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DEN BOSCH, Netherlands, June 18: Kim Clijsters eased into the quarter-finals of the Ordina Open on Wednesday and then said she had already put the disappointment of losing in the final of the French Open behind her.
The Belgian, beaten by compatriot Justin Henin-Hardenne in Paris, said a few days rest and some good practice had put her in good shape heading into Wimbledon, which begins on Monday.
Clijsters went into the Roland Garros final as the slight favourite but she was clearly suffering from nerves as she lost in straight sets, allowing Henin-Hardenne to become the first Belgian to win a grand slam event.
Clijsters said she had used her opening match in Den Bosch, a 6-4 6-4 victory over Zimbabwean Cara Black, to practise her entire range of strokes.
EASTBOURNE, (England): Jennifer Capriati overcame a blustery wind and a purple patch from opponent Amy Frazier to win 6-1 7-5 and reach the quarterfinals of the Eastbourne women’s grasscourt tournament on Wednesday.
She was joined by defending champion and second seed Chanda Rubin, who completed a business-like 6-0 6-3 rout of Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn and Daniela Hantuchova, who struggled with her serve before beating Alexandra Stevenson 7-6 6-4.
Women:
Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) bt Maria-Antonia Sanchez-Lorenzo (Spain) 6-4 6-3; Tina Pisnik (Slovenia) bt Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 3-6 6-3 6-4; Barbara Rittner (Germany) bt Amelie Mauresmo (France) 6-7 (1-7) 6-0 7-5; Ludmila Cervanova (Slovakia) bt Marlene Weingartner (Germany) 7-5 6-1; Kim Clijsters (Belgium) bt Cara Black (Zimbabwe) 6-4 6-4; Nadia Petrova (Russia) bt Stephanie Cohen-Aloro (France) 4-6 6-2 6-0; Elena Dementieva (Russia) bt Els Callens (Belgium) 6-2 6-1; Iroda Tulyaganova (Uzbekistan) bt Anca Barna (Germany) 6-3 6-4.
Men:
Sjeng Schalken (Netherlands) bt Christophe Rochus (Belgium) 6-0 6-0; John van Lottum (Netherlands) bt Frantisek Cermak (Czech Republic) 6-4 6-3; Ramon Sluiter (Netherlands) bt Paradorn Srichaphan (Thailand) 7-5 6-4; Tommy Robredo (Spain) bt Kenneth Carlsen (Denmark) 6-4 2-6 6-3.
NOTTINGHAM, (England): British number two Greg Rusedski showed he is hitting form at the right time when he beat Olivier Rochus in straight sets in the pre-Wimbledon tournament here on Wednesday.
In only his fifth match since returning from injury, Rusedski dominated the diminutive Belgian, winning many of his service games to love as he recorded a 6-4, 6-1 victory to move into the quarter-finals.
Wayne Arthurs (Australia) bt Younes El Aynaoui (Morocco) 6-4 7-6 (8-6); Jonas Bjorkman (Sweden) beat Arvind Parmar (Britain) 7-6 (7-5) 6-2; Alexander Popp (Germany) bt Andre Sa (Brazil) 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-3; Greg Rusedski (Britain) bt Olivier Rochus (Belgium) 6-4 6-1; Hicham Arazi (Morocco) bt Max Mirnyi (Belarus) 7-6 (7-4) 6-2.
Silvia Farina Elia (Italy) bt Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) 6-4 3-6 7-6 (7-3); Anna Pistolesi (Israel) bt Saori Obata (Japan) 7-6 (7-5) 4-6 7-6 (7-5); Magdalena Maleeva (Bulgaria) bt Elena Likhovtseva (Russia) 3-6 7-5 6-3; Conchita Martinez (Spain) bt Amanda Coetzer (South Africa) 7-5 6-3; Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) bt Amy Frazier (U.S.) 6-1 7-5; Chanda Rubin (U.S.) bt Tamarine Tanasugarn (Thailand) 6-0 6-3; Daniela Hantuchova (Slovakia) bt Alexandra Stevenson (U.S.) 7-6 (7-3) 6-4; Nathalie Dechy (France) bt Ai Sugiyama (Japan) 6-1 7-5
