Robson Closes Clijsters Singles Career

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Kim Clijsters' singles career ended where she wanted it to, just not the way she hoped.

The four-time Grand Slam champion lost 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5) to 18-year-old Laura Robson of Britain in the second round of the U.S. Open on Wednesday, and will head into retirement after she finishes playing in doubles at Flushing Meadows.

Clijsters walked away from the sport once before, in May 2007, then returned after a 2½-year hiatus. But now 29 and a mother, the Belgian insisted this season that she means it this time, and decided the U.S. Open -- and its hard courts that she conquered on the way to three championships -- would be her final tournament.

"It's the place that has inspired me so much to do well and to do great things. It's hard to explain sometimes why," Clijsters said in an on-court interview, her face flushed and her eyes welling with tears.

"This completely feels like the perfect place to retire," Clijsters told the spectators at Arthur Ashe Stadium, many of whom rose to shower her with a standing ovation. "I just wish it wasn't today."

The loss Wednesday ended Clijsters' 22-match winning streak in New York, encompassing titles in 2005, 2009 and 2010, plus Monday's first-round victory.

She missed the hard-court major in 2004, 2006-08 and last year, thanks to a combination of injuries and the time she took off while starting a family. Her daughter, Jada, was born in February 2008. By August 2009, Clijsters was back on tour; unseeded and unranked, because she only played in two previous tournaments during her comeback, she won that year's U.S. Open.

"Since I retired the first time, it's been a great adventure for my team and my family," said Clijsters, who was 28-0 against players ranked outside the top 10 at the U.S. Open before Wednesday. "It's all been worth it. But I do look forward to the next part of my life coming up."

Her previous defeat at Flushing Meadows came against Belgian rival Justine Henin on September 6, 2003, in the tournament final. Robson was 9 at the time.

This did have the feel, in some ways, of a changing of the guard.

Clijsters finished with a career singles record of 523-127 (a winning percentage of .805) and 41 titles, including her last major trophy at the 2011 Australian Open. She spent a total of 20 weeks ranked No. 1, as recently as February 2011.

Ranked 89th, and with only one prior victory over a top-25 player, Robson has been viewed -- particularly back home in Britain -- as an up-and-coming player whose smooth left-handed strokes would carry her far.

But she had never produced the kind of grit and court-covering athleticism that carried her past the 23rd-seeded Clijsters. And until now, Robson never had won more than one match in a Grand Slam tournament; her claim to fame had been teaming for a silver medal in mixed doubles at the London Olympics with Andy Murray, who played his second-round U.S. Open match Wednesday night.

Robson knows, though, how much Clijsters means to the game, not only as a superb player but as someone who by all accounts is universally liked -- by fans, tennis officials and even opponents.

"She's always been someone that I've looked up to since I started on the tour. She's always been incredibly nice to be around," Robson said. "I think we're all going to miss her."

When the contest ended with Clijsters sailing a backhand return long, allowing Robson to convert her third match point, they met at the net. Clijsters began to extend her arm for the customary handshake, and Robson pulled her in for a hug.

"I want to thank Kim," Robson told the crowd, "for being such a great role model to me for so many years."

Less than an hour later, Clijsters was hanging out in the players' garden alongside the stadium. She shared a laugh with some friends, hugs from others, and paused to pose for a photograph alongside 14-time major champion Serena Williams, who was headed out after partnering sister Venus for a first-round victory in doubles.

Clijsters was the only seeded woman who lost during the afternoon session of Day 3, when the winners included No. 1 Victoria Azarenka, defending champion Sam Stosur, 2011 Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova and 2011 French Open champion Li Na.

Joining Robson with a surprise victory was American wild-card entry Mallory Burdette, the NCAA runner-up who reached the third round in her Grand Slam debut by eliminating 69th-ranked Lucie Hradecka 6-2, 6-4.

Until recently, Burdette planned to take premed courses as a senior at Stanford in pursuit of a career in psychiatry.

"It's been a crazy ride," the 252nd-ranked Burdette said.

Could get even wilder: She next faces four-time major champion Maria Sharapova, a 6-0, 6-1 winner Wednesday night over 78th-ranked Lourdes Dominguez Lino of Spain.

