New York Loses Its Queen

What an unfortunate season this has been for Kim Clijsters! It started perfectly with a first Australian Open trophy and the recapturing of the number 1 spot, but, soon after, injuries took their toll and the Belgian was sidelined since. She missed the entire claycourt season due to a foot injury she sustained while dancing at her cousin's wedding. Nevertheless, she returned for the French Open but lost in the second round to Dutchwoman Arantxa Rus. She reinjured her foot while playing at the Unicef Open and thus was forced to miss Wimbledon. This was a big blow to her plans, as Kim made the capturing of the grasscourt Slam title her top priority. "At this moment I feel frustrated that it has to happen now before one of my favourite tournaments," she said. "I've always enjoyed being a part of the Wimbledon atmosphere but I have no other choice now but to rest."

She did just that and was now looking forward to a busy schedule ahead of the US Open, her favourite WTA tour stop. She is the undisputed queen of the American hardcourts, having won the crown in her last three showings, i.e. in 2005 (final win against Pierce), in 2009 (defeated Wozniacki) and in 2010 (dismissed Zvonareva). Once again her plans didn't go as scheduled, leaving the cute Belgian in sheer frustration. She picked up an abdominal injury in her first match in Toronto against Chinese Jie Zheng. She had to retire from that encounter and, after undergoing further investigations, doctors concluded she won't be able to recover in due time for Flushing Meadow. This means that the two times defending champions won't be there to protect her crown. "Two weeks of rehab was not enough to heal this injury. Obviously I'm very disappointed," she said. "I trained very hard this summer and felt in a good shape to play the U.S. Open."

It's such a pity that Kim's limited schedule is restricted even more. She was already a part-time player on the tour, featuring in only the biggest tournaments. Moreover, she made it clear that she was no concrete plans after the 2012 Summer Olympics, fueling speculations that her clock is ticking. She is such a nice players, so gracious in win or defeat and she's so loved that it's really a shame that her fans are deprived of enjoying her more.

Following the loss of its queen, the New York draw is more open than ever. Serena Williams is now the hot favourite, but nowadays one can never know who is in for the run of her life.

photos:  GETTY IMAGES