Belgian
Kim Clijsters resurfaces in her quest to challenge
Lindsay Davenport and
Maria Sharapova for the year-end No. 1 ranking, heading the field at the Gaz de France Stars in Hasselt, Belgium.
Joining the former No. 1 among the seeds are France's
Nathalie Dechy, hot-handed Italian
Francesca Schiavone, Russians
Dinara Safina and
Anna Chakvetadze, Spaniard Anabel "Funky Cold" Medina Garrigues, Italy's Silvia Farina Elia, and Slovenia's
Katarina Srebotnik.
First-round matches to watch are few, with the No. 7 seed Chakvetadze facing Dutch hope
Michaella Krajicek. Potential semifinal meetings are (1) Clijsters vs. (4) Safina, and (3) Schiavone vs. (2) Dechy.
Both of last year's finalists fail to show this week, with last year's top seed
Elena Dementieva (playing in Linz this week) beating No. 3 seed Elena Bovina in the all-Russian final 0-6, 6-0, 6-4.
On court Monday at Hasselt are Schruff vs. Medina Garrigues, Farina Elia vs. Flipkens, Daniilidou vs. Callens, and Skavronskaia vs. Camerin.
