INDIAN WELLS: Former world number one Kim Clijsters said she knew her return to tennis was never going to be a smooth ride after the Belgian’s opening round defeat to Katarina Siniakova at the BNP Paribas Open dropped her to 0-5 since coming back to the tour.

The 38-year-old, who retired for a second time in 2012 but returned to action in February last year, went down 6-1, 2-6, 6-2 to the Czech.

Clijsters had knee surgery in October last year and returned to the court at last week’s Chicago Fall Tennis Classic, where she lost in the first round to Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei.

Last week in Chicago I started off well but had a few games where I really wasn’t into the match,” Clijsters told reporters.

Here too, looking for my rhythm, my anticipation again, reading my opponents, getting used to playing on a bigger court again.

I fought my way into the match well in that second set, and I kind of put her under pressure a little bit better. Overall, there’s definitely moments where I’m feeling really good out there, and theres moments where I feel too inconsistent.

That’s part of this process in general, it’s not going to be a smooth ride and that’s what I’m going to try to improve every time I’m out there.”

Siniakova, a former world number one doubles player who took home gold at the Tokyo Games playing with Barbora Krejcikova, will next face 10th seeded Angelique Kerber.

Americans Lauren Davis and Alison Riske advanced to the second round with straight-set victories. Davis beat Nuria Parrizas-Diaz 6-2, 7-5 and Riske defeated Liang En-shuo 6-2, 6-2, while Caroline Garcia of France rallied to beat Belgian Kirsten Flipkens 5-7, 6-4, 6-0.

On the men’s side, six Americans advanced at the combined ATP and WTA event.

Marcos Giron defeated Botic van de Zandschulp 6-7 (9-11), 6-2, 6-4, and Maxime Cressy got by Laslo Dere 6-7 (3-7), 6-1, 7-5.

Tennys Sandgren beat Thiago Monteiro 6-4, 6-3, and Mackenzie McDonald defeated James Duckworth, 6-3, 6-3. Tommy Paul beat 40-year-old Feliciano Lopez, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3) and Frances Tiafoe cruised past Benoit Paire of France 6-4, 6-4.

McDonald next plays top-seeded Danill Medvedev, the US Open champion. Cressy plays 11th-seeded Diego Schwartzman and Sandgren plays 21st seed Cameron Norrie.

Veteran Sam Querrey lost to Daniel Altmaier, 6-2, 6-4, J.J. Wolf lost to Vasek Pospisil 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and Steve Johnson was beaten by 22-year-old Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, 7-5.

Kei Nishikori beat Joao Sousa 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 and Philipp Kohlschreiber lost to Taro Daniel 6-2, 6-4.

Published in Dawn, October 9th, 2021