Kim Clijsters confident for Australian Open

Kim Clijsters is confident that she will be fit in time for the defence of her Australian Open title.

The former world number one retired from her semi-final match against Daniela Hantuchova in the Brisbane International after suffering a hip injury.

Clijsters remains confident that she will recover quickly enough to be ready for the start of the first Grand Slam of the year at Melbourne Park on January 16.

Clijsters said: "With this one I kind of have an okay feeling.

"If everything comes out okay it should take a little [less than] a week to get completely healed."

The Belgian has sufferd with a number of injuries in the past year, causing her to miss Wimbledon and the US Open in 2011.