With Clijsters' husband -- Brian Lynch, an American who used to play professional basketball in Belgium -- fidgeting from his front-row seat in the stands, Clijsters wound up getting the worse of lengthy exchanges. As big a forehand as Clijsters owns, Robson was out-hitting her, compiling a 16-11 edge in winners off that wing.

Clijsters went up a break in the second set, helped by a pair of double-faults by a slightly shaky Robson -- nerves that were understandable, given the setting and the significance of this match. But Robson got right back in it, playing gutsy, go-for-the-lines tennis, repeatedly pounding the ball hard as can be, and seeing shots land right where she aimed.

"I really enjoyed myself out there," said Robson, who found herself singing along to the pop songs that blare over loudspeakers during changeovers.

As you might expect from a teen, the youngest player ranked in the WTA's top 100.

Try as she might, Clijsters could not quite gain the upper hand, no matter how many times she yelled "Come on!" and raised a clenched fist after winning points.

On one well-disguised drop shot by Robson, Clijsters raced forward and did her trademark splits through the doubles alley, stretching to get her racket on the ball. But her response landed in the net.

"I just wasn't good enough at the end of the match," Clijsters acknowledged.

She won't get the chance to play another.

"As a little girl, I got Christmas rackets under the tree and outfits of Steffi Graf and Monica Seles, and I would want to wear them to bed, I was so excited," Clijsters said. "So for me to have been able to have been a part of women's tennis, and on top of women's tennis for so many years -- you don't think about it when you're in it; you're kind of on automatic pilot. ... Now that I think about it, it's been a crazy rollercoaster at times, as well."

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• UK's Robson Defeats Clijsters in Belgian's Final Singles Match

Clijsters Out of Roland Garros

Kim Clijsters will miss the French Open after failing to recover from a hip injury.

The popular Belgian has been laid low by numerous injuries throughout her 13-year career, her feet, ankles, hips wrists and shoulders all feeling the strain at some stage, and she has decided not to risk aggravating her latest hip problem by playing on the punishing slow surface.

"It's such a pity not to be able to play a last claycourt season. But I can't be fully fit for the French Open (which begins on May 27)," Clijsters, who will retire from professional tennis at the end of the season, was quoted as saying on her website on Tuesday.

"I really look forward to starting a long training to be ready for the grasscourt season where I will pursue two main goals at Wimbledon and the Olympic Games."

Since making her comeback in 2009 following a 2-1/2 year maternity break, Clijsters has won three grand slam titles but has also struggled to play a full schedule on the WTA tour.

Her sole appearance at Roland Garros during the second phase of her career was last year, when she lost in the second round.

Her participation in Paris followed a two-month layoff after an ankle injury. After that defeat, she played in only two tournaments during the rest of the season and was forced to miss Wimbledon (foot injury) and the defence of her US Open crown (stomach muscle problem).

She returned to action at the Australian Open in January, where her injury jinx struck again as she badly sprained her ankle in the fourth round but battled on before falling to eventual champion Victoria Azarenka in the semi-finals.

The rolled ankle meant Clijsters was again sidelined for two months but when she made the yet another comeback in Miami, she was floored by the hip problem.

Clijsters said she planned to resume full training in three weeks and to be back on the courts at the Wimbledon warm-up event in Den Bosch.

The Olympic tennis tournament will also be staged on the green lawns of Wimbledon at the end of July.

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Venus Returns Victorious in Miami

Venus Williams marked her return to competitive action for the first time in over six months with a straight-sets win over Kimiko Date-Krumm in the first round of the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.

Williams, who had not played since being knocked out of the second round of the 2011 US Open by Sabine Lisicki due to illness, required just one hour and 17 minutes to record a 6-0, 6-3 victory over her 41-year-old Japanese opponent.

The five-time Wimbledon champion has been sidelined with Sjogren's syndrome, a disorder of the immune system, and was delighted to be back playing again.

'It was great to be back out there,' the 31-year-old said. 'It was definitely nerve-wracking, especially playing an opponent that I know how talented she is and first match back. But I was able to get a great start and settle in and play well.'

Williams dismissed the suggestion she may have considered retirement due to her condition.

Unseeded Williams will face third seed, and reigning Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova in the second round.She added: 'I'm not at my worst anymore. So that helps, as well. Someone with an autoimmune disease definitely faces different challenges than other people, but it doesn't mean you can't be successful.'

