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06/17/02 - Rosmalen
06/24/02 - Wimbledon
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5/25/02
PARIS IS MY MOST BEAUTIFUL
BELGA; May 22, 2002- Kim Clijsters is already in Paris. She went off to Paris on Tuesday afternoon, to join Lleyton Hewitt again, who was there since Sunday. "I left a bit earlier than normal," she said. "But I don’t prepare myself in another way. I adore Paris. I am looking forward to do a bit of shopping on the Champs-Elysées and going out for dinner in some very good restaurants. And, of course, there will be the atmosphere of a Grand Slam again. Until now, Roland Garros is the most beautiful memory in my career."
Upbeat after her victory in Hamburg, and number 4 in the WTA rankings, she is starting as a favourite for Roland Garros 2002. "I believe that there are several candidates for the title. All the players in the top 20 have a chance to win, in my opinion. It’s so delicate to make predictions. Last year, Venus was one of the favourites and she went out in the first round. It’s obvious that I want to get as far as possible, and I have many points to defend as well, but that is the same for every tournament I play."
Kim is not so worried about it all. Kim simply hopes that her shoulder is going to sustain it. Somehow, with Roland Garros and Wimbledon, this will be the month of the truth for her.
Matter of discipline
"I take day by day. It is above all these long matches and games that I fear a bit, but for the moment I feel fine. I have noticed that my muscles of my shoulder-blade have become more solid. I have obtained a discipline and I stick to it." -Serge Fayat
5/14/02
A THIRD ACE FILA
Fila Holding S.p.A. (NYSE:FLH) announced today it has signed a sponsorship deal with Kim Clijsters, number three on the WTA rankings. The addition of Kim to the Fila Team rounds out an already-powerhouse women's tennis lineup. Fila also has sponsorship deals with Jennifer Capriati, who recently renewed her contract for an additional three years, and with Jelena Dokic, winner of the 2001 Italian Open. Just 18-years-old, Kim is ranked number three in the world.
Kim, who already has seven Sanex WTA tour titles, began playing tennis at the age of six. Her role model was fellow Belgian Sabine Appelmans. In 1998 while on the junior circuit, Clijsters played in the finals at Wimbledon and won the doubles tournament at the French Open. Kim still loves to play doubles and often teams up with fellow Fila athlete Jelena Dokic. In 2001 Kim reached her first women's French Open final; she lost in the third set to Jennifer Capriati.
While in Italy for the International Open of Rome, Kim will wear pieces from the sporty yet elegant Fila Heritage Collection. The collection, made of Performa fabric, is the perfect blend of a classic look and modern high-performance materials.
The Fila family looks forward to watching Kim perform at her best. She is an inspirational tennis player with a very bright future.
5/5/02
KIM WINS HAMBURG
CONGRAGULATIONS KIM CLIJSTERS!!! Kimaniacs and Lleykies, today Kim won her 7th career title in Hamburg Germany. She defeated world no. 1 and defending champion Venus Williams 1-6 6-3 6-4 to do so. This is a big tournament and great preparation for Roland Garros! Also, to put an end to rumors: there has been a lot of speculation lately as to whether Kim will switch her allegiance from Belgium and play tennis for Australia. Well the answer is "no." Kim has never said that she would do that; it is all silly and coveting Australian press. For Kim to play there, it would take years for her just to get citizenship and so many other time-consuming obstacles. So just say NO!
4/28/02
BELGIUM GOES WITHOUT HER
On April 27th, Kim heroically defeated Alicia Molik 6-2 6-0 in Brussels to succeed compatriot Justine Henin's earlier Federation Cup victory, from which the girls were propelled into a 2-0 lead. Despite having been out of play for a month, the prospect looked good that Kimmy's arm injury was taking a vacation, however that night, Kim felt pain in her arm and the doctor was ordered. Kim wisely decided the following morning at 11 am not to play her Sunday match against Nicole Pratt. Carl says simply it's a matter of precaution. Her ranking points are very important and he said that she decided to skip this match today to make sure she wasn't putting too much pressure on her arm and shoulder now. Her schedule is once again a perplexing puzzle that nobody enjoys to play. She wants to do well in Hamburg. Kim could maybe get it arranged that her first match will be on Thursday, according to Carl. Contrary to that, there has been much speculation that Kim won't even play until Roland Garros. Hopefully, Kim makes the right decisions, and we see her at the French and wherever else she truly feels her arm will welcome her. Thanks Kim for sparing a day to entertain us on Saturday. Best of wishes!
