Brussels, Sept 14: World number one Kim Clijsters has taken a vow of silence with her home Belgian press as she tries to retaliate for what she claims are efforts to create bad blood between her and rival Justine Henin-Hardenne. Much like boyfriend Lleyton Hewitt, whose relations with much of the Australian media have been frosty for the last few years, the sweet-faced Clijsters will be keeping her public thoughts to herself for the unspecified future.
Tensions escalated after Francophile Henin-Hardenne defeated her Flemish-speaking compatriot for the grand slam title in New York. Clijsters' former footballer father Leo then queried whether petite powerhouse Henin-Hardenne could have been helped by muscle-building supplements, drawing angry fire from the other Belgian's camp.
The senior Clijsters said he was not referring to drug use, a disclaimer which hardly helped to calm the contentious issue. Clijsters is also smarting after being beaten for two grand slam titles by her rival this season, the first coming at Roland Garros where Henin-Hardenne was hailed as a hero by the French crowd. Bureau Report