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ANTWERP: Kim Clijsters will take greater care over her scheduling in 2012 after injury in August brought this season to a premature end.
The four-time Grand Slam title winner suffered an abdominal strain in Toronto which ruled her out of the US Open where she was the double defending champion.
The 28-year-old Australian Open champion had previously injured her right ankle in April while dancing at a family wedding, pulled out of tournaments in Rome and Madrid with right shoulder and wrist injuries before losing in the second round at the French Open.
She was also forced to skip Wimbledon because of a foot injury.
“The start of 2011 was really good. But after that I made some decisions I no longer would make now,” Clijsters told her official website Thursday, just hours before she was due to face world number one Caroline Wozniacki in an exhibition tournament.
“After a physically and psychologically very strenuous Australian Open, the indoor tournament in Paris was the one event too much. Now, I'll be listening to my body much better.”
The Belgian, now at 13 in the world, will start her 2012 at the WTA tournament in Brisbane on January 1 before beginning the defence of her Australian Open title.
“I will take things one tournament at a time, but above all I would like to improve my game. I have been working really hard at my service, because that often did not go well in the past year,” added Clijsters, who hinted Fed Cup may take a back seat in 2012 to her Olympic Games ambitions.
“I have spoken to team captain Ann Devries, but I have not decided anything yet. The year will be very busy already with the sequence of Wimbledon and the Olympics.
“I'll see how things are after the Australian Open. Should I do as well as last year it might all be a bit much, but should things go not too well Down Under the Fed Cup might be an appropriate challenge.”
In the exhibition match, played in front of around 10,000 fans, Clijsters edged Wozniacki 6-2, 7-6 (7/5).
