Clijsters opens New Year in style

Belgium’s Kim Clijsters opened the New Year in the best possible style when she overpowered Italian Tathiana Garbin 6-2, 6-1 in the first round of the Brisbane International on Sunday.

Despite a nervous start to the match when she lost her serve in the opening game, the reigning US Open champion quickly found her form to overcome Garbin in just 53 minutes.

Garbin had no answer to the 26-year-old Clijsters once the Belgian found her range, with an array of powerful and accurate groundstrokes proving lethal.

Clijsters’ forehand was particularly damaging, pinning Garbin back in the corners and forcing a host of errors from her opponent.

The strength of Clijsters’ groundstrokes put Garbin’s serve under immense pressure and the Italian was unable to cope, making just 51 percent of her first serves.

Clijsters took full advantage and broke twice in the first set and twice more in the second as she booked her place in the second round.

The match was the former world number one’s first on her full return to the WTA tour after retiring in May 2007.

She made a partial comeback last year, playing just four tournaments and culminating in her sensational US Open victory in New York.

“It was a nice feeling to be out there again,” Clijsters said.

“I felt like my groundstrokes were going really good, I felt like I was standing up on the baseline and really changing the direction of the rallies.”

AFP