In a 4th round battle of Belgian countrywomen seeking their first Wimbledon championship, No. 8 seed, Kim Clijsters advanced to keep her hopes alive winning over No. 17 seed, Justine Henin 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 at Wimbledon 2010.
Kim had to fight back from down a set. She won the 2nd set, then made a decisive break in the eighth game of the final set after Justine overhit a forehand, then served out the match. Justine received treatment on her elbow after injuring a tendon when she fell while lunging for a shot early in the first set.
Kim made 23 unforced errors to Justine’s 10, but grew in confidence as the match wore on.
The win gives Kim the head-to-head lead against her career-long Belgian rival, which stood at 12-12 coming into the match, and is her first Grand Slam win over Henin since 2001. Kim has also won all three meetings since the two returned to the tour, though each match has gone three sets.
Kim will next face No. 21 seed, Vera Zvonareva of Russia who upset No. 4 seed Jelena Jankovic 6-1, 3-0. Jelena was treated by a trainer for a back injury during the match, and retired in tears mid-way through the 2nd set.
