PREVIEW: Holder Clijsters, top seed Wozniacki set for Open starts

By Bill Scott Jan 14, 2012, 5:34 GMT

Melbourne - Holder Kim Clijsters and top seed Caroline Wozniacki on Saturday declared themselves fighting fit after successfully dealing with injuries with the Australian Open starting on Monday.

Belgian Clijsters, ranked 12th, quit in a Brisbane semi-final just over a week ago with a problem which turned out to be muscle spasms in her hip. Wozniacki has recovered after a wrist injury last week in Sydney.

'When it happened, I really felt the sharp pain, I was a bit concerned. But now it feels good, so I'm okay,' said world number one Wozniacki.

The 21-year-old Dane, who opens play at Melbourne Park against Australian Anastasia Rodionova, said that a mishap of any kind on court 'makes you a bit scared.'

'I should maybe not have finished the match, I should maybe just have cut it off in the third set. But I'm a competitor, I wanted to try to do my best out there.

'Everything turned out to be okay with the wrist. You know, I had some pain, but it's going away. I'm confident that on Monday it will be a 100 per cent ready.

'I've been pretty lucky with injuries,' said the Dane, who is on a quest to lift her first Grand Slam title after holding the WTA top spot for the past two seasons. 'I've had some small ones also with the ankles and things.

Clisters said the timing of her injury could not have been better, as her January 6 problem allowed her time to get fit for the major.

'I knew it was something that would only need a few days to get better,' said the 28-year-old mother of one, who could well be playing in her last season. 'I had my scan just to make sure the day after, but that showed no problems.

'I was relieved, I came to Melbourne and started hitting when I got here.'

The former number one and winner of four Grand Slams - she beat China's Li Na in the 2011 Melbourne final - said her title defence will be exciting.

'Obviously you have that good feeling when you step out on a court where you've done well, where you've achieved a dream or something that came true. So you automatically get that positive vibe again.

'But that obviously doesn't mean that it will go easy and smooth the next year. I'll just take one match at a time, just make sure that I keep having my same routines.

'I need to try and be in the best shape that I can be every day, then we'll see how it goes.'

Clijsters said that a dream scenario of wrapping up her career at the London Olympics is too far ahead to plan for.

'I'm just very focused on why I'm here - to play good tennis and try to stay healthy throughout the whole season.

'I don't want to have major injuries where my season might be a question mark. I'd like to end it (her career) on my terms.

'I'm not thinking about it (retirement) at all. I had a nice break at home (after ending a partial season in August due to other injuries).

'Unfortunately the first few months were tough, but I was able to have a really good preparation. That preparation was obviously in the back of my mind, to try to stay healthy.'