4/14/02
KIM IS A GODMOTHER
On April 11, in the Belgian wildlife park of Plankendael, Kim was present as the godmother of a young koala named Caloundra. She was selected because of her Australian link (Aussie boyfriend and ATP no. 1 Lleyton Hewitt). Click mms://stream04.pandora.be/psu/koala/foto.wmv to see a video clip of Kim with Caloundra's father Coolongalook. Click here to see pictures.
WHEREABOUTS
Kim played a charity match in her hometown of Bree last Tuesday morning, at which Lleyton accompanied her. This occasion sparked the opportunity for them to have a look at the progress of the Belgian darling's house that is under construction there. Kim then had a scan and some x-rays on Thursday. Kim should now be in Monte Carlo with Lleyton, as he will compete in the Tennis Masters event there.
KIM AND JUSTINE: OBVIOUS CONTRAST
When asked if she had known of Justine's pessimistic concepts regarding Federation Cup (Justine had stated she would not play Fed Cup without Kim's presence because she did not want to bare the responsibility alone), Kim replied, "No, I wasn't aware of Justine's intentions regarding this Fed Cup. I only can say that, given the same situation, I wouldn't have reacted like she did..."
4/8/02
COACH CARL HAS GOOD NEWS
Kim's coach, Carl Maes was asked about news regarding Kim when he was doing the Flemish TV comments during the Davis Cup tie Belgium-Greece (won by Belgium: 5-0). He said, "It's going a bit better with Kim. She has visited doctor De Clercq in Antwerp and he informed her that the healing process is going well. She can restart training earlier than foreseen. She follows already her physical program in full and will recommence her tennis training at 100% on April 15."
Can we then have hope that she will play for Belgium in the Fed Cup at the end of April (against Australia)?
"It is not decided yet. Her dad Lei has still to discuss the matter with the Federation. We will see, but what is certain is that she will pull out of the Fed Cup in case that Kim would feel pain again while preparing for her Hamburg tourney. There must be a clause in the agreement with the Federation that she is allowed to pull out at any moment in case that it's not going at all (with Kim's health)."
4/7/02
KIM HAS TO BE CAREFUL
Lei Clijsters is concerned about the physical health of his daughter: “Nothing has changed since Kim’s arm injury at the beginning of this year. She has to take as much rest as possible in between her tournaments. And, in theory, there is no Fed Cup scheduled. If everything is going as it should be, she will play the tournaments of Berlin and Rome as preparation for Roland Garros. In that case, for whatever reason, it would seem that an extra match would be useful, and I doubt it, then it still might be possible that she will play a match for the Fed Cup after all, however I rate that chance not higher than 5%.”
Belgian Fed Cup Captain Ivo Van Aken has accepted this situation. He is especially glad that Justine Henin has committed herself to play the tie against Australia. According to Van Aken: “Earlier on, she stated that she would only play if Kim would. But apparently she has understood that Kim can’t possibly play. She has informed us now that I can count her in."
"...HER CAREER COMES FIRST"
Bad news for Belgium: Kim will not play Fed Cup (Belgium- Australia April 27 and 28) after all. Earlier in Miami, Kim had told a Belgian public radio station that she would play if her arm would be good enough. Unfortunately it seems not. Kim came back home to Bree (Belgium) at the beginning of this week. Her dad told Belgian press the following: "Kim loves to play Fed Cup but her own career comes first. Kim had to take a painkiller against the pain in her arm to be able to play Seles in Miami. Luckily she felt no reactions after that match. However, the treatment of her injury is a priority. Kim is following a specific training program in this regard. She can't serve right now."
"Each day she of resting is a day that will help her," that is the current opinion. Her dad describes the strategy as follows: "The objective is to remain as high as possible on the rankings while playing a minimum of matches. She has a bye in the first round in Berlin. This tourney will start the week after the Fed Cup weekend. In order to play the tie against Australia in Belgium, Kim will have to start preparing 4 to 5 days in advance. So we won't do that then."
Kim will get another scan by Dr. De Clercq in Antwerp on Friday. A new evaluation of her injury will be made based on these results. In the middle of next week she will leave Bree again. Kim's dad said: "She will travel together with Lleyton, who is going to prepare himself in Monte Carlo for the tournament that will commence on April 15."
