Belgians Clijsters, Henin Favored This Week at WTA Warsaw

While Kim Clijsters sneaks in as the No. 7 seed, and Justine Henin-Hardenne is unseeded this week at the WTA J&S Cup in Warsaw, Poland, the two Belgians will be favored as they put in their claycourt preparation for next month's French Open.

Amelie Mauresmo, the top seed in Warsaw, is in doubt after pulling an abdominal muscle last week that forced her to miss France's Fed Cup tie. Other seeds in Warsaw are Russians Svetlana Kuznetsova, Vera Zvonareva and Elena Bovina, Swiss Patty Schnyder, France's Nathalie Dechy and Italian Silvia Farina Elia.

The top four seeds receive byes in patented WTA early-mojo-killing fashion, but a few opening round matches of interest remain in (6) Dechy vs. former Top 10er Maggie Maleeva, Henin-Hardenne vs. Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld (winner to likely face (6) Bovina), and in an all-Italian (8) Farina Elia vs. Francesca Schiavone.

In last year's final (2) Venus Williams defeated (4) Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-1, 6-4.

Former champs in the draw are Mauresmo (2003) and Bovina (2002).

On court Monday in Warsaw is the final round of the singles qualifying in Kirilenko vs. Pastikova, Chakvetadze vs. Talaja, Chladkova vs. Vakulenko, and Perebiynis vs. Ondraskova.