AUSTRALIAN OPEN • FAREWELL MELBOURNE PARK

(26 JAN.) It was a tough battle with ups and downs but Kim's last Australian Open has come to end earlier today as our No.1 Belgian lost her semifinal match to Victoria Azarenka 4-6 6-1 3-6.

There has been so much fairytale in Kim Clijsters's return to the sport, that you forget that sometimes things are just not meant to be.

Her win in New York three years ago, her title defence in New York two years ago, followed by her first title here in Melbourne last year... There have been some charmed times for the KimBack Kid.

Admittedly, there have also been a lot of not-so-charmed times. The plague of injuries that forced her to miss the French Open in 2010 and Wimbledon in 2011, right up to rolling her wobbly ankle again just a few days ago, it is testament to the Belgian's extraordinary perseverance that her second comeback has lasted as long as it has.

But the moment she let loose and saved four match points against Li Na in the 4th round, achieving the 'Kimpossible', as people put it, there was a whisper that perhaps destiny was knocking on the Kim trophy cabinet yet again. After all, what could be more perfect than a win for Aussie Kim on Australia Day to reach the Australian Open final in what is likely to be her last Australian Open?

On this occasion, the tennis loom didn't end up weaving that tale.

Whether it was the way she woke up in the morning or slept last night, or warmed up, or felt, or thought, Kim was not quite all there for the start of her semifinal against Victoria Azarenka.

'Overall it felt harder, even in the rallies, to just be a little bit more aggressive than your opponent. That obviously starts with the serve', she said. 'I felt like I had to serve well today because she was returning really well.'

Credit, of course, to the young Belarusian, who came roaring out of the blocks in her attempt to reach her first Grand Slam final. But something was not quite right with Kim's game. Shots she would have made, she missed.

Like a well-worked diesel engine, she spluttered into life in the second set, chuntering through for the loss of just one game as, like Yin and Yang, Azarenka went off the boil. Perhaps the impossible might still have been possible.

And then Azarenka grabbed the momentum back. But that pull that the defending champion still had something left to give to this Australian Open appeared again in the final set, Kim breaking back, not once, but twice.

'There were a few deciding moments where I think I maybe had a little bit of an advantage, in the third set, especially that first game where I had break point', she said. 'A few little things here and there that you can always think back and say "Maybe I should have done this or that at that certain times in the match."'

But then she dipped again. Skipping up to a backhand she would usually have buried into the back corner of the court, Clijsters buried it in the net instead.

'It's unfortunate when you get so close', she said. 'I know I'm capable of beating all these girls, but it's whoever's better on the day wins and gets to go through. That's something that is disappointing.'

Saving one match point, but not the three she needed to, her last backhand ballooned well wide, possibly the last shot she'll play at Rod Laver Arena.

Will she be back? Sadly, it's unlikely. But in a very Kim way, she's still leaving the door the tiniest bit open, saying she had "no idea" where she'd be watching Australian Open 2013.

'You don't think about it', she said, when asked whether the finality of the situation had hit home. 'The loss is too fresh I think to think about something else. So I'm sure that will sink in in the next couple of days.'

Ultimately, let the disappointment of the semifinal not take anything away from Clijsters's achievements over the past two weeks. A Grand Slam semifinal, with almost no form, and an ankle so bad that if this event was beginning next week, she wouldn't play. Thus she still achieved what for many would have been impossible.

'I could have been home already two days ago', she pointed out. 'I feel that I really gave it 200%, so in that way I really don't feel like I could have done anything differently these last two weeks. I know that things weren't always the way that I would have liked them to go, but I tried', she continued. 'In whatever situation I was in, I was able to just stick with it, fight through it. Played some tough matches, played some good tennis. At the end that's what it's all about. I'll go home and I'll know that I gave it my all.'

She will be missed.

(adapted from www.australianopen.com)

AUSTRALIAN OPEN • KIM OUSTS NO.1 TO REACH SEMIS

(24 JAN.) In a battle between former and current World No.1s it was Kim who was rewarded for her typically more aggressive approach to the match. Although she let slip a set and 5-2 lead, the Belgian steadied in a second set tiebreak, wrapping up a 6-3 7-6(4) win over Caroline Wozniacki to reach the Australian Open semifinals.

