Clijsters will next play Karolina Sprem of Croatia after the world number 104 beat qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands 6-3 6-4.

BBC: Wimbledon 2010: Venus Williams wins opening match

In other first-round matches in Antwerp on Tuesday, Nathalie Dechy of France and Croatia's Karolina Sprem suffered surprise defeats.

BBC: SPORT | Tennis | Clijsters marks comeback with win

Czech player Kveta Peschke beat Croatian qualifier Karolina Sprem 6-1 6-2 in a first-round match, but then withdrew with a wrist injury.

BBC: SPORT | Tennis | Clijsters survives Golovin ordeal

Third seed Daniela Hantuchova cruised past unseeded Slovakian compatriot Dominika Cibulkova 6-1 6-4 and will now play 13th seed Sybille Bammer, who beat Karolina Sprem 6-2 6-3.

BBC: SPORT | Tennis | Petrova and Williams both advance

It was the second left-hander Williams has played and she will meet another in the last 32 after unseeded Australian Casey Dellacqua defeated Karolina Sprem 7-6 7-6.

CNN: Williams pair continue smooth progress