U.S. Open champion Clijsters crushes Koukalova

By Barnaby Chesterman

LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) – Kim Clijsters won her first match
since her U.S. Open triumph, crushing Klara Koukalova 6-3 6-0
in the second round of the Luxembourg Open on Wednesday.

The Belgian took two weeks off after her Flushing Meadows
victory, her first Grand Slam title, but she showed no signs of
rustiness when winning the last nine games against the Czech.

Koukalova started well and broke twice in the opening six
games to stay in contention at 3-3. Thereafter, the former
world number one was unstoppable.

Top seed Clijsters will play Italy’s Francesca Schiavone in
the quarter-finals after the sixth seed’s second round
opponent, Virginie Razzano of France, retired with a thigh
strain when trailing 6-2.

Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova overcame an early ankle
problem to breeze into the quarter-finals by beating Anna
Chakvetadze 6-4 6-1.

Hantuchova, the fifth seed, called for the trainer just
three games into her second round match against the Russian
18-year-old.

Despite the problem, she stormed into a 4-0 lead before
closing out the set and then dominated the second set against a
rapidly deflating opponent.

“I had inflammation of tendonitis and felt it three days
ago so I couldn’t practice before the tournament,” said
Hantuchova.

“I had treatment on the ankle but the problem in the match
was not the ankle it was the tape. It was too tight and I had
no feeling in my foot.

“I tried to forget about it but I couldn’t. It’s annoying
to ask for the trainer after just three games and I don’t like
to do it but I had no choice.”

The Slovak is enjoying a renaissance in her career after
recently climbing back into the top 20 for the first time since
January 2004.

Hantuchova will play either fourth seed Nathalie Dechy or
France or Madagascar’s Dally Randriantefy who brushed aside
American Meilen Tu 6-1 6-2 in the first round.

In other first round matches, Italy’s Roberta Vinci edged
out Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 7-6 6-4, qualifier
Jarmila Gajdosova of Slovakia beat Slovenia’s Katarina
Srebotnik 7-6 6-4 and Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany defeated
Greece’s Eleni Daniilidou 6-4 6-4.