Clijsters to Retire After U.S. Open

Kim Clijsters announced she will retire from tennis after the U.S. Open in September, the setting for three of her four major titles.

Clijsters retired from the game back in 2007 to give birth to her first daughter but returned in 2009 to enjoy the most successful period of her career.

The 28-year-old added to her first grand slam in 2005 by securing back-to-back titles at the U.S. Open in 2009 and 2010. She then added the 2011 Australian Open to her roll of honor.

It was during this period that Clijsters took over the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in five years, but over the last 12 months, a series of nagging injuries have cut short her time on the court.

Australian Open Day 9: Match of the Day

Caroline Wozniacki vs. Kim Clijsters

A match I have been waiting for all last week.

Clijsters had to get a little lucky in the last round to beat Li Na, but how will her ankle be heading into this match where she will have to run and hit a ton of balls.

Surprisingly these two have only played two times in their career.  Clijsters has won both meetings, but they were both very close.

This time around, Wozniacki will be the fresher player.  I think that gives her the edge to take the match in two very long and tough sets.

Australian Open Day 7: Match of the Day

Kim Clijsters and Li Na

Could be a very close match with the defending champ and Li Na from China.

Clijsters leads the head-to-head 5-2, but the two have split their last four meetings.

The Belgian won their last meeting which was right here last year.  The match went the distance and this one might as well.  In a year where there have been a lot of blow outs on the women's side, this one should live up to any advance billing.

Prediction: Clijsters in 3.

Kim Clijsters Out of U.S. Open

Two-time defending U.S. Open champion Kim Clijsters of Belgium will not go for three in a row this year because of a stomach muscle injury.

Clijsters, who missed Wimbledon with an ankle injury, pulled out of the WTA tournament in Toronto this month with a muscle strain on the left side of her stomach. In a statement Friday, she said "two weeks of rehab is not enough to heal this injury."

"Obviously I'm very disappointed," she said. "I trained very hard this summer and felt in a good shape to play the U.S. Open."

Clijsters, who is now expected to drop from her ranking of No. 3 in the world, said she would also pull out of tournaments in Japan and China in September.

Clijsters Wins Third U.S. Open Crown

Belgian, Kim Clijsters feels right at home in New York.

She claimed her third U.S. Open title with a straight-sets victory over Russian Vera Zvonareva on Saturday night in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

The No. 2 seed breezed through Zvonareva 6-2, 6-1 en route to her second straight championship.

Clijsters broke Zvonareva twice in both sets, which included taking seven consecutive points. Frustrated with how the match was quickly deteriorating, Zvonareva smashed her racket to the ground several times.

Clijsters, who also won the U.S. Open in 2005, extended her match-winning streak in New York to 21.

Before Saturday's victory, Clijsters had dropped two matches to her Russian opponent this year, both quarter-final losses at Wimbledon and the Rogers Cup in Montreal last month

Zvonareva was making her second straight Grand Slam final appearance. She lost to American Serena Williams at the Wimbledon final in July.