Belgian Kim Clijsters [ Images ] made a successful return from a long injury absence on Wednesday, overcoming dogged Czech Iveta Benesova [ Images ] 7-6, 6-2 in the second round of the Belgian Open.

She said: "I started very nervously but felt that the crowd was right behind me and that helped a lot. Plus my former injury did not bother me any more.

"Of course, actually playing a match is nothing like practice. The pressure is greater and there are so many details to take care of. But honestly, I played my backhand just like my forehand. My left wrist injury is complete history."

Clijsters had missed the French Open [ Images ], Wimbledon [ Images ] and the U.S. Open this year with torn wrist tendons complicated by a cyst.

The Belgian raced into a 4-1 first-set lead before Benesova took advantage of some sloppy serving to peg her back to force a tiebreak, which the former world number one took 7-3.

Clijsters began the second set well, advancing to 3-0 before wrapping up the match with no further hitches.

Clijsters, who earlier this month unveiled plans to marry Australian number one Lleyton Hewitt [ Images ] next February, had not played competitively since the beginning of May when she was forced to withdraw midway through a tournament in Berlin.

Her ranking has slipped from world number two to seventh since then.