She who was expected to be the number two seed in at Wimbledon, but Clijsters injured her right foot yesterday (June 14) during a match at the Den Bosch Open in the Netherlandswhere she lost 7-6 (5), 6-3 to Italy’s Romina Oprandi. On the first point of the second game she skidded to the net and stumbled and looked shaken for the rest of the match.
This is the second time this type of injury has sidelined Clijsters this year. In April, she hurt her right ankle while dancing barefoot at her cousin’s wedding, causing her to miss nearly two months of play.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Clijsters expressed her disappointment over missing Wimbledon.
“At this moment, I feel frustrated that it has to happen now before one of my favourite tournaments,” said Clijsters. “I’ve always enjoyed being a part of the Wimbledon atmosphere, but I have no other choice now but to rest, recover and to not play tennis for a few weeks.”
Her coaching team still hopes that she will recover in time for her title defense at the US Open, which Clijsters has won three times.
“In about a month, Kim will resume training and start rebuilding,” Clijsters’s management company said. “She wants to prepare the best way possible for the American tour later this summer, with the US Open as the main goal.”
