Kim Clijsters of the Belgium returns the ball to Garbine Muguruza of Spain during the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship, at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in the United Arab Emirates, on Feb 17, 2020. (KARIM SAHIB / AFP)

BEIJING - Four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters was defeated on Tuesday by Garbine Muguruza of Spain 6-2, 7-6 (6) in the Dubai Championships after making a second comeback.

The former world No. 1 Belgian, who retired in 2012, had a good performance in the opening round of the WTA event after her comeback and still remains confident after the match.

I felt like for a while I was dominating some of the points

Kim Clijsters

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"I felt like for a while I was dominating some of the points," Clijsters said. "I think that's a good feeling to have, knowing the way I started the first set and then the way I was able to get back into that second set, with the type of tennis I played, it's something that is the positive about this match. I'll take that with me for the next matches."

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Clijsters initially retired in 2007, got married and had the first of her three children. She returned about two years later and won her second and third U.S. Opens and an Australian Open. She retired again after the 2012 US Open.