3/26/02
KIM OUT BUT NOT DOWN
Webmaster's View:
Well, I watched the match today, Kim's quarter against Monica Seles. I have to say that going in to the match, I was very doubtful of Kim. She came in with a 0-2 record against Seles and an arm injury which we have just found out has expanded to a shoulder problem too. But Kim gave me a definite slap in the face tonight. Monica won the match 4-6 6-3 6-3. Just look at that score. Isn't it a beauty. You know someone is good when they play, with an injury, one of the greatest players in WTA history, and take her to 3 sets. Kim immediately broke Seles in the 1st, and despite a few shakey points, held serve throughout. In the 2nd set, I don't know what happened. Monica broke in the middle of the set and that's all she needed. By the third set, Kim's confidence was down, and Monica's confidence rose. Kim could have definitely won the match. I guess in the 3rd set, she suddenly remember her head to head against Monica or something. The crowd was also being annoying. In the start of the match, Monica was questioning a lot of close line calls, and the crowd immediately took her side, since she is after all an American. They treated Kim very rudely, not clapping for her points and booing everytime she hit a shot close to the line. I always wish I were at this events so I can be the one person brave enough to stand-up and scream, "KIM, DON'T MIND THESE ANNOYANCES!!!" LOL! Sometimes I wish Lleyton would scream, "C'mon!" and everyone would shut-up because Mr. Hewitt has spoken! But I can only yell at the TV! :( The crowd started to show some respect as the match went on however, and they especially returned to noble human beings whenever Kim did her world-famous sliding split and they clapped in awe. Well, it is okay that our Kimmy lost because she got to the quarters, and she will receive big points, and all this with 2 injuries! She is amazing.
3/24/02
KIM TENNIS DRESS UP FOR AUCTION
Kim Clijsters has donated her signed Australian Open tennis shirt and skirt to the Tennis for Africa Charity Auction. This Yahoo sponsored foundation allures tennis fans with auctioned tennis goods from their favorite players to raise money for African children in need. It is a good charity with a good objective. Kim's dress is now on auction and open for bidding at their website: http://www.tennisforafrica.org/ScheduleEn.htm. On another subject, Kim won her match today against Paola Suarez, defeating the Argentine 6-4 6-4. The match wasn't easy as Kim was broken 3 times by the clay-courter, and she broken 5 times by Kim. Kim is obviously still struggling with an injury too, as she conceded 34 unforced errors. Suarez still beat her in that category however with 37. And although Kim is struggling with two injuries, she still managed a decent 68% 1st serve average. She will next play Cara Black of Zimbabwe.
KIM NOW BATTLING TWO INJURIES
Further to Kim’s decision not to play Fed Cup this year, Belgian Fed Cup Team Captain Ivo Van Aken commented on Kim’s health:
"I can understand Kim’s decision because I know her medical file. Her injury is serious. In fact it dates back to her period at the tennis school. Kim’s problem is caused by the back of her shoulder, which isn’t that solid enough compared with the front of her shoulder. The consequence is that her chest muscle pulls at the shoulder-blade, which ended up in such a way that it got detached from her spinal column. As a consequence her forearm, which is notched in the shoulder, has taken another position, and that's what has caused her pain suffering. In reality, Kim has to make the effort to completely rebuild her back from now on. That’s because while she unconsciously tried to compensate, she has caused a loss of flexibility at the level of her left hip, what in consequence has caused the disappearance of the natural curve of her back. I can understand that she desires now to find a balance between taking care of herself and playing tennis in order to avoid falling down in the world rankings but I fear that it won’t be the miraculous solution."
And Kim's father has this to say:
“Kim has been in Miami since Sunday. Her arm is better, but it’s that shoulder now that’s playing her tricks again. She has the same injury that Patrick Rafter had trouble with for years. Rafter got surgery at the end, but it didn’t solve his problem. Kim will look at the matter match by match. The only certain thing is that she will come back home after Miami to rest and start preparing for Roland Garros afterwards. The Rome tournament would serve as her preparation. A Fed Cup match might be possible, if it would suit her planning.”