'I think in some ways we play a very similar game,' Williams said. 'Obviously she's been playing very well in the last 12 months or so. It's just totally a credit to her.

'I have had a lot of experience with playing well. I played all right today. I'm going into this just focused on executing my game and just trying my absolute best, which is the same thing she'll be trying to do.'

Meanwhile in her first match since suffering an ankle injury in the Australian Open, former world No 1 Kim Clijsters was pushed before overcoming Australia's Jarmila Gajdosova 4-6, 6-1, 6-0.

Azarenka Enjoys Australia Day

Victoria Azarenka has advanced to her first grand slam final after outlasting defending champion Kim Clijsters in a remarkable encounter at the Australian Open.

Clijsters, on what could have been her last appearance down under as she is due to retire at the end of the season, fought hard but Azarenka's bludgeoning ground strokes proved too much as the Belarusian won 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in two hours and 12 minutes of absorbing tennis.

The Belgian's impending departure from the women's game means the chasing pack are jostling for position and on this evidence Azarenka will be at the forefront.

Her powerful all-court game has seen her knock on the door for a number of years but the way she regrouped after losing the second set suggests she is becoming a more complete player.

She also had to come through some nervy moments in the final stages but did so impressively to set up a meeting with either Maria Sharapova or Petra Kvitova in Saturday's final.

"I felt like my hand weighed about 200kg and my body was 1,000kg, everything was shaking but that feeling when you finally win is such a relief, I just want to cry," she said. "I was just trying to stay in the moment.

"Kim really took over in the second set and I felt there was nothing I could do. In the third I just tried to let my shots go a little bit.

"I am really glad that I fought for every ball."

On her improved mental attitude, she joked: "I think before you all thought I was a mental case but I was just young and emotional."

Azarenka was outstanding in the early exchanges, her greater weight of shot pushing Clijsters further behind the baseline and she was quick to punish the short ball.

She broke for a 2-1 lead and overcame some uncertain moments on serve and a noisy flypast to celebrate Australia Day to see out the set.

The second was a complete contrast as Azarenka started to throw in numerous unforced errors and the experienced Clijsters seized her chance, winning it in 36 minutes to level matters.

Previously that would have signalled the beginning of the end for Azarenka but she displayed her new-found mental fortitude to claim a 4-1 lead despite Clijsters's best efforts.

The four-time grand slam champion was staring down the barrel at 4-2, 40-0 down but in a courageous last stand hit back to break and get it back on serve. 

But again Azarenka stood firm, a crushing forehand seeing her break back and she served it out.

Clijsters Beats Number 1

Caroline Wozniacki is out of the Australian Open and taken her No1 world ranking with her.

The Danish star needed to reach at least the semi-finals in Melbourne - which is where she progressed last year - to have a chance of retaining her top spot.

But the 6-3 7-6 (7-4) loss to defending champion Kim Clijsters means the No1 spot will now be fought out between the three players ranked just below her - No2 Petra Kvitova, No3 Victoria Azrenka and No4 Maria Sharapova.

Azarenka earlier today moved through to her second semi-final at a grand slam with a three-set win over over Polish eighth seed Agnnieszka Radwanska 6-7 (0-7) 6-0 6-1.

“I'm so happy to get through and especially since I don't have to play a third set. It's so hot out here,” Clijsters told a packed stadium.

“I had to work really hard today. She's a great fighter and plays so well at every tournament.”

Clijsters took time to thank her physio Sam Verslegers, who she said had “magic hands” as he had worked tirelessly on her left ankle for the past 48 hours after she rolled it in Sunday's fourth round win over Li Na.

It was Verslegers who jumped into the arms of Clijsters' coach Carl Maes after the Belgian 11th seed hit the winner into the open court against Wozniacki today.

Clijsters now meets Azarenka for a place in Saturday night's women's final.

Azarenka had a stomach upset, was whitewashed in the first set tiebreak but still managed to overcome anything thrown at her by Poland's eighth seed Agnieszka Radwanska.

The 22-year-old from Minsk showed her mental strength to win the two hour match in baking conditions on centre court that had no correlation whatsoever to Belarus or Poland.

