Tennis / Guy McCrea / 27 June 2010 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

The stand-out tie of the ladies singles fourth round at Wimbledon sees Belgian rivals Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin meet each other on Monday. Guy McCrea looks ahead to this eagerly anticipated clash...

Without doubt, it is a match that would make a worthy Wimbledon final - a meeting of former world number ones and Grand Slam champions. But instead, Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin have run into each other at the last 16 stage of this year's ladies singles at the All England Club. From the moment the draw was made, much of the hype was centred on a second week shoot-out between these long-time rivals. Monday's match will be their 25th career meeting, with the series currently tied at 12 apiece.

The last year has seen both Belgians make high-profile comebacks to the women's game. Clijsters returned first and surprised everyone last September as she won her second US Open title in what was only her third event back on tour. The 27-year-old mother has continued to impress in 2010, winning WTA titles at Brisbane and Miami to return to the world's top ten. Clijsters disappointed at the Australian Open, where she was thrashed in the third round by Nadia Petrova, and also missed Roland Garros because of a foot injury but her comeback remains a highly successful one.

Henin re-emerged in January and lost a classic final to Clijsters in Brisbane. The seven-time Grand Slam champion then produced a terrific run at the Australian Open as she made it all the way to the final before losing in three sets to defending champion Serena Williams. Since then, Henin has endured mixed results though, with an early exit in Indian Wells and another defeat to Clijsters in the semi-finals of Miami. Even a return to Henin's favoured clay failed to produce real joy. The Belgian won Stuttgart, but floundered in Paris where she was expected to collect a fifth French Open title. Henin rebounded to win her second WTA title this season on the grass at Rosmalen last week.

But how have Clijsters and Henin fared in the opening week of their quests to win Wimbledon - an event both have admitted is a key motivating factor behind their decisions to return? I have reported on most of their matches live for Radio Wimbledon and my opinion is that Clijsters has been the more impressive so far.

Both are yet to drop a set in the tournament, but whereas Clijsters has been in complete command during her three victories, Henin has been more inconsistent - especially during her second round win over German journey-woman Kristina Barrois.

A nervy Henin needed three attempts to serve out the match in the second set as she threatened to blow a 5-1 lead. The number 17 seed did improve in her round three win over Nadia Petrova but doubts persist over the reliability of Henin's ground-strokes and especially her serve which looks some way off the formidable delivery that helped her dominate the women's game in 2007.

All the above suggests Clijsters should beat Henin on Monday. But Betfair's markets make it a very close call (Clijsters currently trading at 2.04, with Henin marginally favoured to win at 1.9). I think there are two major reasons for this uncertainty. Firstly, Henin has a Grand Slam stranglehold over Clijsters, having won five of their seven meetings at the highest level - including three major finals and a victory in the 2006 Wimbledon semis. It is also true that while Clijsters has won their matches this season in Brisbane and Miami - both were only decided by a final set tie-break and both could have easily gone Henin's way. With all this in mind, expect another close affair on Monday. I will b be backing Clijsters at [4.3] to beat Henin in three sets.

Should Clijsters win the all-Belgian battle, she has a terrific grass court pedigree and is capable of lifting the Venus Rosewater Dish for the first time next weekend. Clijsters ([11.5] to win Wimbledon) has reached the Wimbledon semi-finals twice before and her flat ground-strokes are well-suited to the lawns of the All England Club - especially if the current warm weather persists and effectively makes the grass play more like a hard court.

Clijsters also enjoys an excellent head-to-head record against her likely quarter- and semi-final opponents: Jelena Jankovic (Clijsters leads 6-1) and Venus Williams (6-6, but Clijsters has won their past four meetings.) Her record against probable final opponent Serena Williams (2.72 favourite to win Wimbledon) is not so good (2-7) but the Belgian did win their previous meeting at the US Open. Even if you can't look past Serena defending her title, I still suggest backing Clijsters to at least reach the Wimbledon final. The Belgian is currently priced at around [4.4] to do this on Betfair - so there is definitely some value to be had there.