Today’s blockbuster quarterfinal between Kim and Caroline Wozniacki confirmed two things. One was that Kim's ankle – which has sustained a nasty twist during her dramatic 4th round win over Li Na – does not seem to be hampering her unduly. The second was that the Dane, despite her commitment to working hard and improving her game, remains unable to hurt the heaviest hitters in the game.

Kim said that instead of thinking about the match against the Dane, the past two days had been spent focusing on intensively rehabilitating her battered ankle. She was couch-bound, alternating between ice-on and ice-off for 20 minutes each, elevating her leg, and receiving lymphatic drainage treatment.

Perhaps it released the pre-match pressure valve somewhat, as Kim for the most part produced a free-swinging performance. No doubt keenly aware that she was lucky to be alive in the competition after saving four match points against Li, and the fact that she has said this is her last Australian Open, Kim is playing with a sense of purpose, almost destiny. 

It was evidenced in how she hit out during a tight second set tie-break, and especially so on the winner she struck to bring up her match points.

'I just had to go for it. I mean, I had a good look on it. I felt like it was sitting right up there, and I felt like I could really rip it inside out', Kim said.

Kim began the match on fire, in the zone from the back of the court and playing ball-on-a-string tennis to gain an early break and open up a 3-1 lead. By the fifth game she'd already struck nine winners to two and showed she was confident in her movement when she employed her trademark split-slide to stretch for a forehand.

Not only was she playing well, but the Belgian giving other WTA players – who have frequently described the Dane as like playing a 'brick wall' – a lesson in how to swing a wrecking ball straight through it.

Unlike Wozniacki's 4th round opponent Jelena Jankovic, who when trying to attack against the No.1 seed persisted in hitting side-to-side into the open court, Kim employed a different tactic. She effectively worked the ball around the court and frequently went in behind Wozniacki with her heavy groundstrokes, robbing the Dane of the chance to get into a groove with her lateral court movement by consistently wrong-footing her.

Yet Kim also has penetration and disguise in her groundstrokes that Jankovic lacks, and using that to her advantage, cemented a 5-2 lead with the loss of just one point in the next two games. 

Errors then crept into the 11th seed's game while Wozniacki – as we've come to expect – fought hard. The Dane brought out some excellent tennis in the ninth game when Kim looked poised to capture the first set, but a fifth set point proved too big a hurdle to clear.

Much like the first set, Kim again broke early in the second set to lead 3-1. Points were becoming formulaic – the Belgian repeatedly dragged Wozniacki wide of the court with her heavy crosscourt backhands, and then picked of the generally short reply for a winner. If she didn't do it then, she struck a winner off the next ball after that. It was relentless.

'I was happy with the way that I was playing. It was important to just stay focused one point at a time and to really, whenever you felt like you could go for that winner, just try to do that', Kim surmised. 'I'm very happy with the way that I was able to move.'

Yet she came close to blowing that opportunity when errors began littering her game when she was receiving for the match. She struck a pair of backhands long to allow Wozniacki to hold in the eighth game, and then in a tense game in which she served for the match, lost control of her forehand as well. Kim then fluffed more groundstrokes to allow the Dane to level.

Yet when the set progressed to a tiebreaker, the Belgian proved why she owns four major titles – a cool head under pressure. Despite having lost control of her shots Kim remained true to her high-risk game and fended off her fast-finishing opponent with some big winners.

That massive off-forehand winner set up two match points, before a swinging forehand volley sealed victory. Kim said her superior performance in the very late stages of the second set came down to her greater experience.

'The stress will always be there. It's a part of the sport, and the mental game is just so important', she said. 'I've been on both sides, you know. I have been on sides where the stress has taken over my game. (But) these last few years I have been really able to cope with it and just try to not let it impact me.'

In the semis Kim will face Victoria Azarenka. Their match is scheduled on Thursday and should be played in the afternoon.

