For Kim Clijsters, the three-time U.S. Open champion, the Australian Open is no longer unfinished business. After having been to the semis four times and the final on another occasion, she finally won the title last year. And the one thing we learned about Clijsters over the years is that she functions best when she’s in a been-there-done-that comfort zone. Throw in the fact that the Belgian is so popular Down Under that she’s known as “Aussie Kim” (it goes back to the days when she was dating Australia’s Lleyton Hewitt), and it’s easy to predict a successful defense. The major caveat is that because of injury, she played only eight tournaments (and one Fed Cup tie) last year—and she recently retired in Brisbane, her first tournament of 2012, with a hip injury—so it’s hard to know where her game is.
Why She’ll Win: Having made her breakthrough against Li Na in a tight, entertaining final last year, and being well-rested after missing most of the summer and fall, she’s likely to be both fit and eager.
Why She Won’t: The wheels often fall off for sometimes long periods during Clisters’ matches, turning them into nail-biters. Quality opponents will capitalize on that.
Bottom Line: Clijsters will have trouble repeating against a field full of seasoned veterans (Li Na, Sam Stosur, Maria Sharapova) and ultra-hungry youngsters (Petra Kvitova, Caroline Wozniacki, Victoria Azarenka).
More Previews:
- Kim Clijsters
- Juan Martin del Potro
- Petra Kvitova
- Novak Djokovic
- Maria Sharapova
- Roger Federer
- Samantha Stosur
- Andy Murray
- Serena Williams
- Rafael Nadal
- Caroline Wozniacki