Clijsters Favorite in WTA Eastbourne Final Against Qualifier

Kim Clijsters upped her value as a solid Wimbledon wager Friday with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 win over current US Open holder Svetlana Kuznetsova to advance to the final at the WTA stop in Eastbourne.

"It is good to play these kind of matches, especially before a grand slam," Clijsters said after the win over her frequent practice partner. "I feel like my game is improving with every match."

Clijsters broke Kuznetsova in the first game of the final set, then in the latter stages Kuznetsova was up 40-0 on Clijsters' serve, with the Belgian serving at 5-4, but failed to convert.

"It was a strange match lots of ups and downs," Clijsters said. "I started off really well, then my forehand went off a bit in the second set but I got it back well in the third. When I broke her in the first game, I served really well after that."

In the final Clijsters will face Russian qualifier Vera Douchevina, who defeated fellow qualifier Roberta Vinci 2-6, 7-6, 6-3. Earlier in the day Vinci finished a rain-delayed win from Thursday over Anastasia Myskina, and appeared out of gas in the third set against Douchevina.

"I'm really happy to be in my first final and to come back from a set and 5-3 down to beat a player who was playing very good grasscourt tennis," Douchevina said. "This has been a terrific week for me. I have nothing to lose tomorrow and am just going to go out there to do my best."

Clijsters is seeking her first grasscourt title since 2003.

The doubles final will be (2) Raymond/Stubbs (d. (Q) An.Serra Zanetti/Spears in the semis) vs. Russians (3) Likhovtseva/Zvonareva (d. (1) Black/Huber in three).