PARIS – New world number one Kim Clijsters was defeated 6-4 6-3 by Czech fourth seed Petra Kvitova in the Paris Open final on Sunday. Top seed Clijsters, who won the Australian Open last month before helping Belgium into the Fed Cup last four, secured her place as the new number one by reaching the semi-finals at the Stade Coubertin.
However, she was given a stern test in the opening set, losing her serve twice as Kvitova’s power and superb returning dominated. Clijsters settled more into her rhythm in the second set but sent an easy volley into the net to be broken in the seventh game and the tall, ponytailed Kvitova sealed the title with another break.