(adapted from www.australianopen.com)

AUSTRALIAN OPEN • KIM'S INJURY 'UNDER CONTROL'

(23 JAN.) We've got some (mainly) reassuring news coming from down under as Kim should be 'ready' for her quarterfinal match at the Australian Open. On Monday morning Kim practised behind closed doors for about an hour. It was no intensive session as Kim's lightly swollen ankle still prevents her to move freely, leaving her with 70-80% mobility.

However, Sam Verslegers – Kim's personal physio – thinks she will be in sufficient form to play. 'We know Kim won't play pain free. We know she won't be able to move like she's used to. But what we're trying to do is keep everything under control. Kim's also had trouble with her neck over the last few days and we're still keeping an eye on her hip. But as of now, everything is under control.' 

With some rest, a good tape and painkillers, I believe Kim should be out on Rod Laver Arena to fight for a semifinal spot. But we still have to wait until tomorrow (Tuesday) to see how the injury evolves as it is usually after 48 hours that the ankle is the most swollen. But there isn't much we can do about that. One thing is for sure: Kim will give everything.'

AUSTRALIAN OPEN • KIMCREDIBLE THRILLER TO REACH QUARTERS!

(22 JAN.) In her final appearance at the Australian Open, Kim has chalked up at least one last magic Melbourne moment, saving four match points on her way to a thrilling victory against Li Na on Rod Laver Arena. After a slow start and hampered by an ankle injury sustained in the first set, Kim eventually closed it out 4-6 7-6(6) 6-4.

'I can't believe I won', said Kim. 'I knew before the match that it was going to be a tough match but I didn't expect this obviously! I don't want to quit my last time at the Australian Open', said the Belgian, revealing not just her fighting spirit but that this will, as many suspected, be her last trip Down Under, at least in a playing capacity. It definitely crossed my mind at some point... I mean, it's not that I was constantly thinking about it. But at one point you think "Okay, I'm just gonna go for it. Once I made that decision, I didn't think." I just tried to find a solution for, you know, how I was feeling, you know, to find a new tactic, tactical game. Or even in my mind to just, okay, know that the wide shots, I'm not gonna be able to push off like I want to with the wide shot with my serve, but I'm gonna try to fight in any other way.'

The match opened with Li jumping out of the blocks to break Kim in the first game of the match. Not to be outdone, Kim broke straight back.

The Australian Open 2011 finalists would trade breaks again in the first set before Kim went over awkwardly on her left ankle with the set tied at 3-3. She made straight for the bench for a medical time-out. After swallowing an anti-inflammatory pill, and having her ankle sprayed and taped, Kim unconvincingly made her way back out to court. She held serve, just, but it would be Li who seized the initiative. Sensing her opponent's discomfort, Li moved Kim around while the Belgian tried to keep points as short as possible by going for winners. Li came out on top, securing the break with a forehand down the line before serving out the set.

At this stage, many expected Kim, whose movement was clearly inhibited, to retire and nobody would have blamed her. But she was determined to leave on her terms.In opposition though, was Li who wasn't in a romantic mood. The reigning Roland Garros champ's backhand was in devastation mode and she was firing it at will. She seized the first break of the second set in the third game but some loose play let Kim back into the match.

In the sixth game Kim perseverance paid off, breaking back to level at 3-3. The Belgian yelling 'C'mon!' as a Li backhand sailed over the baseline. Both players managed to hold serve and their nerve as the set headed for an inevitable tiebreak.

A series of unforced errors from Kim and some unforgiving play by Li and suddenly the 2011 finalist was leading the tiebreak 6-2, with four match points in hand.

It was here that Kim conjured the remarkable. Two errors from Li, a forehand winner from Clijsters and then one of the best exchanges of the match, which finished with Kim drawing Li to the net then lobbing her to level at 6-6.

Kim wrapped up the next two points without fuss to claim the set as a shellshocked Li stared into space during the change of ends.

'I didn't want to give her anything for free. You know, if she was going to come up with an ace or with a winner, you know, too good, but I didn't want to make the mistake', said Kim.

'I'm not saying that that forehand dropshot was a good choice, but, you know, you make decisions. Luckily, that one turned out okay. I think she was a little bit, you know, lost or maybe a little bit confused at that time, and she made two pretty easy mistakes when we changed sides', she added.

