Kim Clijsters threw down the gauntlet to her fellow Australian Open competitors on Friday with victory in the final of the Medibank International.

The third seed rallied past unseeded Serbian Jelena Jankovic 4-6 7-6 (7/1) 6-4 - saving a match point in the second set - to mark the perfect end to her preparations for next week's grand slam in Melbourne.

Jankovic twice served for the title but couldn't close out and the Belgian made a flying start to the deciding set which proved decisive.

Clijsters has already announced plans to retire at the end of the season, and admits it was the ideal send-off in Sydney.

"It's very special," said Clijsters, who also won the event in 2003.

"I never expected to win here and to play in a match like this and to have the last match here in these kinds of circumstances. I couldn't wish for a better goodbye than this one.

"It's very special. It's a day I will remember for a very long time."

Jankovic, who won her second career title in Auckland last week, was also pleased with her performance at the event.

"Even though I lost, it was a really great match," Jankovic said.

"I played my best, and it was just a few points here and there that made the difference. Next time I hope it will go my way.

"I thought she was going to be nice because she is going to retire, but she was fighting. She left her heart out there."

Jankovic is seeded 11th at the Australian Open and will begin her campaign against Canadian Aleksandra Wozniak, while Clijsters, the fourth seed, is set to face Russia's Vasilisa Bardina in the opening round.