Fans to Be on Clijsters’ Side

Cabdrivers, TV journalists and restless sports fans here taking a break from waiting for the start of the Australian Football League season have given the No. 2-ranked female tennis player a new name:

Aussie Kim.

That would be the woman formerly known as Kim Clijsters of Belgium. They were even calling her Aussie Kim before her December engagement to former U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt of Australia. Now she has the opportunity to make it a three-Slam couple today at the Australian Open against her countrywoman, No. 1-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne. It will be the third time in the last four Slam events that they have met in the final.

A victory by Clijsters could thrill about a nation and a half, Australia and the Flemish-speaking region of Belgium. But even if Clijsters weren’t suffering from an injured left ankle, Henin-Hardenne, the French and U.S. Open champion, would be favored.

Though Clijsters leads their head-to-head series, 9-8 -- the Women’s Tennis Assn. recognizes their two International Tennis Federation circuit matches in 1998 and ’99 -- Henin-Hardenne has won four of their last six matches, including the finals in Paris and New York last year, both in straight sets. The ease of her U.S. Open victory was stunning, considering that Henin-Hardenne had needed an IV drip after a marathon semifinal against Jennifer Capriati.

In women’s tennis, it has gone from all-Williams to all-Belgian in the last eight months. With Serena and Venus Williams absent because of lingering injuries -- Venus did return here but lost in the third round to Lisa Raymond -- the Belgians have stepped into the void.

“It’s just something crazy for a little country,” Henin-Hardenne said.

Their progress has been amazingly similar at Melbourne Park. Neither has dropped a set in six matches. Henin-Hardenne won her first-round match, 6-0, 6-0. One round later, Clijsters won, 6-0, 6-0.

The two have had their contretemps the last few months, sparked by Henin-Hardenne’s injury timeout in the final at San Diego in the summer, which was criticized by Clijsters. Henin-Hardenne, bluntly, said at the WTA season-ending championships at Staples Center that they were not friends, but there was a mutual respect. Here, Clijsters has been her usual diplomatic self on the topic.

One difference from the other finals will be a pro-Clijsters crowd at Rod Laver Arena. Clijsters, who beat Henin-Hardenne in the quarterfinals here in 2002, is thrilled to be playing in her fiance’s country.

“I’ve come to so many Davis Cup matches here and to be on court myself and have all the support of the crowd is incredible,” Clijsters said after defeating Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the semifinals. “To get to the final in Paris and the U.S. Open is a great effort, but to get to the final here means more to me.”