Injury hampers defeated Clijsters

Kim Clijsters will be defending her US Open title later this month

Kim Clijsters' preparations for defending her US Open title have suffered a blow after she limped out of the last eight of the Rogers Cup.

The Belgian was clearly hampered by a hip injury as she lost 2-6 6-3 6-2 to Vera Zvonareva in Montreal.

Zvonareva was merciless as she won nine games in a row to close in on her place in the last four.

Despite her plight Clijsters refused to quit and rallied at 0-5 in the third before Zvonareva broke serve to win.

World number four Clijsters, who was unbeaten in seven outings on North American hard courts in the build-up to this match, had started strongly, breaking Zvonareva at the first time of asking to go 3-0 up.

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Another break of serve saw her take the opening set, but late in the second set the injury kicked in, with Zvonareva twice breaking serve as she won the last four games of the set to level the match.

Clijsters received treatment during the changeover and later asked for a medical time-out, returning to the court with her left thigh heavily strapped.

Zvonareva's semi-final opponent will be the winner of the quarter-final between Marion Bartoli and Victoria Azarenka.

There is also a Russian in the other semi-final, after Svetlana Kuznetsova thrashed China's Zheng Jie 6-1 6-3.

Kuznetsova, the first Russian woman to win the US Open, kept up the good form she showed in winning her 13th career title in San Diego two weeks ago as she secured her first semi-final place in this tournament in seven attempts.

In the last four, she will face either Francesca Schiavone or Caroline Wozniacki.

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