INDIAN WELLS, California, 10 March 2004 — Kim Clijsters plays for the first time this week since winning back-to-back titles in February, returning to the California desert to defend her title at the $2.1 million WTA Pacific Life Open.

The 20-year-old Clijsters, who received a opening-round bye, is trying to become the first successive winner at Indian Wells since Martina Navratilova in 1990-1991.

Navratilova is the only player to win successive titles since the beginning of the tournament in 1989, but third seed Lindsay Davenport is one of four others who have won it twice.

The women’s singles begins today and Clijsters is in a group with 10th seed Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi, sixth seed Russian Vera Zvonareva and Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn.

If Clijsters advances through the bottom half of the draw to reach the semifinals she could face Davenport who Clijsters beat 6-4, 7-5 in last year’s final.

Clijsters has a 14-1 record with her only loss coming in the finals of this year’s Australian Open. She is making her first court appearance since winning in Paris, France (Feb. 15) and her native Belgium (Feb. 22). Clijsters toughest test last year came in the fourth round against Nathalie Dechy of France.

Top seed Justine Henin-Hardenne is returning to Indian Wells after a one-year hiatus. The World No. 1 has the toughest draw in a grouping with fifth seed Chanda Rubin, of the US, and 12th seed Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia.

Henin-Hardenne and Kuznetsova are becoming familiar with each other having met in a semifinal and final in the past two weeks. Kuznetsova beat Henin-Hardenne in the semifinals 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 last week in Doha, Qatar. The week before in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Henin-Hardenne beat Kuznetsova 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 in the final.

They are in the same quarter section of the top half of the draw so they could meet in the quarterfinals which would be their third meeting in four weeks.

Like her Belgian compatriot Clijsters, Henin-Hardenne has a first-round bye as she seeks her fourth title of 2004.

If the top seeds advance through the top half of the draw then Henin-Hardenne would face Russian fourth seed Anastasia Myskina in the semifinals.

Before last week’s loss to Kuznetsova, Henin-Hardenne was virtually unbeatable. She’s won titles this year in Sydney, the Australian Open and the United Arab Emirates and has a 16-1 record.

Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova, who won the Indian Wells title in 2002, and ninth seed Jelena Dokic could meet in the third round if they win their opening matches.

Another possible early round match of interest pits 11th seed Conchita Martinez, of Spain, and Russian 16th seed Maria Sharapova who could square off in the third round.

In first round matches today, Akiko Morigami of Japan plays Argentina’s Mariana Diaz-Oliva, Switzerland’s Emmanuelle Gagliardi faces Amy Frazier of the US and Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand squares off against American Laura Granville.

Davenport has a bye so her first match will be against the winner of an all-Italian tussle between Tathiana Garbin and Mara Santangelo.

Kuerten Opts Out of Davis Cup

In Rio de Janeiro, former world No. 1 Gustavo Kuerten said yesterday that he will not play for Brazil in their Davis Cup Americas Zone Group 1 second round tie against Paraguay at home in Costa do Sauipe from April 9 to 11.

The three-time French Open winner said that he had taken the decision in protest at the Brazilian Tennis Confederation’s (CBT) failure to develop the game and help players.