“I don't think I've ever lost a tiebreak to love before. But we two don't seem to be able to play for two sets. We always have to push each other to the limit and keep running around,” Azarenka said.

It was the 10th meeting between the pair and six of those have gone to three sets. Azarenka now leads their head-to-head 7-3.

She is into her second grand slam semi-final after reaching last year's Wimbledon semis, where she lost to eventual champion Petra Kvitova.

During the warm-up, Azarenka doubled over with everyone in her supporters' box showing signs of concern.

“I was just feeling a little sick in the stomach but I'm Okay, I'm fine,” she said in her post-match interview. 

Three sets of tennis in scorching heat wouldn't have been ideal but the world No.3 said she was heading straight to an ice bath and some physio.

She also said she didn't find the crowd mimmicking her `screech' when she hits each shot a distraction.

“I don't feel the crowd distracts me because I love you guys. Thankyou for coming out in the heat to support us.”

Channel Seven commentator Rennae Stubbs pointed out that in the past Azarenka had not been able to control her on-court emotions and that sort of jostling from the crowd would have upset her.

“You know I think I'm a year older and a year wiser so it doesn't get to me.”

Clijsters Survives Injury Scare

Kim Clijsters saved four match points and defied an ankle injury to again get the better of Li Na at the Australian Open.

The much-anticipated repeat of last year's final, won by the Belgian in three sets, lived up to the hype as Clijsters battled through to win 4-6, 7-6 (8/6), 6-4.

That the match went that far was testament to Clijsters' spirit as a nasty ankle sprain in the seventh game looked as though it could result in a retirement.

The 11th seed, in her final year on tour, carried on but her efforts looked to have been in vain when Li moved 6-2 up in the second set tiebreak only to choke horribly when on the cusp of a last-eight slot.

Clijsters took full advantage of her opponent's meltdown to edge the third set, despite some anxious moments, and set up a possible clash with world number one Caroline Wozniacki.

''I knew it was going to be a tough match both physically and mentally but I didn't expect this,'' she said.

''It is amazing to get through and to fight despite not having my best tennis. You just try to win each point and don't give up.''

Asked whether she considered quitting due to the ankle, she said: ''Yeah, a couple of times it went through my mind but then I didn't want to quit at my last time at the Australian Open.

''I just kept on fighting and you never know what is going on the other side of the net.''

In a tournament of mismatches, this always promised to be a classic but the weight of expectation seemed to affect both players early on with four breaks of serve in the opening five games.

Yet the drama was not long in coming as on the fourth point of the seventh game, Clijsters went down clutching her left ankle on the baseline.

The signs did not look good but after a medical timeout during which some heavy strapping was applied she was able to carry on and even win the game.

But with Clijsters' movement restricted Li seized her chance and a break at 4-4 handed her the chance to serve it out.

Another break early in the second strengthened the Chinese's position and she appeared to have control of her emotions when she withstood some heavy Clijsters pressure to go 3-1 up.

But the defending champion was not done and came again to level it at 3-3.

Despite frayed nerves it remained on serve until the tiebreak which Li controlled to establish four match points.

Three came and went but on 6-5 it seemed all over when the fifth seed chased down a woeful Clijsters drop shot only to pat the ball tamely back into court, allowing her opponent to execute an inch-perfect lob.

Two points later and Clijsters had levelled the match as Li's game disintegrated.

The third set was a procession for the first four games as Li's focus went Awol.

But, to her credit, she battled back, reclaiming one of the breaks as Clijsters failed to serve it out at 5-2.

But there was no reprieve second time round as the 28-year-old finally got the job done when Li netted a cross-court backhand.

Earlier, Victoria Azarenka became the first woman through to the last eight courtesy of a straight-sets win over Iveta Benesova. The Belarusian has yet to drop a set and was again impressive in beating Benesova 6-2 6-2 in 77 minutes.

Azarenka came out firing and a break in the opening game set the tone, the third seed's greater power from the baseline proving too much for her Czech opponent. Another break handed her a 4-1 lead and she duly served out the set. Benesova required a strong start to the second set to have any chance of hitting back, but instead Azarenka broke once more.

She then established a 3-0 lead when a dispirited Benesova double-faulted. From there on in it was a stroll in the Melbourne sunshine for Azarenka as she progressed through to a last-eight meeting with Agnieszka Radwanska, who strolled to a lopsided 6-1 6-1 defeat of Julia Goerges.

