Clijsters set to return from injury despite latest scare

BRUSSELS, Oct 25 (Reuters) World number six Kim Clijsters will return to action on home soil next next week after a two-month absence through injury, despite suffering a new wrist scare last weekend, the Belgian said today.

Clijsters, who has not played since damaging her injury-prone left wrist on August 16, fell over her dog while playing soccer with her dad and boyfriend.

The former world number one has not trained since suffering the injury, but intends to resume later on Wednesday in the run-up to the Gaz de France Stars tournament in her hometown of Hasselt from November 1.

''Despite tripping over my dog and bruising my tailbone .... I feel ready to have a go at it at the Gaz de France Stars in Hasselt from Wednesday onwards,'' Clijsters said in a statement on her Web site.

The 23-year-old will need a good performance if she is to secure her spot at the season-ending Sony Ericsson WTA Championships in Madrid, which starts on Nov. 7 with a purse of 3 million euros (3.76 million dollar).

Only the top eight players at the end of the season qualify for the tournament and Clijsters could miss out if the Swiss duo of Martina Hingis and Patty Schnyder, ranked just below Clijsters, are successful in Linz this week.

''Whether or not I'll be in Madrid is not so much of a concern to me. I have said it before that it would be hard against the top players after a two-month injury,'' she said.

''That is not my focus right now.'' REUTERS PM VC1412