2/24/02
THE EVIL ARM - Thanks Ingrid
Bad news. Kim will not be playing Scottsdale or doubles for now. Her arm won’t allow her to be ready yet for those. She probably won’t play Hamburg too, which follows after the tournaments of Indian Wells and Key Biscayne. Kim will rest for three weeks after the American tournaments, therefore she will not play the Fed Cup. As a lead-up to Roland Garros she will play the tournaments in Berlin and Roma, followed by another week of rest. We know Kim has a lot of pressure with her arm injury, and she probably feels that she has to play Indian Wells because of all the points she has to defend after she beat Hingis in the semis last year and was runner-up to Serena Williams in the final. Some good news though: Kim will be the world no. 4 tomorrow! Kim arrived in the States on Saturday to prepare for Indian Wells there. “She doesn't mind her loss of points of Scottsdale, where she played the quarters last year. The only thing that matters is her health,” says Carl Maes. What else is Kim not playing? Fed Cup. This is damaging to the Belgium Fed Cup team since they rely so heavily upon the Belgian duo of Kim and Justine. Elke might just play though.
KIM AND JUSTINE HONORED BY THE PRINCE
February 19 - Brussels- Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin received the Belgian Sports Merit Trophy at a ceremony at the Town Hall of Brussels. The Belgian crown prince presented the prestigious trophy to both players in person. This trophy that can only be won once in a career had been awarded to Clijsters and Henin already back in November last year because of the exceptional achievements at world level during a whole year.
2/10/02
KIM AND LLEYTON PICK-UP AWARDS - Thanks Ingrid
On February 7th, Kim was on hand to watch boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt be awarded Sports Star of the Year in his hometown of Adelaide, Sydney. This made her miss her own recent awarding of the Limburg Province Sports Award, in which Lei had to once again pick up for her on February 5th. "The fact that the Limburg people have voted for her, I know her; she is sensitive to that, and that is also typical Limburg: they behave normally to Kim. And that's why it is always okay when she walks around in Bree, or in Limburg, or in Hasselt; the people don't overreact, and that she likes then. And when she then wins this trophy here, I know her, this trophy will get its place on the wall too, that's when the house will be completed," said the proud father.
KIM SETTLED IN ANTWERP
Although Kim is not playing Antwerp to rest her arm, she is still in the Flemish city to experience all of the Diamond Games. Kim arrived at Brussels airport at 7 am Sunday morning, and was in Antwerp only a few hours later. With straightened hair and a more refined look, a bunch of kids lined up for the Flanders star awaiting an autograph for Proximus Diamond Kids Day. Kim's coach and sister, Carl and Elke, joined Kim to hit balls with the kids. She was definitely surprised by the number of kids there, but she said it was a great opportunity for them. Another great opportunity is for Elke, as this is her first pro tournament. She will play doubles with Laurence Courtois.
Kim is still nicely rested in the 5th spot in the rankings. She said on Flemmish TV that she is going to the hospital at the end of next week to have a new check-up on her arm. She has spent her time doing nothing, and has rested the past two weeks to take care of her arm which is okay. She hopes to be able to start playing again on Feb 25th for Scottsdale.
2/3/02
KIM TIDBITS - Thanks Ingrid
- In Belgium, there is a TV commercial with Kim. She is promoting a separate collection of used batteries to protect the environment. It is in fact non-commercial because it is a TV spot from the Belgian official institute for recycling these batteries. It also features Justine at the end, saying a few words in Dutch.
- Kim was spotted shopping last month for a birthday present for Elke.
- Kim has just recently passed the $2 million dollar mark. Feliciations!
- Kim and Lleyton will rest in Australia for the next few days and then they will travel back to Belgium at the end of next week, according to Belgian paper De Standaard (Jan 25). It is planned that Kim would resume playing tennis as of the American hardcourt circuit--the end of February, not earlier.
1/24/02
IT WAS A GOOD WEEK FOR KIM
Jennifer Capriati defeated our Kimmy yesterday 7-5 3-6 6-1 in the semis of the Australian Open. The Belgian, who had been practically adopted as an Australian due to her relationship with world no. 1 Aussie Lleyton Hewitt, was down two breaks in the first set, and broke back twice to get up to 5 games. Capriati then broke again and served for the set. Clijsters then won the 2nd set after breaking Capriati's fragile serve early, but it was Clijsters' serve game that was too fragile in the third set and it was broken twice. Had Kim gotten to the final and won, she would have been no. 1 in the world, but we still have to wait a bit longer that and Kimmy's first Slam, especially with Kim having to rest her arm for a month. Considering she had to play with a bad arm, she did in fact play spectacularly. We applaud you!
