• UNICEF Open

Clijsters a Wimbledon concern after defeat

ESPN staff
June 14, 2011
Kim Clijsters had her ankle strapped at the UNICEF Open © PA Photos
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World No. 2 Kim Clijsters suffered a shock setback to her Wimbledon preparations, losing in straight sets to Italian Romina Oprandi on Tuesday.

Clijsters was embarking upon what she had hoped would be a successful week at the UNICEF Open. However, she had few answers to world No. 82 Oprandi, who triumphed 7-6(5) 6-3.

Doubts surround the Belgian's condition ahead of Wimbledon, after she appeared to take a heavy stumble early in the match. Clijsters skidded towards the net and later explained that in doing so, she had aggravated an ankle injury picked up in April.

"It's the same ankle I injured earlier," she said. "I slipped in the first set and it started hurting. I took some medication on the court that helped with pain in my knee but not my ankle."

Oprandi admitted she suspected her opponent may be struggling, and made the most of the situation.

"I think maybe she was not 100 per cent, and I tried drop shots," Oprandi said. "It came out good for me."

Clijsters' year started well when she won the Australian Open, but defeat this week represents back-to-back second round exits, after her loss to Arantxa Rus at the French Open.

Oprandi's tactics were hugely intriguing as she consistently played sliced backhand drop shot winners off the Clijsters serve. Both women broke in the first set, before the Italian found a couple of aces to take the tiebreaker.

A solitary break of serve in the second set was enough to close out the match, leaving Clijsters with less game-time than she would have liked ahead of Wimbledon.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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