Clijsters Wins Tasmanian Event

Kim Clijsters, a 16-year-old Belgian, upset defending champion Chanda Rubin 2-6, 6-2, 6-2 Saturday to win the Tasmanian International tennis tournament.

Clijsters, ranked 43rd, went through the qualifiers to the fourth round of Wimbledon last year before losing to Steffi Graf . She advanced to the third round of the U.S. Open before losing in three sets to eventual champion Serena Williams.

Against the fourth-seeded Rubin, Clijsters started nervously and had trouble finding her range in a gusty win. She plays Dominique Van Roost in the first round of the Australian Open; last year, Clijsters beat Van Roost in the Luxembourg final, her first WTA title.

©2000 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed