Player of the week: Kim Clijsters

Former WTA #1 Kim Clijsters amazed everyone when she became US Open 2009 champion right after coming back from a 2-year break and becoming a mother. This week she wrote antoher chapter of her successful story winning her 37th WTA title in Miami.


Clijsters already started the tournament in an impressive way, dropping just 2 games to Kvitova in the 2nd round, 1 game to 17th seed Shahar Peer in the 3rd round, and 4 games to defending champion and 4th seed Victoria Azarenka in the Last-16 round. But after another straight sets victory over Samantha Stosur in the quarters, Clijsters had to face a very special and tough semifinal against fellow former #1 on her way back to the Tour Justine Henin. Despite losing a 6/2 4/0 lead to lose the 2nd set in the tiebreak, Clijsters didn't lost her focus and managed to win the match in a thrilling third set tiebreak. The final also looked difficult as Clijsters was facing 3rd seed Venus Williams, who was on a 15-match winning streak, but Clijsters rolled to a 6/2 6/1 victory.


With this victory, she has got her place back in the Top-10, but she sees herself contending for #1. Be aware Serena.

WTA ranking as of 5-Apr-2010

After her title in Miami, former #1 on her way back to the Tour Kim Clijsters gets back into Top-10, as runner-up Venus Williams climbs one to #4 and last year champion Victoria Azarenka drops two to #9. Semifinalists Marion Bartoli and Justine Henin move from #15 to #12 and from #33 to #23 respectively.

Cur	Prv	Name	Country	Rank pts.	Tours.
1	(1)	Serena Williams	USA	7946	17
2	(2)	Caroline Wozniacki	DEN	6375	24
3	(3)	Dinara Safina	RUS	6150	18
4	(5)	Venus Williams	USA	5876	17
5	(4)	Svetlana Kuznetsova	RUS	5620	19
6	(6)	Elena Dementieva	RUS	4965	20
7	(8)	Jelena Jankovic	SRB	4900	21
8	(9)	Agnieszka Radwanska	POL	4190	22
9	(7)	Victoria Azarenka	BLR	4070	17
10	(16)	Kim Clijsters	BEL	3565	8

Week #14 preview: Marbella, Pontevedra Beach

Marbella (ESP), International, $220,000
On its 2nd edition, the Spanish tournament at the beggining of red clay season is probably one of the most powerful International tournaments and will feature 3 Top-20 players: WTA #7 Victoria Azarenka, US Open champion Kim Clijsters, just after getting the title last week in Miami, and WTA #13 Flavia Pennetta. Nevertheless, surprises in clay tournaments should never be discarded, and players such as Aravane Rezai, Maria Kirilenko and Gisela Dulko should be taken into account, as well as local players Maria Jose Martinez, Anabel Medina and Carla Suarez, who will be supported by the home crowd.

Pontevedra Beach (USA), International, $220,000
WTA #2 and defending champion Caroline Wozniacki is the biggest attraction and big favourite for the title in the first green clay tournament in the USA. On her way to the title, Wozniacki will have to overcome solid players such as Alona Bondarenko, Patty Schnyder, Elena Vesnina and Virginie Razzano and upcoming youngsters such as Dominika Cibulkova, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Aleksandra Wozniak and Melanie Oudin.

Week #12-13: Clijsters defeats Venus Williams for Miami title

After coming back from retirement to win the US Open in 2009, Belgian Kim Clijsters showed again her best tennis to get her 37th WTA title in Miami, often nicknamed as"the fifth major". Already champion in 2005, Clijsters had to go through a thrilling semifinal against fellow comeback Belgian Justine Henin, which was decided in the third set tie-break. Then in the final Clijsters swept 3-times champion Venus Williams. Marion Bartoli completed the semis, whereas Caroline Wozniacki, Yanina Wickmayer, Samantha Stosur and Agnieszka Radwanska reached the quarter-finals.

Miami (USA), Premier, $4,500,000
Final: Kim Clijsters (BEL) def Venus Williams (USA) 6/2 6/1