Kim Clijsters Wins Belgian Battle

Kim Clijsters was forced to battle from a set down against compatriot Justine Henin as the pair faced off in the most exciting clash of the fourth round.

Both women have come out of retirement in the last twelve months, Clijsters going on to lift the U.S. title while Henin reached the final of the Australian Open in January, as they both sought to lift their maiden Wimbledon title.

And their head to head record couldn’t have been more finely poised as they both had twelve wins a piece in the twenty four times that they had played one another.

It was a nervy start from Clijsters who made a host of errors in the opening set that Henin capitalised on to take the opening set 6-2 in just twenty nine minutes.

But there was a moment of panic for Henin as she slipped and fell awkwardly on her arm when she was leading 2-0.

The former world number one did receive treatment after the fall but came out to break again and take the first set.

She received more treatment at the end of the set but held her serve at the beginning of the second before putting Clijsters’ under pressure.

But Clijsters battled through to hold her opening service game before taking the next three games, losing just a single point.

While Henin held in the sixth game but was broke again as Clysters levelled the match and set up and exciting final set shoot out.

And the set proved to be just as exciting as everyone had hoped as the Belgian pair were locked together for the first seven games before Clijsters made the breakthrough in the eighth game.

She consolidated the break as she held her own serve in the next game to take the match 2-6 6-2 6-3 to set up a quarter final clash with Vera Zvonareva.

Speaking to BBC Sport after the match Clijsters said: "She came out of the blocks really fast, really dominating. I felt a little bit overwhelmed.

"It was up to me to stay in the points and serve better. That's how I made the turnaround, a few longer rallies."

But Caroline Wozniacki will not be in the quarter final line up as the third seed fell in a shock straight sets defeat to Petra Kvitova.

And it was a comprehensive win for the player ranked forty six in the world as she needed just forty six minutes to complete a 6-2 6-0 win.

Wozniacki looked completely out of sorts as she struggled to stay with Kvitova’s game as well as control her own.

Kvitova will now face Kaia Kanepi in the quarter finals as the Estonian player came through 6-2 6-4 against Klara Zakopalova.

FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw