• US Open

Defending champ Clijsters out of US Open

ESPN staff
August 19, 2011
Kim Clijsters leaves the court with medical staff © Getty Images
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Defending champion Kim Clijsters will not compete at this year's US Open due to a stomach injury.

Clijsters, who claimed her third crown at Flushing Meadows last year after defeating Vera Zvonareva in the final, skipped last week's Rogers Cup in Toronto to try and recover from the complaint, but failed to do so in time for the final grand slam of the year.

"Unfortunately, I will not be able to defend my US Open title this year," Clijsters said in a statement. "Two weeks of rehab was not enough. Obviously I'm very disappointed. I trained very hard this summer and felt in a good shape to play."

It has been an injury-hit year for the 28-year-old, who struggled in the French Open and was forced to miss Wimbledon after damaging her ankle while dancing barefoot at a wedding.

She will also miss two other forthcoming events.

"Now there is nothing else I can do than to rest and have treatment every day," she added. "If a gradual approach is not taken, I will relapse, and therefore I have also no other possibility than to withdraw from the tournaments in Tokyo and Beijing."

The US Open begins on August 29.

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