Brisbane, Australia – Australian Open champion Kim seeded German Andrea Petkovic were among Tuesday's round winners at the 2012 season-opening Brisbane International tennis event.
The fifth-seeded Belgian star Clijsters outlasted fellow former world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic of Serbia 6-1, 1-6, 6-3. The four-time Grand Slam titlist Clijsters captured this Brisbane event two years ago.
The injury-plagued Clijsters is playing this week for the first time since August of last year.
Petkovic, who was last year's Brisbane runner-up to Czech slugger Petra Kvitova, battled through the first set before dominating the second to take a 7-6 (7-2), 6-0 victory over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
Meanwhile, French Open runner-up Francesca Schiavone of Italy, seeded third this week, served up six aces and saved 8-of-9 break opportunities by Galina Voskoboeva of Kazakhstan on the way to a 6-4, 6-4 decision.
Also advancing on Day 3 was Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova, who rallied from a set down to beat American qualifier Vania King 4-6, 6-2, 6-3.
In some second-round action here on Wednesday, top-seeded Aussie crowd favorite Samantha Stosur will face Czech left-hander Iveta Benesova and fourth-seeded former top-ranked star Serena Williams will encounter young Serb Bojana Jovanovski. The 2005 Brisbane runner-up Stosur captured her first-ever Grand Slam singles title last year by stunning the 13-time major titlist Williams in the U.S. Open final.
The winner of this $220,000 tournament will collect $110,000.
