for Wimbledon and upset by an ad by her tennis federation. But she can take some solace in a visit to the royal palace and glowing praise from the prime minister. She and Justine Henin, the friend and compatriot she beat in the French Open semifinals, were lauded by Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt. ``You not only proved your incredible talent but also showed you had great personality,'' the prime minister told the teen-agers. Clijsters, who lost to Jennifer Capriati in the final in Paris, expects to play Wimbledon, which begins June 25. But instead of playing the Rosmalen event in the Netherlands next week, she is considering joining her boyfriend, Australian tennis star Lleyton Hewitt, at the Queens tournament in London. Clijsters and her family are angry with the main sponsor of her regional federation for publishing an ad with her face superimposed on a famed painting by French artist Eugene Delacroix showing a half-naked French revolutionary. ``What is the world coming to when, without consulting us, a firm latches on to the success of Kim like that,'' said her father, Lei Clijsters. The regional Flemish tennis federation to which Clijsters belongs said it did not want to interfere in the commercial dispute.
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