Clijsters dodges media with dawn wedding

BRUSSELS, July 13 (Reuters) - Former world number one Kim Clijsters dodged hungry media by marrying her American basketball player boyfriend in a dawn wedding at 6am today.

''Kim choose such an early hour because she wanted her marriage to American Brian Lynch to be conducted within a small circle of people,'' a statement on Clijsters' Web site (www.kimclijsters.be) said.

The 24-year old Belgian, who retired in May to focus on her private life and is expecting her first child, had planned to marry in the town hall of her home town Bree yesterday but she left hoards of journalists with a fruitless stake-out.

Clijsters, the first Belgian to reach the top of the rankings, and her husband will hold a second ceremony and wedding party tomorrow but media access will be limited.

Her short-lived career included only one grand slam win, the 2005 US Open, but Clijsters, affectionately known as ''Killing Kim'' or ''Kim Kong'' by her fans, has become one of the nation's most popular sporting personalities.

REUTERS SAM VC1736