SYDNEY - A familiar all-Belgian final loomed ominously at the Sydney International tennis tournament after two of the women's top three seeds wilted under the scorching heat at Olympic Park yesterday.
Belgian duo Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne both advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open lead-up tournament with
straight set wins in the second round.
But the Grand Slam preparations of world No 3 Amelie Mauresmo and tournament third seed Patty Schnyder looked far from sound after both crashed out in their opening matches.
Mauresmo, playing her first singles match this year, was outgunned 6-3 7-5 by her 2005 French Open conqueror, Serbian world No 21 Ana Ivanovic.
The French second seed and 2005 WTA Tour Championship winner admits she will now have to fall back on her doubles play with Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova this week to get match hardened for the Australian Open starting Monday.
World No 7 Schnyder also admits her early exit at the hands of world No 17 Daniela Hantuchova, 3-6 6-3 6-4, is not ideal.
Top seed Clijsters, despite struggling with the oppressive heat after only arriving in Sydney two days before from chilly Hong Kong, won her first match in Australia since her 2004 break-up with fiance Lleyton Hewitt, 6-3 6-1 over Chinese qualifier Na Li.
Henin-Hardenne, returning to the court this week after a three-month layoff, downed Russian Vera Dushevina 6-2 6-2 less than 24 hours after flooring Swiss comeback star Martina Hingis.
"The hardest point for me today was - after the tension of the match yesterday, the different atmosphere playing Martina - I had to stay really focused and just keep playing 100 percent and I was very focused during my whole match," Henin-Hardenne said.
The Belgian pair have meet in 10 previous WTA Tour finals, including three Grand Slam deciders, and are on opposite sides of the draw here again.
US Open champion Clijsters plays seventh seed Francesca Schiavone in the quarterfinals tomorrow night, and could meet either Hantuchova or Czech eighth seed Nicole Vaidisova in the semifinals.
Ivanovic and sixth seed Kuznetsova remain in Henin-Hardenne's half of the draw, and the Belgian four-time Grand Slam winner remains cautious of what damage a young player like 18-year-old Ivanovic could cause.
"She's a young player and she's improving so much," Henin-Hardenne said of Ivanovic.
"It was the first match for Amelie and it's not easy because Ana has played a couple of games before coming here. Ana is a very good player and she's still very young so we are going to have to deal with her in the next few years."
Kuznetsova enjoyed an easy trip through yesterday's round after countrywoman Dinara Safina, down a set, was forced to retire because of a blister on her left foot.
Italian Schiavone eventually overcame China's Zi Yan in a tough three setter, 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-1, while Czech Vaidisova beat Yulina Fedak, of the Ukraine, 6-3 6-3.
- AAP
SYDNEY - A familiar all-Belgian final loomed ominously at the Sydney International tennis tournament after two of the women's top three seeds wilted under the scorching heat at Olympic Park yesterday.
Belgian duo Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin-Hardenne both advanced to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open lead-up tournament with
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