1/22/02
DOCTORS WARN KIM TO REST
Kim Clijsters pulled out of doubles Saturday to reserve her ailing arm for singles. Now doctors have told her to rest for a month, or else the stress fracture in her right arm will get worse. Kim will still play in the Australian Open including her match-up against fellow Belgian Justine Henin tonight, but she will not play Antwerp. This is an almost certain decision. Kim compares the fracture to the one Patrick Rafter had, and no surgery is needed, only rest. Clijsters is playing the rest of the tournament without pain killers and is still going to appear at Proximus Diamond Kids Day.
1/21/02
KIM AND JUST ARE NO "SISTER ACT"
Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters [who will play eachother in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open] have been referred to as "the Belgian sisters." But Henin says she and Clijsters are no sister act. "We are friends on the tour for sure, but we're also two different players," says Henin, who was beaten by Clijsters in the French Open semifinals last year and then made the Wimbledon final, where she lost to Venus Williams. "Both of us want to go into the semifinals, so for sure we are friends out of the court but when I have to play against her I want to win," added Henin, seeded No. 6, who will face Clijsters in a quarterfinal match. "So, I mean, it's a good relation but I think it's too much to say "the Belgian sisters."
Henin advanced to the quarterfinals Monday with a 6-0, 6-3 win over Russian Elena Dementieva, and Clijsters needed just 45 minutes to beat Janette Husarova 6-0, 6-2. The Belgian duo have played each other six times on the tour and each has won three times. Clijsters was successful in their most recent clash, thequarterfinals of the Australian Open tuneup in Sydney.
1/21/02
KIM GETS PRAISES
VTZ, January 17, 2002 - BRUSSELS- Flemish Sports Minister Bert Anciaux has praised the successful 2001 season of the Flemish Tennis Association (VTV) in the Flemish Parliament: an increase from 3794 to 118774 members, the biggest increase in 10 years time! He mentioned Kim Clijsters as a role model for many youngsters. The minister also praised the results of the Stassano Tour, the biggest youth competition in Flanders. The number of participants has indeed risen by 16% in 1-year time. Furthermore he pointed out that especially the number of youngsters and women is increasing, having the most remarkable increase in Limburg,… the ‘home front’ of Kim.
KIM'S INJURY CAUSES DOUBLES WITHDRAWAL FOR SINGLES SAKE
Kim Clijsters pulled out of the Australian Open women's doubles on Saturday after straining her right arm in her singles third round victory over Australian Cindy Watson earlier in the day. The Belgian, seeded fourth in both singles and doubles with Japan's Ai Sugiyama, is due to play Janette Husarova for a place in the quarterfinals on Monday. The arm strain is a recurrence of an old injury and Clijsters is expected to be fit to play her singles. Clijsters and Sugiyama had been due to face Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Daniela Hantuchova in the last 16. The 13th seeds now get a walkover into the quarterfinals.
1/10/02
PROXIMUS DIAMOND KIDS DAY WITH KIM
Sports Belgium - 5000 kids (all about 14 years old) will have the opportunity to attend a tennis course taught by Kim Clijsters! On Saturday, February 9, 5000 kids will be the big stars at Sports Palace. Kim will demonstrate and explain there some basic tennis techniques. Before the course, some kids will be selected from the public to hit some balls with Kim. Don't forget to bring your racket. If you don't leave a lucky person to join Kim on the court, you can just profit from the end of the event, by receiving an autographed picture. At the end of the demonstration, you can also get a hat. Then at 12 noon you can meet the qualifiers. The parents are equally welcome and can participate in this unique journey. They are paying 20 Euros a person which will allow them to attend and to meet the qualifiers after 12. If the kids enter with their parents, they get to reserve seats next to one another. For more information (more convenient for Belgians), go to this link: http://www.sports24.be/diamondgames/kidsdayformfr.html.
