DEN BOSCH, Netherlands (AP) — Tournament organizers say Kim Clijsters has withdrawn from the Unicef Open with an abdominal strain just hours before she was due to play Urszula Radwanska in the semifinals.
The four-time Grand Slam winner’s physiotherapist, Sam Versleghers, said Clijsters dropped out of the Dutch grass-court tournament on Friday to avoid jeopardizing her chances of playing at Wimbledon, which starts Monday.
The 29-year-old Belgian is unseeded at Wimbledon for the first time since 2000 and has a tough first-round draw against 18th-seeded Jelena Jankovic of Serbia.
Clijsters said earlier this year she intends to retire after the US Open, where she won in 2005, 2009 and 2010. She also won the Australian Open in 2011.
