Los Angeles, Nov 07: World No. 1 Kim Clijsters won her second straight round-robin match at the 3 million-dollar WTA tour championships, downing Chanda Rubin in straight sets to assure herself a spot in the semi-finals. While her rival for the year-end world no. 1 ranking, fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne, was struggling in the first set of her black group round-robin opener against Russia's Anastasia Myskina, Clijsters said it was a relief to have booked her place in the final four from the red group.

"It's nice," Clijsters said after her 6- 4, 6- 4 victory over Rubin. "I've played two good matches. To be the first one, it's a relief I think, as well."


Clijsters led 4-1 and then 5-2 in the first set, but couldn't capitalize on her six set points in the eighth game as Rubin fought back to narrow the gap to 5- 4. Clijsters converted her seventh set point when Rubin missed a backhand volley.

"When I had to do it, I did it," Clijsters said. "That's the most important thing - to be strongest at the moment when you have to be."

"I was up two breaks," she added. "And it's very unusual to lose a match when you're up two breaks. Even when she broke to go to 5- 4, I still had to serve for it."

Rubin couldn't find a way through in the second set, failing to earn a break point.

Clijsters broke her to love with a perfectly placed lob to lead 4- 3, held her own serve to love in the next game and after Rubin held serve - took the match with another love game. Bureau Report