Kim Clijsters triumphs

KIM Clijsters survived two match points before winning her eagerly-awaited rematch with fellow Belgian Justine Henin 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 in the Brisbane International final.

Clijsters, who made a fairytale comeback last year by winning the US Open, staged a remarkable fightback to claim her 36th career title after a widely fluctuating match that lived up to all expectations. Clijsters, 26, seemed to be cruising when she won the opening set and led 4-2 in the second before Henin, in her first tournament since retiring in 2008, won the next seven games on the trot. But the 27-year-old, failing to serve out the match at 5-4 in the third, then squandered two match points before Clijsters eventually wrapped up a thrilling victory in the deciding tiebreak.