~Clijsters City
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BELGA; May 22, 2002- Kim Clijsters is already in Paris. She went off to Paris on Tuesday afternoon, to join Lleyton Hewitt again, who was there since Sunday. "I left a bit earlier than normal," she said. "But I don’t prepare myself in another way. I adore Paris. I am looking forward to do a bit of shopping on the Champs-Elysées and going out for dinner in some very good restaurants. And, of course, there will be the atmosphere of a Grand Slam again. Until now, Roland Garros is the most beautiful memory in my career." Fila Holding S.p.A. (NYSE:FLH) announced today it has signed a sponsorship deal with Kim Clijsters, number three on the WTA rankings. The addition of Kim to the Fila Team rounds out an already-powerhouse women's tennis lineup. Fila also has sponsorship deals with Jennifer Capriati, who recently renewed her contract for an additional three years, and with Jelena Dokic, winner of the 2001 Italian Open. Just 18-years-old, Kim is ranked number three in the world. CONGRAGULATIONS KIM CLIJSTERS!!! Kimaniacs and Lleykies, today Kim won her 7th career title in Hamburg Germany. She defeated world no. 1 and defending champion Venus Williams 1-6 6-3 6-4 to do so. This is a big tournament and great preparation for Roland Garros! Also, to put an end to rumors: there has been a lot of speculation lately as to whether Kim will switch her allegiance from Belgium and play tennis for Australia. Well the answer is "no." Kim has never said that she would do that; it is all silly and coveting Australian press. For Kim to play there, it would take years for her just to get citizenship and so many other time-consuming obstacles. So just say NO! On April 27th, Kim heroically defeated Alicia Molik 6-2 6-0 in Brussels to succeed compatriot Justine Henin's earlier Federation Cup victory, from which the girls were propelled into a 2-0 lead. Despite having been out of play for a month, the prospect looked good that Kimmy's arm injury was taking a vacation, however that night, Kim felt pain in her arm and the doctor was ordered. Kim wisely decided the following morning at 11 am not to play her Sunday match against Nicole Pratt. Carl says simply it's a matter of precaution. Her ranking points are very important and he said that she decided to skip this match today to make sure she wasn't putting too much pressure on her arm and shoulder now. Her schedule is once again a perplexing puzzle that nobody enjoys to play. She wants to do well in Hamburg. Kim could maybe get it arranged that her first match will be on Thursday, according to Carl. Contrary to that, there has been much speculation that Kim won't even play until Roland Garros. Hopefully, Kim makes the right decisions, and we see her at the French and wherever else she truly feels her arm will welcome her. Thanks Kim for sparing a day to entertain us on Saturday. Best of wishes! On April 11, in the Belgian wildlife park of Plankendael, Kim was present as the godmother of a young koala named Caloundra. She was selected because of her Australian link (Aussie boyfriend and ATP no. 1 Lleyton Hewitt). Click mms://stream04.pandora.be/psu/koala/foto.wmv to see a video clip of Kim with Caloundra's father Coolongalook. Click here to see pictures. Kim played a charity match in her hometown of Bree last Tuesday morning, at which Lleyton accompanied her. This occasion sparked the opportunity for them to have a look at the progress of the Belgian darling's house that is under construction there. Kim then had a scan and some x-rays on Thursday. Kim should now be in Monte Carlo with Lleyton, as he will compete in the Tennis Masters event there. When asked if she had known of Justine's pessimistic concepts regarding Federation Cup (Justine had stated she would not play Fed Cup without Kim's presence because she did not want to bare the responsibility alone), Kim replied, "No, I wasn't aware of Justine's intentions regarding this Fed Cup. I only can say that, given the same situation, I wouldn't have reacted like she did..." Kim's coach, Carl Maes was asked about news regarding Kim when he was doing the Flemish TV comments during the Davis Cup tie Belgium-Greece (won by Belgium: 5-0). He said, "It's going a bit better with Kim. She has visited doctor De Clercq in Antwerp and he informed her that the healing process is going well. She can restart training earlier than foreseen. She follows already her physical program in full and will recommence her tennis training at 100% on April 15." Lei Clijsters is concerned about the physical health of his daughter: “Nothing has changed since Kim’s arm injury at the beginning of this year. She has to take as much rest as possible in between her tournaments. And, in theory, there is no Fed Cup scheduled. If everything is going as it should be, she will play the tournaments of Berlin and Rome as preparation for Roland Garros. In that case, for whatever reason, it would seem that an extra match would be useful, and I doubt it, then it still might be possible that she will play a match for the Fed Cup after all, however I rate that chance not higher than 5%.” Bad news for Belgium: Kim will not play Fed