The Pole's consistency proved key with just three unforced errors compared to 27 from Goerges, who sprayed the ball all over Hisense Arena. Radwanska dominated from the outset, breaking six times as Goerges imploded.

Wozniacki to Face Clijsters

Top seed Caroline Wozniacki and defending champion Kim Clijsters both advanced at the Australian Open - albeit in very different ways - to set up a mouthwatering quarter-final clash.

Clijsters had to save four match points and defy an ankle injury to again get the better of Li Na in a repeat of last year's final. Meanwhile, Wozniacki had a much easier time of it, beating Jelena Jankovic 6-0 7-5 in a match which belatedly sparked into life.

And while the Dane was largely impressive, the performance of the day came from Clijsters, who won 4-6 7-6 (8/6) 6-4 in over two hours of absorbing tennis.

That the match went that far was testament to Clijsters' spirit as a nasty ankle sprain in the seventh game looked as though it could result in a retirement.

The 11th seed, in her final year on tour, carried on but her efforts looked to have been in vain when Li moved 6-2 up in the second set tie-break only to choke horribly when on the cusp of a last-eight slot.

Clijsters took full advantage of her opponent's meltdown to edge the third set, despite some anxious moments, and reach the quarters in Melbourne for a seventh time.

"I knew it was going to be a tough match both physically and mentally but I didn't expect this," she said. "It is amazing to get through and to fight despite not having my best tennis. You just try to win each point and don't give up."

Earlier, third seed Victoria Azarenka became the first woman through to the last eight courtesy of a straight-sets win over Iveta Benesova.

The Belarusian has yet to drop a set and was again impressive in beating Benesova 6-2 6-2 in 77 minutes. She will next meet Agnieszka Radwanska, who strolled to a lop-sided 6-1 6-1 defeat of Julia Goerges.

The Pole's consistency proved key with just three unforced errors compared to 27 from Goerges, who sprayed the ball all over Hisense Arena.

Clijsters Maintains Hantuchova Record

Kim Clijsters, 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 Daniela 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 Clijsters’ 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 Clijsters has gotten 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 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.”

Clijsters might have to face the same woman she bested in a classic Australian Open final last year, Li Na, in the fourth round. She has no plans of playing beyond the US Open, so this will likely be her last season. But she is not sitting on her laurels and does believe that she can get better on a daily basis. She’s been around long enough to know that if she doesn’t continue to tinker with her game and attempt to bring at few new things to the table each week, that the youngsters will catch her and possibly pass her.

“I would like to improve every day,” she said. “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.”

Clijsters Through to Meet Hantuchova

Kim Clijsters finished 6-0 6-1 on Wednesday, playing just 47 minutes against Stephanie Foretz Gacon to set up a third-round match with 20th seed and friend, Daniela Hantuchova.

Entering her 10th Australian Open and first as defending champion, most of the pre-tournament discussion centred around Clijsters’s hip, which she injured in Brisbane. 

Clijsters moved freely around the court today, not that she was stretched a great deal. The Belgian’s natural inclination to move forward and attack was at its best as she heaped the pressure on Foretz Gacon from the very first game.

The Frenchwoman struggled under the weight of the Australian Open 2011 champion’s ground strokes. For most of the match she tried to go shot for shot with Clijsters, a tactic that did not hold up in the heat of the day.

For too long Foretz Gacon played the role of retriever, but Clijsters regularly conjured shots that Superman would have had trouble returning. And when Foretz Gacon did try to attack, it was too little too late.

“[I] was hitting the ball well; felt that I could keep her under pressure. I didn't really let her play her game. From the beginning till the end, I did what I had to do well,” said Clijsters.

Clijsters broke Foretz Gacon in the second game of the match and then did so twice more to take the opening set to love in a mere 22 minutes.

At times Foretz Gacon battled to deuce on the Clijsters’ serve, but she lacked the killer punch when she needed it. Time and again Clijsters was let off the hook by an unforced error or a short ball that could be turned into an easy winner.

The Frenchwoman didn’t make an impression on the scoreboard until early in the second set, but any thoughts of a fightback were soon extinguished.

