Former No. 1 Kim Clijsters, currently ranked outside the Top 100 after an extended layoff due to wrist surgery, announced her return as a force with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport Saturday in the final at the WTA stop in Indian Wells.
Down 0-4 to begin the match, Clijsters ripped off six games in a row to take the first set, and held her nerve in the third after the American leveled the match. It was only the second event of 2005 for Clijsters, who lost to Venus Williams in the quarterfinals in her return weeks ago at Antwerp.
"You know, the ranking, even when you're Top 10, it's not something that has bothered me too much," said Clijsters prior to the final. "You know, it's nice when I became No. 1. You know, they're great feelings. But the ranking is just a number."
With the win Clijsters became the lowest-ranked player in WTA Tour history to win a Tier I event.
Davenport dropped to 1-3 in finals this year after losing to
Serena Williams at the Australian Open, and to
Maria Sharapova at Tokyo.