Cup (Belgium- Australia April 27 and 28) after all. Earlier in Miami, Kim had told a Belgian public radio station that she would play if her arm would be good enough. Unfortunately it seems not. Kim came back home to Bree (Belgium) at the beginning of this week. Her dad told Belgian press the following: "Kim loves to play Fed Cup but her own career comes first. Kim had to take a painkiller against the pain in her arm to be able to play Seles in Miami. Luckily she felt no reactions after that match. However, the treatment of her injury is a priority. Kim is following a specific training program in this regard. She can't serve right now." Webmaster's View: Kim Clijsters has donated her signed Australian Open tennis shirt and skirt to the Tennis for Africa Charity Auction. This Yahoo sponsored foundation allures tennis fans with auctioned tennis goods from their favorite players to raise money for African children in need. It is a good charity with a good objective. Kim's dress is now on auction and open for bidding at their website: http://www.tennisforafrica.org/ScheduleEn.htm. On another subject, Kim won her match today against Paola Suarez, defeating the Argentine 6-4 6-4. The match wasn't easy as Kim was broken 3 times by the clay-courter, and she broken 5 times by Kim. Kim is obviously still struggling with an injury too, as she conceded 34 unforced errors. Suarez still beat her in that category however with 37. And although Kim is struggling with two injuries, she still managed a decent 68% 1st serve average. She will next play Cara Black of Zimbabwe. Further to Kim’s decision not to play Fed Cup this year, Belgian Fed Cup Team Captain Ivo Van Aken commented on Kim’s health: Bad news. Kim will not be playing Scottsdale or doubles for now. Her arm won’t allow her to be ready yet for those. She probably won’t play Hamburg too, which follows after the tournaments of Indian Wells and Key Biscayne. Kim will rest for three weeks after the American tournaments, therefore she will not play the Fed Cup. As a lead-up to Roland Garros she will play the tournaments in Berlin and Roma, followed by another week of rest. We know Kim has a lot of pressure with her arm injury, and she probably feels that she has to play Indian Wells because of all the points she has to defend after she beat Hingis in the semis last year and was runner-up to Serena Williams in the final. Some good news though: Kim will be the world no. 4 tomorrow! Kim arrived in the States on Saturday to prepare for Indian Wells there. “She doesn't mind her loss of points of Scottsdale, where she played the quarters last year. The only thing that matters is her health,” says Carl Maes. What else is Kim not playing? Fed Cup. This is damaging to the Belgium Fed Cup team since they rely so heavily upon the Belgian duo of Kim and Justine. Elke might just play though. February 19 - Brussels- Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin received the Belgian Sports Merit Trophy at a ceremony at the Town Hall of Brussels. The Belgian crown prince presented the prestigious trophy to both players in person. This trophy that can only be won once in a career had been awarded to Clijsters and Henin already back in November last year because of the exceptional achievements at world level during a whole year. On February 7th, Kim was on hand to watch boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt be awarded Sports Star of the Year in his hometown of Adelaide, Sydney. This made her miss her own recent awarding of the Limburg Province Sports Award, in which Lei had to once again pick up for her on February 5th. "The fact that the Limburg people have voted for her, I know her; she is sensitive to that, and that is also typical Limburg: they behave normally to Kim. And that's why it is always okay when she walks around in Bree, or in Limburg, or in Hasselt; the people don't overreact, and that she likes then. And when she then wins this trophy here, I know her, this trophy will get its place on the wall too, that's when the house will be completed," said the proud father. Although Kim is not playing Antwerp to rest her arm, she is still in the Flemish city to experience all of the Diamond Games. Kim arrived at Brussels airport at 7 am Sunday morning, and was in Antwerp only a few hours later. With straightened hair and a more refined look, a bunch of kids lined up for the Flanders star awaiting an autograph for Proximus Diamond Kids Day. Kim's coach and sister, Carl and Elke, joined Kim to hit balls with the kids. She was definitely surprised by the number of kids there, but she said it was a great opportunity for them. Another great opportunity is for Elke, as this is her first pro tournament. She will play doubles with Laurence Courtois. Kim is still nicely rested in the 5th spot in the rankings. She said on Flemmish TV that she is going to the hospital at the end of next week to have a new check-up on her arm. She has spent her time doing nothing, and has rested the past two weeks to take care of her arm which is okay. She hopes to be able to start playing again on Feb 25th for Scottsdale. - In Belgium, there is a TV commercial with Kim. She is promoting a separate