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    PARIS, France -- World number one Amelie Mauresmo confirmed she would defend her WTA Championships title next week in Madrid after recovering from a shoulder injury. Mauresmo, facing a struggle to end the year as number one, was sidelined for 10 days after pulling out of the Zurich Open with an inflamed shoulder last month. "I resumed playing in training on Monday and physically, I feel fine," Mauresmo told a news conference in Paris. "I'm a bit short of practice and I'm not sure I'll be able to serve at 100 percent but I'll be fresher than the other girls." The Frenchwoman said she would travel to Madrid on Saturday and train there for the season-ending event for the top eight players in the WTA Tour race, which will start on Tuesday. The athletic 27-year-old has had a great year, winning her first two grand slams titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon. She has been hampered by injuries over the past few weeks, however, and could be overtaken by either Russia's Maria Sharapova or Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium for the year-end number one spot. "I've got a tiny chance (of finishing the year at number one)," she said. "That would be the icing on the cake after a great year but I'm not counting on it too much." Clijsters comebackKim Clijsters started her comeback from a two-month wrist injury by beating Anne Kremer of Luxembourg 6-3 6-2 Wednesday in the first round of the Gaz de France Stars at Hasselt in Belgium. Clijsters, who is defending her title, hasn't played since August, when she sprained her left wrist in Montreal and then missed the U.S. Open. She later bruised her back after stumbling over her dog while playing soccer. The 23-year-old Belgian has dealt with assorted ankle, knee and back ailments and plans to retire next year. She missed most of the 2004 season because of injury. In the second round, sixth-seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia defeated Kirsten Flipkens of Belgium 6-3 6-4. Also in the first round, eighth-seeded Mara Santangelo of Italy retired with an injury while trailing Michaella Krajicek of the Netherlands 5-2 in the first set, and seventh-seeded Samantha Stosur of Australia beat Olga Savchuk of Russia 6-4 6-1. |
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Mauresmo will play in Madrid but expects her serve to be less that 100 percent.
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