WIMBLEDON, England -- Kim Clijsters admits her injured shoulder is hampering her struggle to regain the sort of magical form that took her to within a whisker of her first Grand Slam title last year.

	Kim Clijsters was sidelined for six weeks earlier this year because of a right shoulder injury.

The Belgian fifth seed, French Open finalist in 2001, was dumped out of Wimbledon in the second round 7-6 (5), 6-2 by Russian Elena Likhovtseva on Thursday.

The surprise defeat followed her third-round exit at Roland Garros last month and was her earliest departure from a Grand Slam since the U.S. Open of 2000.

Meanwhile, defending champ Venus Williams and runner-up Justine Henin both advanced to the third round.

Clijsters, 19, was sidelined for six weeks earlier this year because of a right shoulder injury and, although she insisted that surgery was not an option, she said the problem was hampering her game.

"Surgery is a last resort because it might mean I have to miss six months of the (WTA) Tour, and I don't want to sit around at home doing nothing for that long," Clijsters said. "But I know I can't play as many matches as I would like ... I have cut back on my schedule to get some rest, and it means I don't have my rhythm when I come to a Grand Slam with everyone expecting me to do well.

"It is tough for me this year, and I knew it would be. It is a challenge trying to find the right balance between playing, practicing and resting, but it is one I have to succeed at.

"The shoulder still gives me pain, but not quite as much as losing big matches."

As well as finishing runner-up at Roland Garros, Clijsters reached the fourth round of the Australian Open and the last eight of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2001.

In Paris, she came within two points of beating Jennifer Capriati in the French Open final before eventually succumbing 12-10 in the deciding set -- the longest third set of a women's final at Roland Garros.

Top seeded Williams, looking for her third straight Wimbledon title, beat Spain's Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-3, 6-1. Williams lost serve in the first game, but broke right back and was in control the rest of the way. While Henin's nerves once again surfaced before she overcame Czech Denisa Chladkova 6-2, 7-5.

Henin, also from Belgium, demolished Chladkova in the first set and galloped to a 5-0 lead with loss of only four points, but she completely lost focus and dropped her serve when attempting to serve out for the set.

The sixth seeded Belgian, who also had trouble closing out in her first round match against American Brie Rippner on Tuesday, repeated the pattern in the second set as she was broken at 5-4 up when serving for the match.

But Henin, 20, made no mistake on her next attempt and booked her place in the third round against Swiss teenager Myriam Casanova.

American Monica Seles showed no shakiness as she defeated Rossana Neffa-De Los Rios 6-4, 6-0. Also, 1994 champion Conchita Martinez beat No. 17 Patty Schnyder of Switzerland 6-1, 6-3.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.