Tennis: Clijsters comeback cut short at US Open

[NEW YORK] Kim Clijsters' first Grand Slam match in eight years ended in defeat on Tuesday when the Belgian veteran was beaten in three sets by Ekaterina Alexandrova at the US Open.

Clijsters, 37, launched the second comeback of her career earlier this year only to see her return thwarted by the Covid-19 crisis which decimated the international tournament calendar.

However she raised hopes of scoring a massive upset over her 21st-seeded Russian opponent on Thursday after taking the opening set.

Alexandrova asserted her class thereafter though, levelling in the second before completing a 3-6, 7-5, 6-1 win.

Clijsters, a three-time US Open champion with wins in 2005, 2009 and 2010, had not played a Grand Slam event since a second round exit at Flushing Meadows in 2012.

AFP