Kim Clijsters to begin comeback against Kiki Bertens at Dubai Tennis Championships

Tom Webber

Kim Clijsters to begin comeback against Kiki Bertens at Dubai Tennis Championships image

Kim Clijsters will begin her WTA Tour comeback against world number eight Kiki Bertens at the Dubai Tennis Championships.

The first-round clash will be the four-time major champion's first professional match in seven and a half years, having retired after the 2012 US Open.

Clijsters, a mother of three, revealed her shock decision to return to tennis last September but a knee injury forced her to sit out the start of the season.

MORE: Kiki Bertens reaches final four as Petra Kvitova withdraws

The 36-year-old, a former world number one, was granted a wildcard for the singles tournament in Dubai, which begins on Monday.

Tom Webber