collection of used batteries to protect the environment. It is in fact non-commercial because it is a TV spot from the Belgian official institute for recycling these batteries. It also features Justine at the end, saying a few words in Dutch. - Kim was spotted shopping last month for a birthday present for Elke. - Kim has just recently passed the $2 million dollar mark. Feliciations! - Kim and Lleyton will rest in Australia for the next few days and then they will travel back to Belgium at the end of next week, according to Belgian paper De Standaard (Jan 25). It is planned that Kim would resume playing tennis as of the American hardcourt circuit--the end of February, not earlier. Jennifer Capriati defeated our Kimmy yesterday 7-5 3-6 6-1 in the semis of the Australian Open. The Belgian, who had been practically adopted as an Australian due to her relationship with world no. 1 Aussie Lleyton Hewitt, was down two breaks in the first set, and broke back twice to get up to 5 games. Capriati then broke again and served for the set. Clijsters then won the 2nd set after breaking Capriati's fragile serve early, but it was Clijsters' serve game that was too fragile in the third set and it was broken twice. Had Kim gotten to the final and won, she would have been no. 1 in the world, but we still have to wait a bit longer that and Kimmy's first Slam, especially with Kim having to rest her arm for a month. Considering she had to play with a bad arm, she did in fact play spectacularly. We applaud you! Kim Clijsters pulled out of doubles Saturday to reserve her ailing arm for singles. Now doctors have told her to rest for a month, or else the stress fracture in her right arm will get worse. Kim will still play in the Australian Open including her match-up against fellow Belgian Justine Henin tonight, but she will not play Antwerp. This is an almost certain decision. Kim compares the fracture to the one Patrick Rafter had, and no surgery is needed, only rest. Clijsters is playing the rest of the tournament without pain killers and is still going to appear at Proximus Diamond Kids Day. Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters [who will play eachother in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open] have been referred to as "the Belgian sisters." But Henin says she and Clijsters are no sister act. "We are friends on the tour for sure, but we're also two different players," says Henin, who was beaten by Clijsters in the French Open semifinals last year and then made the Wimbledon final, where she lost to Venus Williams. "Both of us want to go into the semifinals, so for sure we are friends out of the court but when I have to play against her I want to win," added Henin, seeded No. 6, who will face Clijsters in a quarterfinal match. "So, I mean, it's a good relation but I think it's too much to say "the Belgian sisters." VTZ, January 17, 2002 - BRUSSELS- Flemish Sports Minister Bert Anciaux has praised the successful 2001 season of the Flemish Tennis Association (VTV) in the Flemish Parliament: an increase from 3794 to 118774 members, the biggest increase in 10 years time! He mentioned Kim Clijsters as a role model for many youngsters. The minister also praised the results of the Stassano Tour, the biggest youth competition in Flanders. The number of participants has indeed risen by 16% in 1-year time. Furthermore he pointed out that especially the number of youngsters and women is increasing, having the most remarkable increase in Limburg,… the ‘home front’ of Kim. Kim Clijsters pulled out of the Australian Open women's doubles on Saturday after straining her right arm in her singles third round victory over Australian Cindy Watson earlier in the day. The Belgian, seeded fourth in both singles and doubles with Japan's Ai Sugiyama, is due to play Janette Husarova for a place in the quarterfinals on Monday. The arm strain is a recurrence of an old injury and Clijsters is expected to be fit to play her singles. Clijsters and Sugiyama had been due to face Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and Daniela Hantuchova in the last 16. The 13th seeds now get a walkover into the quarterfinals. Sports Belgium - 5000 kids (all about 14 years old) will have the opportunity to attend a tennis course taught by Kim Clijsters! On Saturday, February 9, 5000 kids will be the big stars at Sports Palace. Kim will demonstrate and explain there some basic tennis techniques. Before the course, some kids will be selected from the public to hit some balls with Kim. Don't forget to bring your racket. If you don't leave a lucky person to join Kim on the court, you can just profit from the end of the event, by receiving an autographed picture. At the end of the demonstration, you can also get a hat. Then at 12 noon you can meet the qualifiers. The parents are equally welcome and can participate in this unique journey. They are paying 20 Euros a person which will allow them to attend and to meet the qualifiers after 12. If the kids enter with their parents, they get to reserve seats next to one another. For more information (more convenient for Belgians), go to this link: http://www.sports24.be/diamondgames/kidsdayformfr.html. |