Kim is no longer the highest ranked Belgian player. (picture belga)

Kim falls from 14th to 30th. The Belgian, semi finalist last week in Melbourne, but winner there last year, has to give in no fewer than 1100 points. She is no longer the highest ranked Belgian.

That is Yanina Wickmayer, who might drop three places altogether herself, but ranked 29th still advances Kim. The difference between both players is hardly 14 points. Kirsten Flipkens moves up from 193 to 176, Tamaryn Hendler is 215th (-4), Alison Van Uytvanck 270th (+16).

AUSTRALIAN OPEN

The WTA ranking is now topped by a new number one. Victoria Azarenka, who previously had been third, now had 8585 points, about 900 more than the Czech Petra Kvitova (7690), who remains runner up.

The Russian Maria Sharapova (7560), runner up at the Australian Open, is third, while the Danish Caroline Wozniacki (7085) drops from first to fourth.

The Australian Samantha Stosur remains fifth, ahead of the Polish Agnieszka Radwanska and the French Marion Bartoli. The Chinese Na Li, who had reached the final in Melbourne last year but already ousted in the fourth round by Kim this year, falls back three spots and is now ranked 9th.

Kim can look back on a splendid last Australian Open (picture belga) Take a look at the pictures

Azarenka, who had reached a Grand Slam semi final for the first time, dominated the start of the match. In a fine first set the Byelo-Russian was slightly more precise than Kim. Azarenka reeled in the set 4-6 thanks to her powerplay and offensive approach.

In the second set Kim bounced back impressively. She upped her level and dominated from start to finish. She won the set 6-1.

The third and decisive set was an emotional rollercoaster in which both players were very well matched. Kim had to hand in a service early on and seemed hopelessly lost at 1-4. However, the defending champion returned 3-4 after a fiercely contested seventh game.

The match seemed open all over again, but Kim handed in her subsequent service game. Next Azarenka served for the match and reached her first Grand Slam final after a marathon of 2hours and 12 minutes.

Kim can not say goodbye to the Australian Open with a ticket for the final, but can look back on a marvellous tournament. Especially the 1/8th final against Na Li, in which she worked her way through four match points, and her quarer final against the world's number one, Caroline Wozniacki, will stick for a long time.

"I had to work really hard today", Kim said after the match. "Caroline is someone who never lets go and in the second set she start stepping her game up considerably, playing very aggressively. I'm happy we did not have to play a third set. These were among toughest conditions I've ever been in." On Tuesday, temperatures in Melbourne reached 34 degrees Celsius.

Because of her defeat, Caroline Wozniacki has to wait a little longer for reeling in her first Grand Slam. Moreover, she will lose her top spot at the WTA ranking. On Monday that will go to Petra Kvitova, Victoria Azarenka or Maria Sharapova.

"Honestly, I'm not concerned about that", the 21-year old Danish said. "I've been the world's number one for so long and we'll see who occupies the slot by the end of the season. I've got plenty of opportunities to te regain that spot, so I'm not worried at all."

Kim powers on, she beat the world's numbe one. (picture belga) Take a look at the pictures

Kim seemed not bothered by the ankle she rolled a few days ago and in the scorching heat of Melbourne headed for an easy victory against Wozniacki. The Danish number one of the world could not find an answer to the powerplay of the Belgian and quickly trailed 5-2 behind. The 9th game lasted no less than ten minutes, but the fifth set ball was the right one. Kim clearly was on a roll: 6-3.

Ook in de tweede set kwam Aussie Kim 5-2 voor, maar door enkele foutjes kon Wozniacki zich terug in de wedstrijd vechten. In een hoogstaande tiebreak gaven beide speelsters geen krimp, tot Kim bij 5-4 een mini-break forceerde. Na 1u45 spelen was het eerste matchpunt meteen het juiste. Zo wist Kim zich al voor de zevende keer te plaatsen voor de halve finales Down Under.

In the semi finals she faces Victoria Azarenka. The Byelo-Russian is the third seed in Australia and beat the eighth seed Agnieszka Radwanska from Poland in three sets: 6-7 (0/7), 6-0, 6-2.

In the head-to-head meetings Azarenka leads Kim by 4-2. The 22-year old won  the most recent encounter. In March last year she beat Kim in the quarter finals in Miami 6-3, 6-3 . Earlier in 2011 Kim easily beat Azarenka, in the quarter finals in Sydney 6-3 and 6-2 .