US Open champion Kim Clijsters, who came out of retirement last year after a two-year break, was left feeling disorientated on her return to the Australian Open. The 26-year-old, who gave birth to a daughter during her time away from the game, plays a qualifier in the first round on her competitive return to an altered Melbourne Park.
"Obviously a lot of things have changed around the courts and everything ... so that took a few days to get used to," the 15th seed, who lost to compatriot Justine Henin in the 2004 final, told reporters on Saturday. "It's just nice to see (it) again, because I never thought it would happen again (returning), obviously to be playing tennis here."
Clijsters, who won the US Open title as a wild card in just her third tournament back after retiring, was victorious at the Brisbane International last week, beating Henin in three sets and is considered one of the favourites in Melbourne. While she put her return to her best tennis down to sheer hard work, the pace of her progress has come as a surprise.
However, it would not mean she would be throwing herself back into the tour like she had prior to motherhood. "My schedule is this year obviously far from being busy. Obviously I hope to do well at the tournaments but I think I'll play about 15 or 16 tournaments maybe including Fed Cups and everything. "My focus is not really based on rankings as much as probably trying to really aim for the big tournaments, of course.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN WOMEN'S DRAW
MELBOURNE: Women's singles draw for the Australian Open after the final qualifiers were decided on Saturday (prefix number denotes seeding):
1-Serena Williams (US) v Urszula Radwanska (Poland);
Petra Kvitova (Czech Republic) v Jill Craybas (US);
Renata Voracova (Czech Republic) v Andrea Petkovic (Germany);
Ayumi Morita (Japan) v 32-Carla Suarez Navarro (Spain);
21-Sabine Lisicki (Germany) v Petra Martic (Croatia);
Varvara Lepchenko (US) v Alberta Brianti (Italy);
Kristina Barrois (Germany) v Akgul Amanmuradova (Uzbekistan);
Han Xinyun (China) v 13-Sam Stosur (Australia);
9-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) v Kristina Kucova (Slovakia);
Chang Kai-chen (Taiwan) v Iveta Benesova (Czech Republic);
Zuzana Kucova (Slovakia) v Gisela Dulko (Argentina);
Shenay Perry (US) v 20-Ana Ivanovic (Serbia);
28-Elena Vesnina (Russia) v Tathiana Garbin (Italy);
Kimiko Date Krumm (Japan) v Yaroslava Shvedova (Kazakhstan);
Stefanie Voegele (Switzerland) v Melinda Czink (Hungary);
Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (France) v 7-Victoria Azarenka (Belarus);
4-Caroline Wozniacki (Denmark) v Aleksandra Wozniak (Canada);
Tamira Paszek (Austria) v Julia Goerges (Germany);
Galina Voskoboeva (Kazakhstan) v Tsvetana Pironkova (Bulgaria);
Lucie Hradecka (Czech Republic) v 29-Shahar Peer (Israel);
22-Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) v Viktoriya Kutuzova (Ukraine);
Jarmila Groth (Australia) v Sofia Arvidsson (Sweden);
Stephanie Dubois (Canada) v Agnes Szavay (Hungary);
Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) v 16-Li Na (China);
10-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) v Tatjana Malek (Germany);
Melanie Oudin (US) v Alla Kudryavtseva (Russia);
Julie Coin (France) v Alicia Molik (Australia);
Alize Cornet (France) v 17-Francesca Schiavone (Italy);
25-Anabel Medina Garrigues (Spain) v Karolina Sprem (Croatia);
Anastasiya Yakimova (Belarus) v Casey Dellacqua (Australia);
Arantxa Parra Santonja (Spain) v Sybille Bammer (Austria);
Lucie Safarova (Czech Republic) v 6-Venus Williams (US);
5-Elena Dementieva (Russia) v Vera Dushevina (Russia);
Kirsten Flipkens (Belgium) v Justine Henin (Belgium);
Sorana Cirstea (Romania) v Olivia Rogowska (Australia);
Jelena Dokic (Australia) v 27-Alisa Kleybanova (Russia);
18-Virginie Razzano (France) v Ekaterina Makarova (Russia);
Klara Zakopalova (Czech Republic) v Sara Errani (Italy);
Yanina Wickmayer (Belgium) v Alexandra Dulgheru (Romania);
Anna Chakvetadze (Russia) v 12-Flavia Pennetta (Italy);
15-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) v Valerie Tetreault (Canada);
Sesil Karatantcheva (Kazakhstan) v Tamarine Tanasugarn;(Thailand);
Chan Yung-jan (Taiwan) v Kaia Kanepi (Estonia);
Edina Gallovits (Romania) v 19-Nadia Petrova (Russia);
26-Aravane Rezai (France) v Sania Mirza (India);
Olga Govortsova (Belarus) v Angelique Kerber (Germany);
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) v Anastasija Sevastova:(Latvia);
Anastasia Rodionova (Australia) v 3-Svetlana Kuznetsova;(Russia);
8-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) v Monica Niculescu (Romania);
Patricia Mayr (Austria) v Katie O'Brien (Britain);
Yuliana Fedak (Ukraine) v Polona Hercog (Slovenia);
Kathrin Woerle (Germany) v 31-Alona Bondarenko (Ukraine);
24-Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez (Spain) v Evgeniya Rodina;
(Russia); Zheng Jie (China) v Peng Shuai (China);
Coco Vandeweghe (US) v Sandra Zahlavova (Czech Republic);
Rossana de Los Rios (Paraguay) v 11-Marion Bartoli (France);
14-Maria Sharapova (Russia) v Maria Kirilenko (Russia);
Yvonne Meusburger (Austria) v Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland);
Anna-Lena Groenefeld (Germany) v Roberta Vinci (Italy);
Vania King (US) v 23-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia);
30-Kateryna Bondarenko (Ukraine) v Ioana Raluca Olaru (Romania);
Pauline Parmentier (France) v Elena Baltacha (Britain);
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova (Czech Republic) v Qualifier;
Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) v 2-Dinara Safina (Russia).