Clijsters 'feels good' despite losing first match in tennis comeback

Kim Clijsters says she is going to plough ahe with her tennis comeback despite losing her return match 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) to Garbine Muguruza in opening round of WTA event in Dubai. Four-time Grand Slam champion Clijsters, 36, h been out of game for seven years before clash with Muguruza, who reached final of Australian Open last month, and is keen to push ahe after an encouraging display against world number 16 Spaniard.

Clijsters 'feels good' despite losing first match

"I h a good feeling out re, I felt a pace I can handle. I felt like I was able to go toe-to-toe with her from baseline," said Clijsters.

"I wouldn't have done this if I didn't have that belief somehow. It might take 10 matches to get way I played in second set, might take me 10 matches to get that from start to finish.

"I have patience. I'm going to work my way into it and fight. We'll see what happens." 

Clijsters did t say where she will continue her comeback, t mentioning any future tournament entries after taking part in Dubai as a wild card. Two-time Grand Slam winner Muguruza meanwhile will play one of Veronika Kudermetova and Dayana Yastremska in next round after having to fight off a determined Clijsters in a tight second set following a simple first.

"I've seen her play when I started on tour, she's an incredible player," Muguruza said of Clijsters.

"I was excited to be first (opponent of comeback). She played very well, especially in second set.

"At end. It was very tight. It was a fun match to play.

"I'm sure she's going to get better and better, for sure she give me a lot of trouble. She played really well after all se years (away)." 

Clijsters fightback

Ninth seed Muguruza, 10 years younger than Clijsters, dominated early on as veteran Belgian played her first official match since 2012 US Open. Mor of three Clijsters, who was playing in Dubai for first time in her career, was on back foot in early part of match, losing serve in first game of both sets. She found herself three down after losing her first two service games in second set after being swept aside in first but fought back gamely to le 5-4 after nine games.

However Muguruza took set to a tie-break and emerged victorious with a service winner on her second match point after nearly an hour and three-quarters on court. Earlier, Ons Jabeur beat Alison Riske 7-6 (7/3), 1-6, 6-3 to earn a second-round date with top seed Simona Halep. Tunisian Jabeur, ranked 45 in world, saw off American Riske amid passionate home support for a player who trains in Dubai.

"I'm so grateful for crowd, y really gave me energy. It feels like home here," said Jabeur.

"Alison is tough, she me me run everywhere, I was down in second set but got it back in third," ded first Arab woman to reach a Grand Slam quarter-final last month at Australian Open.

Barbora Strycova turned a corner after a poor start this season as she defeated US teenr Amanda Anisimova 7-6 (7/3), 2-6, 6-4, winning only her second match of 2020. 18-year-old Anisimova mand 43 winners but was weighed down by 67 unforced errors in a struggle lasting just over two-and-a-half hours. Strycova will face winner between Su-Wei Hsieh and eighth-seed Petra Martic.