Kim Clijsters of Belgium and Amelie Mauresmo of France have reached the final of the season-ending Women's Tennis Association Tour Championships in Los Angeles, California.
Clijsters, the defending champion, rallied Sunday to defeat American Jennifer Capriati, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0, Sunday in the semifinal round. Clijsters, struggling with her forehand, surrendered the first set and trailed a break in the second. But the advantage was not enough for Capriati, who received on-court medical treatment for stiffness and muscle pain after breaking to lead 3-2 in the second set. Capriati did not win another game in the match.
Clijsters will play Amelie Mauresmo in the final late Monday. Mauresmo defeated Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium, 7-6, 3-6, 6-3. Despite the loss, Henin-Hardenne, the French and U.S. Opens champion, assured herself of topping the rankings at season's end just by reaching the semifinals. She knocks her compatriot, Kim Clijsters, into second place for the year-end rankings.