Clijsters pulls out of Paris indoor because of bad hip

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) _ Kim Clijsters pulled out of next week's Open Gaz de France in Paris because of a bad hip. <br/><br/>Clijsters said she wants to make sure she is fit to play the following week

Wednesday, January 31st 2007, 8:06 am

By: News On 6

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) _ Kim Clijsters pulled out of next week's Open Gaz de France in Paris because of a bad hip.

Clijsters said she wants to make sure she is fit to play the following week at the Diamond Games in Antwerp _ her last tournament in Belgium before retiring at the end of the year.

``Unfortunately I will have to give the tournament in Paris a bye,'' she said on her Web site Wednesday. ``Otherwise I would endanger my participation in Antwerp, and that is something which I want to avoid at all cost.''

The 2005 U.S. Open champion said she would use the extra week at home to prepare for her wedding to Brian Lynch, an American who plays basketball in Belgium.

Clijsters has won two tournaments this season and reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, where she lost to Maria Sharapova. She has moved up to No. 4 in the WTA Tour rankings.

Clijsters, 23, has been dogged by assorted ankle, knee and back ailments during her career.