Clijsters and Li to play Sydney final

Kim Clijsters enjoyed another pre-Australian Open workout and kept her hopes of a
third Sydney International crown alive after defeating Alisa Kleybanova in their
semi-final at Homebush Bay on Thursday.
The three-time US Open champion was pushed all the way by the world No.26, sneaking
home in a final set tiebreak to claim the match 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-1).
She'll play China's Li Na in the final after her 7-6 (7-5) 6-3 win over Serb Bojana
Jovanovski.
Kleybanova had her chances against the third seed, going up a set and also holding a
break in the decider but sealing the deal proved beyond her.
The eighth game of the second set looked to be pivotal as Kleybanova threatened to
level the match after going down 4-2 but after a series of deuces the Belgian
prevailed and went on to take the set.
Kleybanova stole a break in the second and was up 4-2 but again the three-time US
Open champion rallied to level the scores, games then staying on serve until the
tiebreak where Clijsters steamrolled her younger opponent.
Li had it marginally easier, the eighth seed fighting back from a break down in the
first set to qualify for her eighth WTA tour final.
In the men's draw Frenchman Gilles Simon will play Latvian Ernests Gulbis in a
semi-final on Friday after both posted straight-set quarter-finals wins.
Simon, who is looking for a sharp rise up the rankings after an injury plagued 2010
saw him drop from No.15 to his current No.41 in the world, ground down the Ukraine's
Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4 6-3.
The Frenchman said his knee was now fine and he was looking forward to Melbourne.
"The only thing I know is that I'm playing good. I'm moving very well on the court,
as fast as I used to before, so I feel OK," he said.
Gulbis rode his luck to beat Ukraine's Sergiy Stakhovsky 6-4 6-4 in windy and humid
conditions.
The Latvian had a stellar rise up the rankings from No.90 in 2009 to world No.24 by
the end of 2010, and had a win over Roger Federer to his credit.
But whether he goes any further here is in the lap of the gods after the third seed
admitted he hadn't pulled up particularly well from his previous day's win over
Russian Igor Andreev.
"Yesterday's match killed me physically," he said.
"It was really humid and I lost a lot of fluids, so I went straight to the hotel and
I went to sleep. I didn't feel good.
"This morning I didn't know if I was going to be able to play, but at the start of
the match I felt really good.
"I will do some treatment. I will go to have a bath, ice massage, whatever it takes.
I'm going to be okay tomorrow.
"I just can't go really long matches (but) don't tell Simon."



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