<div><p>Kim Clijsters was left reeling from a humiliating Australian Open exit Friday, but fellow Belgian Justine Henin and defending champion Rafael Nadal kept their Grand Slam dreams alive.</p><p>A hapless Clijsters was hopelessly out of touch as she was thrashed 6-0, 6-1 in just 52 minutes by Russia's 19th seeded Nadia Petrova, who is rewarded with a fourth round match against third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.</p><p>The reigning US Open champion was not the only top name to crash out, with former world number one Jelena Jankovic also sent packing.</p><p>In contrast, Henin performed a great escape act to claw back from a set down to squeeze past Russian 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.</p><p>She joined Nadal, Dinara Safina, Andy Murray, Juan Martin del Potro, and Andy Roddick in the last 16.</p><p>Clijsters, who came into the tournament on the back of winning the warm-up Brisbane International, said she was bewildered by the experience.</p><p>"The question is of course is, why? My coach, my fitness coach, are like 'How can something like this happen?'," she said.</p><p>"We haven't changed anything really, that's the thing. I was completely off."</p><p>The diminutive Henin, the 2004 champion, was also staring at defeat after losing the opening set and falling 3-1 behind in the second to Kleybanova.</p><p>But she drew on all her experience as a seven-time Grand Slam champion to bounce back, taking the second set and rattling through the third.</p><p>"I kind of survived a little bit today," she Henin, playing in only her second tournament on her comeback from an 18-month retirement.</p><p>"It was so difficult for me after the last match. Physically, I suffered a little bit in the last two days. I'm very happy that I'm still in the tournament."</p><p>She next plays fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer, who beat Italy's Sara Errani 6-1, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3.</p><p>Safina, the second seed, clocked a rapid-fire 6-1, 6-2 thrashing of England's Elena Baltacha in her first match on Rod Laver Arena since she imploded during last year's final against Serena Williams.</p><p>The Russian took heart from a winning return at the scene of one of her worst days in tennis.</p><p>"I didn't have good memories of the last match I played on Rod Laver Arena, for sure," she said. "I am glad to be back and I had to fight hard and make sure I won to forget the bad memories."</p><p>She will next face Maria Kirilenko after the fellow Russian outlasted Italy's Roberta Vinci 7-5, 7-6 (7/4).</p><p> While Safina and Henin powered on, Jankovic looked like a spent force.</p><p>She struggled to live up to her potential in 2009 and her big-match credentials were again found wanting, but Jankovic wasn't concerned.</p><p>"It's no big deal, it's only my second tournament of the year," she said.</p><p>"I just have to stay positive, keep my head up high."</p><img src="http://admatch-syndication.mochila.com/images/ad.gif?aid=67529913&bid=informcom" /></div><div id="copyright"><div>

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