BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) -- Kim Clijsters declined an offer from the Belgian
Olympic Committee on Tuesday to compete in the 2008 Beijing Games -- instead
insisting she will retire from tennis next year.
"It is a superfluous question," she said on her Web site. "When I take a
decision, I stick to it."
The 23-year-old Belgian, who has battled an assortment of injuries the past few
years, returned from a wrist ailment two weeks ago to win the Gaz de France
Stars. She also reached the semifinals of the WTA Championship and finished the
year ranked fifth.
"To get into the semifinals after a layoff of more than two months is not that
easy," Clijsters said.
Clijsters said she will play in "fun tournaments to be able to say goodbye to
the many people I met over the years" in 2007 without naming any specific
events.
