• US Open

Clijsters facing fitness battle

ESPN staff
August 21, 2010
Kim Clijsters received treatment on her leg © Getty Images
Enlarge

Kim Clijsters races a race to be fit for the defence of her US Open title after suffering a thigh injury in Montreal.

The fifth seed won the opening set in her Rogers Cup quarter-final defeat to Vera Zvonareva but lost nine straight games as she lost the second and trailed in the deciding set.

After calling for the trainer, Clijsters wore strapping on her leg and her movement was visibly restricted, but the former world No. 1 insisted she had not done any lasting damage by playing through the pain.

"I don't like to give up," Clijsters said. "If something really bad happens, if you twist your ankle. But I was still able to move, still able to hit the ball, so I don't believe in giving up."

Clijsters sensationally won last year's US Open as an unseeded wildcard in only her third tournament back after a two-year break to start a family.

After seeing off top seed Serena Williams in the semi-final, she beat Caroline Wozniacki in straights to become the first mother to win a Grand Slam since Evonne Goolagong in 1980.

With rival Justine Henin out until 2011 with an elbow injury, and world No. 1 Serena Williams forced to withdraw from the US Open after failing to recover from a foot injury, Clijsters will be of the favourites to win a third title at Flushing Meadows if she can recover in time.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
Close

ABOUT COOKIES

To help make this website better, to improve and personalize your experience and for advertising purposes, are you happy to accept cookies and other technologies.

More Info Here Cookie Choices