Clijsters back from the brink, Murray survives

Four-time Grand Slam winner Kim Clijsters fought back from the brink of defeat to overcome Ana Ivanovic 6-1, 1-6, 6-3 in the second round of the Brisbane International yesterday.
In a match of contrasting fortunes, Clijsters stormed through the first set in imperious fashion, only to quickly surrender the second and find herself 3-0 down in the decider and facing a break point for 4-0.
But the Belgian picked herself up and fought her way back into the match, winning the next six games against an increasingly demoralised Ivanovic to maintain her perfect record against the Serbian former world No.1.
Second seeded German Andrea Petkovic moved into the quarter-finals with a 7-6 (7/2), 6-0 win over Czech Barbora Zahlavova Strycova.
Runner-up to Petra Kvitova last year, Petkovic has jumped 20 places in the world rankings over the past 12 months to reach No.10 and said she wanted to consolidate in 2012.
She remains on course for a possible semi-final against third seed Francesca Schiavone, who beat Kazakhstan’s Galina Voskoboeva 6-4, 6-4.
Slovakia’s Daniela Hantuchova ended the run of American qualifier Vania King with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory.

Andy Murray survives

Top seed Andy Murray survived a tense examination from unheralded Mikhail Kukushkin to scrape into the second round of the Brisbane International.
The world no.4 struggled for almost two and a quarter hours before finally seeing off the world number 91 from Kazakhstan 5-7, 6-3, 6-2 in an enthralling match in the Pat Rafter Arena.
Japan’s Kei Nishikori rallied from behind in his match, losing the first set and being 4-1 down in the third to overhaul German Cedric-Marcel Stebe 3-6, 6-1, 6-4.
The fifth seeded Nishikori will now take on crowd favourite Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus.
Nishikori was joined in the second round by fellow countryman Tatsuma Ito, who accounted for Australian wildcard Ben Mitchell 6-4, 6-2.
Former champion Radek Stepanek also played and beat an Australian wildcard, Matthew Ebden, although the sixth seed had to fight all the way before winning 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.
Seventh seed Jurgen Melzer of Austria was beaten 6-1, 7-5 by German Philipp Petzschner, while other winners included Fin Jarkko Nieminen, Colombia’s Santiago Giraldo and Russian qualifier Igor Andreev, a 7-6 (8/6), 6-2 winner over Frenchman Adrian Mannarino.