Tennis: Williams, Clijsters make triumphant returns

Former world number ones off to winning start in Miami Open.

MIAMI:

Former world number ones Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters made triumphant returns to the WTA after long layoffs with victories at the WTA and ATP Miami hardcourt tournament.

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Williams, who has not played a WTA event since pulling out of last year’s US Open, defeated Japan’s Kimiko Date-Krumm 6-0, 6-3 in 77 minutes.

“It was great to be back out there,” said Williams. “It was a bit nerve-wracking but I was able to get a great start and settle in and play well against a really difficult opponent. It was definitely an ideal start.”

Belgium’s Clijsters, playing for the first time since her Australian Open semi-final loss to World number one Victoria Azarenka, rallied to eliminate Australia’s Jarmila Gajdosova 4-6, 6-1, 6-0.

“It’s always tough to get that first match rhythm under your belt,” said Clijsters. “But as I started to feel more comfortable with the conditions and being in a match situation again I was hitting better.”

Williams advanced to a second-round match against Czech third-seed, and Wimbledon champion, Petra Kvitova, while next up for Clijsters is her first match against Germany’s 14th-seeded Julia Goerges.

First-round matches began in the men’s draw with Chile’s Fernando Gonzalez making his ATP farewell as Frenchman Nicolas Mahut defeated him 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (7/3). Gonzalez last month announced his decision to retire after this event. Russian Nikolay Davydenko outlasted American James Blake 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, to book a second-round date with US 10th-seed John Isner.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2012.