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Russians set to rule women's tennis
As 2004 season drew to a close, women's tennis saw the Williams sisters fade away, injury for the Belgians, and a Russian revolution.
Women's tennis looked vastly different as the curtain fell on a 2004 season that saw the end of the Williams dynasty, injury heartache for the Belgians, but above all a Russian revolution.
There was little indication of what was to come when World No 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne defeated Belgian compatriot and second-ranked Clijsters in the final of the Australian Open in late January.
That was the eighth consecutive Grand Slam final to feature either an all-Belgian affair or an all-Williams showdown.
But from then on, the script was torn up and thrown away and 10 months later the WTA tour had a distinctly new look about it.
Firstly, both Belgians ran into long-term injuries that were to plague them for the rest of the year.
Henin-Hardenne was floored by a viral condition in March that emptied her batteries and, though she briefly bounced back to win Olympic gold in Athens, she withdrew from the circuit once again and there are still concerns about her fitness as she prepared to defend her title in Melbourne.
Clijsters damaged wrist tendons and took several months off to recover. She attempted a comeback on home soil in October, but failed to finish the tournament as the pain returned.
She looks sure to miss Melbourne as fears grow over her future.
There was heartache too on the emotional level as her high-profile romance with Lleyton Hewitt came to an abrupt end.
The Williams sisters were faring little better.
Serena returned to the scene with a win at Miami in April after an eight-month break for knee surgery.