Li's take on the missed opportunities was a mixture of nerves and her opponent playing better than her when it counted most.'

'During the time, of course [I] was nervous. If you nervous you could not think too much, right?' said a visibly upset Li. 'What I can say is today she play better than me.'

The missed opportunities seemed to have an effect on Li who was not herself early in the third set. Instead of winners, she hit a string of unforced errors as Kim grabbed consecutive breaks to lead 4-0.

'After the tiebreak I was think – I was a little bit, how do you say, worrying about myself because I have four match points, but I didn't take it', explained Li after the match.

The Chinese would claw one break back in the final set, but the damage was done. Kim wobbled slightly late in the set, but the ice cool Belgian wrapped up the match on her second match point when Li committed one final error.

Kim now takes her place in the final eight for the seventh time in her 10 attempts. In the quarterfinals she will face Caroline Wozniacki on Tuesday.

But the question remains, will she be fit for that match? Only time will tell. 'I have the best people around me to take care of me and to make sure that this is hopefully not going to get any worse than it is now.'

(adapted from www.australianopen.com)

AUSTRALIAN OPEN • KIM INTO 4TH ROUND

(20 JAN.) We're a bit late on this one but it's good news as Kim has successfully qualified for the 4th round of the Australian Open after defeating Daniela Hantuchova 6-3 6-2.

Kim, who has only played seven tournaments since lifting the 2011 title due to injury, owned a 9-1 record against the slender Slovakian entering the contest, with Hantuchova's only victory coming in Brisbane two weeks ago when Clijsters retired with a hip ailment.

It was certainly not the greatest performance of Kim's life, but it was good enough as she ripped 27 winners (almost an equal amount off her forehand and backhand sides) and committed 18 unforced errors. Hantuchova, who reached the semifinals in Melbourne in 2008, before losing to Ana Ivanovic, could only manage 12 winners and committed 23 unforced errors.

'Day off yesterday, night match tonight. So I felt like I kind of just had to find my aggressive footwork and positioning on the court', the Belgian said. 'But I was able to at the important points win those points and make the right decisions. Obviously at the end of the day, when you're not playing your best, that's what it comes down to is just trying to play the important points as well as possible. I was able to do that today. So [the] second set was much better. I'm pleased that I finished a lot better than how I started.'

One of the game's most feared all-around players, the 28-year-old Belgian has got to the point in her career where she does not need a lot of matches. In fact, in her comeback to the tour in August 2009 after she took off two years to start a family, she won the US Open in just her third tournament back. She is not seen by some to be a player who relies on her wits, but she has a great understanding of her capabilities and where her opponents' frailties lie. That's why she was able to enter the 2012 Aussie summer season without having played since the first week of August 2011, and yet has immediately become a title threat once again.

The pre-first retirement Kim Clijsters, who was considered to be a bit of a play-aholic, has matured.

'I think when you're a little bit older you're capable to set your mind to what it is like to play a match again', she said. 'You have your routines. I come back to routines, but they're so important. You have your game that you know that you're going to stick to. I think when I was younger I needed to play those matches to kind of get a feel for how I had to play and what my coach wanted of me and those kind of things. Now I know out there. Even after two years off, when I stepped out there, I knew what my game was, and I didn't need a lot of the matches to find that again. Okay, you need to get used to the emotions and the pressure and the stress a little bit, but when it comes down to finding your own confidence, that's there. You've done that so many times and been in big situations so many times.'

INTERVIEW

'I would like to improve every day', Kim added. 'That's one of the main reasons why I decided to put [coach Carl Maes] on board again. I want to learn from him and improve. I have the feeling that I have been improving on a lot of different areas as well as emotionally, tacticwise, physically, and confidence. It's great for me to be in a situation with Carl where I still feel like I can improve on all those things and I'm not stuck to where I feel like I'm at my top level. Look at Nadal, Federer. You can always become better. You can always work out harder in the gym and work out differently. You just learn yourself better and better.'

In the 4th round Kim will face Li Na in a rematch of last year's final. Their match is scheduled third on Rod Laver Arena and should thus not start before 3pm, local time.

(adapted from www.australianopen.com)