Clijsters enjoys easy road to Brisbane semifinals
AUSTRALIAN Open champion Kim Clijsters advanced to the semifinals of the Brisbane International with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Iveta Benesova yesterday.
Clijsters won the Brisbane title in 2010 and, after missing the 2011 edition, now has an 8-0 record in the Australian Open tuneup. She raced to a 5-0 lead before Benesova, who ousted US Open champion Sam Stosur in the second round, launched a comeback with a run of three straight games.
Benesova held her opening serve and had an early break-point chance in the second set before Clijsters shifted up a gear and dominated the remainder of the match to earn a semifinal meeting against Daniela Hantuchova, who got a walkover when Serena Williams withdrew on Wednesday after injuring her left ankle.
Third-seeded Francesca Schiavone will meet Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in the other women's semifinal. Schiavone edged former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-3.
In the men's draw, second-seeded Gilles Simon of France advanced with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over Santiago Giraldo of Colombia. Simon will next play Alexandr Dolgopolov, who beat sixth-seeded Radek Stepanek 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
Clijsters won the Brisbane title in 2010 and, after missing the 2011 edition, now has an 8-0 record in the Australian Open tuneup. She raced to a 5-0 lead before Benesova, who ousted US Open champion Sam Stosur in the second round, launched a comeback with a run of three straight games.
Benesova held her opening serve and had an early break-point chance in the second set before Clijsters shifted up a gear and dominated the remainder of the match to earn a semifinal meeting against Daniela Hantuchova, who got a walkover when Serena Williams withdrew on Wednesday after injuring her left ankle.
Third-seeded Francesca Schiavone will meet Kaia Kanepi of Estonia in the other women's semifinal. Schiavone edged former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic 5-7, 7-6 (2), 6-3.
In the men's draw, second-seeded Gilles Simon of France advanced with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win over Santiago Giraldo of Colombia. Simon will next play Alexandr Dolgopolov, who beat sixth-seeded Radek Stepanek 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.
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