Belgium Fed Cup team coach Sabine Appelmans believes Kim Clijsters can make a successful comeback and once again become a grand slam champion.
The 25-year-old, who is a former world number one and US Open champion, announced her return to tennis on Thursday, and will play WTA tournaments in Cincinnati and Toronto before heading to New York for the final grand slam of the year, which begins on August 31.
“Kim has so much talent,” Appelmans said in the TV show Phara. “I don’t see her playing in the whole circuit so it’s going to be difficult to reach the top of the rankings.
“But she is not there to do that. She wants to win titles and play top games.”
Appelmans added: “When you see that Dinara Safina could be number one soon – Kim is usually better than her.
“Winning the US Open? It’s possible.
“The Fed Cup game against Canada comes too soon. You can’t directly play for your country with pressure on your shoulders, I understand that. But she will train with us.”
SYDNEY International tournament director Craig Watson has wasted no time trying to lock in the ever-popular Kim Clijsters for next January’s tournament.
Barely 24 hours after Clijsters confirmed she would be returning to professional tennis, Watson began planning to tempt the two-time Sydney winner back.
“I’ll certainly be talking to her management to make sure Sydney is part of her schedule for 2010,” Watson said.
The Belgian champion was given the nickname “Aussie Kim” due to her lengthy relationship with Lleyton Hewitt.
But even after the pair split in September 2004, Clijsters continued to strike a fond chord in Australian tennis fans’ hearts.
“We would love to have Kim come back. As everyone knows, we see her as an honorary Australian,” Watson said.
The Sydney International — which Clijsters won in 2003 and 2007 — was also the last WTA singles trophy she collected before retiring in May 2007 to marry American basketballer Brian Lynch. The couple had a daughter, Jada, born in February last year.
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