Both the 11th seed’s forehand and backhand were on song today as Clijsters racked up 16 winners to Foretz Gacon’s two, and she said she found the rhythm that was missing in her opening-round win over Maria Joao Koehler.

And that’s bad news for Hantuchova.

Born just six weeks apart, these two know each other well and last met in Brisbane two weeks ago when Clijsters was forced to retire.

But now, recovered and back to her best, Clijsters will be looking forward to her third-round match with Hantchova where she will be hoping to continue on her merry way.

Clijsters Expects No Injury Problems

Kim Clijsters has revealed her injury scare is not as bad as initially feared ahead of her defence of the Australian Open title.

The Belgian retired midway through her Brisbane International semi-final against Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova with a hip injury on Friday.

Clijsters underwent an MRI scan and was relieved to learn she had suffered a muscle spasm rather than a tear.

"With this one I kind of have an OK feeling," said the 28-year-old.

"If everything comes out OK it should take a little less than a week to get completely healed.

"I felt my left hip was getting tighter and tighter to the point I couldn't move forward with my upper body. The smartest choice was not to let it get any worse and try to be right for Melbourne."

The scan revealed a muscle spasm to the tensor fascia lata, a muscle on the outside of the hip, according to a report on the Australian Open website.

The four-time Grand Slam champion will continue to receive intensive treatment over the next few days ahead of a second check-up on Wednesday.

Clijsters, who beat Li Na to win her first Australian Open last year, has only just returned after spending four months on the sidelines with an abdominal injury towards.

World number one Serena Williams is also hoping to win a fitness battle in time to compete in Melbourne after her withdrawal after the second round of the Brisbane International with an ankle problem.

"I'm doing everything I can to heal up," Williams said on Twitter with a picture of her next to a private jet.

The Australian Open begins in Melbourne on 16 January.

Clijsters Cruises into Semi-finals

Belgium's Kim Clijsters cruised into the semi-finals of the Brisbane International with a comfortable 6-3, 6-2 win over Czech player Iveta Benesova on Thursday.

Fifth seed Clijsters took 78 minutes to see off Benesova, who had beaten top seed Samantha Stosur in the previous round.

Benesova struck the ball beautifully at times but she was unable to reproduce the consistency she showed against Stosur to bother the four-time Grand Slam champion.

"I think I was looking for the lines a little bit better and... I tried to get in charge of the rallies as soon as I could because I knew that once she gets behind the ball and gets a good look at it she's so sharp," Clijsters said.

"I'm starting to feel more confident, the little ups and downs that happened in my previous matches weren't there, which is good, which is why I'm here, to get those matches and improve every match and to learn from the things that weren't going well."

Clijsters will now play Daniela Hantuchova in the semi-finals after the Slovakian was handed a place in the last four when Serena Williams withdrew on Wednesday night with an ankle injury.

Estonia's Kaia Kanepi caused the tournament's second upset in as many days when she dumped second seed and 2011 runner-up Andrea Petkovic from the tournament 6-1, 7-6 (9/7).

Kanepi raced through the first set against a woeful Petkovic before the German at last began to find some form to fight hard through the second.

The powerful Estonian had five match points before finally sealing the win with a forehand volley to the open court.

"I just played really bad in the first set," Petkovic said.

"I also made a lot of unforced errors and I think that was the difference today."

Third seed Francesca Schiavone demonstrated her remarkable stamina as she saved two match points on her way to a 5-7, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3 win over Serbia's Jelena Jankovic.

The two women were on court for almost three hours as they battled each other to a standstill, the Italian clinching it on her third match point.

Jankovic, who had match points at 6-5 in the second set, trudged off court a disconsolate figure as a delighted Schiavone saluted the big crowd in the Pat Rafter Arena.

Schiavone was involved in the longest women's match in Grand Slam history at the 2011 Australian Open, when she beat Svetlana Kuznetsova in four hours, 44 minutes.

She said later her ability to close out long matches had as much to do with her mental toughness as her physical fitness.

"The body can't go without the mind and the opposite," she stressed.

"Maybe sometimes you have to do a little bit more running, but the next point might need more thinking."

Schiavone had a novel approach to recovering from such a long match in time for her semi-final just 24 hours later.

"A massage for sure... then I should eat a cow," she said with a laugh.