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U.S. Open champion Clijsters crushes Koukalova

Posted on: Wednesday, 28 September 2005, 12:22 CDT

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.

Source: REUTERS

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