Brussels, July 14: Retired tennis star Kim Clijsters and US basketball player Brian Lynch were married in a secret early morning ceremony on Friday.
The civil ceremony was officiated by Jaak Gabriels, the mayor of the northern Belgian town of Bree, who confirmed to local media that the ceremony had taken place at 6 am.
"This has been organised on the request from Kim, to keep the ceremony as low key as possible," Gabriels told VRT radio.
Clijsters' official website confirmed that the couple was married today, adding a reception was planned for tomorrow."Kim chose for the early hour because she wanted to conduct her nuptials with the American Brian Lynch within a small circle of people," said a statement in Dutch, posted on her site.
Media reported that a church ceremony also was planned for tomorrow.The wedding comes just days after the former top-ranked player announced she was pregnant with her first child.
The 24-year-old Clijsters called an end to her illustrious career in May, saying a string of injuries had led to fatigue, a lack of motivation and a decline in play.
Clijsters said she wanted to focus on her wedding and a new life with Lynch, who plays professional basketball in the Belgian league.
Clijsters was Belgium's first tennis player to reach the world No. 1 ranking, holding it for 19 weeks in 2003. A left wrist injury last year stopped Clijsters from defending her 2005
US Open title, her only Grand Slam win, and from playing in the Fed Cup final. She won the 2002 and 2003 WTA Championships as part of her career 34 singles titles.
LONDON, May 7 (Reuters) - Following is a selection of tributes to Belgian Kim Clijsters, who retired from tennis on Sunday.
LARRY SCOTT (WTA Tour chief executive): "Kim Clijsters will be remembered as one of the most accomplished and loved players in the history of women's professional tennis. No player has been so unanimously popular with fans and fellow players alike. She has been a once-in-a-generation champion. Kim's contribution to popularising the sport in her native Belgium, as well as globally, is well known. Athletic and determined on court, Kim has also been a wonderful ambassador for the sport off it and she will be much missed by her legions of fans, fellow players and everyone connected with the WTA Tour.
JUSTINE HENIN (Belgium), world number one: "I have a lot of respect for what she did in her career, as a player, as a person. It's pretty emotional because we spent a lot of time together when we were younger and we grew up together on the tour. I think we helped each other to another level because we pushed each other always to play better. She's been a great player and it's time for her now to turn the page and do something else in her life and everyone has to respect that. She did a lot for the game, for Belgian tennis and I will have great memories of her."
AMELIE MAURESMO (France), Wimbledon champion: "I think she had been thinking about retiring for a while so I'm sure she is really convinced that it's the right decision for her. Personally I always enjoyed our rivalry because it brought the best out in both of us."
SERENA WILLIAMS (U.S.), Australian Open champion: "She was a great player, a great competitor and an even better person. We had some great matches but I'll miss her more in the locker room than anything else".
