※ [本文轉錄自 Tennis 看板]
作者: Stuward (lucky break) 看板: Tennis
標題: Former world number one Clijsters quits tennis
時間: Sun May 6 20:02:32 2007
不等了 Kim今天在官網正式宣佈退役
畢竟感覺也沒動力了
祝福Kim有美好幸福的生活 擁抱自己的另一個新人生
We'll miss you, Kim!
BRUSSELS -
Belgian tennis star and former world number one Kim Clijsters has announced her
immediate retirement from the sport, according to a statement on her personal
website on Sunday.
Clijsters, who has won 34 WTA singles titles in her career including the US
Open in 2005, had already announced that this would be her final year on the
circuit.
On Sunday she said in the statement that battling injuries and the constant
effort to stay at the top had finally taken there toll.
"It has been more than beautiful. But it's time to hang up my racquet for good,"
said Clijsters, who had already announced this season would be her last.
"After the fantastic and moving farewell in Antwerp all good things must come
to an end."
Clijsters lost in the Antwerp final to Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo, but the
Belgian said that concerns over injury and the constant efforts to remain a top
contender had led her to leave the sport slightly earlier than planned.
"The constantly returning injuries, the laborious crawl out of bed in the
morning and the time it takes to warm up tired muscles ... make it all the more
difficult to continue"
The 23-year-old Clijsters won her last WTA crown at Sydney in January and was
eliminated from the Warsaw WTA event this week in the first round by Ukrainian
qualifier Julia Vakulenko in straight sets.
In early April 2006, Clijsters - who was formerly engaged to Australian tennis
ace Lleyton Hewitt - announced her engagement to American pro basketball player
Brian Lynch who now plays in Belgium.
She is due to marry Lynch in July.
Clijsters said earlier this season she would be playing less as her career
wound down, and had announced she would not play in two of the season's Grand
Slams - Roland Garros and the US Open.
After her elimination from Warsaw Clijsters admitted that recent injuries had
already made up her mind over her future.
"I still like to play tennis but my injuries the last few years have made me
not enjoy it as much as before," she had said.
"Last year I was working with trainers but would still get injury problems."