Kim Clijsters wins her third US Open title

Kim Clijsters wins her third US Open title

In yet another rousing performance in a US Open final, Kim Clijsters decimated Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-1 to win her third title in New York.

Moving swiftly, serving accurately and dominating action off the ground, the Belgian and part-time New Jersey resident set a record for the least amount of time played in dispatching the Russian in 59 minutes (officials began to keep time records in 1980). It was the most one-sided final at the US Open since American Chris Evert smoked Evonne Goolagong 6-3, 6-0 in 1976.

"I'm very excited that I was able to defend my title. It is always an honor to go back to a place, especially a Grand Slam, where you've done well and you've won. You obviously want to bring your best tennis again," Clijsters said. "Obviously tennis wise I knew that if I would bring my best, that I'm capable of beating a lot of the top players."

"Obviously when I started my U.S. summer, the US Open was my main goal," Clijsters said. "I wasn't playing my best tennis when I wanted to in the beginning. But I was able to lift my game in the last two matches when I needed it to. That's obviously what probably I'm most pleased with over these last 14 days - that I was able to do that."

Ler Mais

Clijsters comes back to defeat Venus and reach final

Clijsters comes back to defeat Venus and reach final

"It obviously means a lot to be in the final and to give myself a chance to defend my title from last year. It's a great opportunity," Clijsters said. "But obviously beating Venus here last year and this year, it's a good feeling. I think today was probably one of the best matches that I've played throughout the tournament."

"I was able to raise my level, and that's probably what I'm most pleased about, is obviously that I was able to win a close match like this, but that I was able to kind of rise to the occasion when I had to," Clijsters said.

"I think I played a lot of big points, but I think obviously in the tiebreak I wasn't able to play as well as I wanted. I had too many errors, and she played some good tennis," Williams said. "Obviously extremely disappointing not to be able to win this match today. I feel like the last few times I've played her I haven't been at my top, I haven't been very healthy. So knowing that I can still obviously almost win, you know, I'm just looking forward to the last time, where I can be a lot closer to 100 percent and play even better."

"I mean, it's instinct when you decide to do that, and it worked," Clijsters said of the great lob. "I mean, it worked. It was an important point, and I'm happy to get through."

"She's a very tough opponent," Clijsters said of Zvonareva. "Obviously, I've lost my last two matches against her that we've played against each other, so it's gonna be a tough battle. She's a player who doesn't give you much. She's always there, hangs in there. It's not that she has a game that's very unpredictable, but what she does she does extremely well."

Ler Mais

Clijsters beats Samantha Stosur booked a spot to semis

Clijsters beats Samantha Stosur booked a spot to semis

Kim Clijsters marched into championship weekend where she booked a spot opposite Venus Williams in Friday's semifinal with a 6-4, 5-7, 6-3 victory over Australian Samantha Stosur. It marked the fourth consecutive time Clijsters has played the US Open that she has reached the final weekend. She reached the final in 2003 and won in 2005 and again in 2009.

"She doesn't give you a lot of rhythm and she doesn't give you the usual kind of shots that you kind of expect," Clijsters said of Stosur. "You just have to deal with the things you get given that day and try to make the best of it."

"It was definitely tough conditions, windiest conditions I've played in all week," Stosur said. "Probably the worst I've served all week as well. Put those two things together and you don't hold serve for the third set and you lose."

On her quarterfinal exit Stosur added, "Look, I'm happy to make it to the quarters, by far my best result here. I'm gonna be disappointed about this one. You can't break serve and have chance after chance after chance and blow it in a quarterfinal."

Ler Mais

Clijsters beats Ivanovic to win 18th straight match at US Open

Clijsters beats Ivanovic to win 18th straight match at US Open

Ever since she was a teenager, Kim Clijsters has always played well in the U.S.

"Ever since I was 15, 16, I have always played really good matches in America. I am married to an American," Clijsters said. "Not that I think about it (the 18-match winning streak), but I want to try and keep it going. I've always enjoyed playing here at the US Open. I remember playing qualifying and playing Serena in 2001 or 2002, many years ago already. But just to have that comfort on the surface, as well, I've always enjoyed playing on hardcourts, so it's a good surface for me to just move the way that I want to move."

"I really tried to use the chances that I had, and that's what I did really well," Clijsters said. "And then once I was up 3-1, I went to 4-2, and I felt like I was dictating really well during the points and kind of using the two sides of the court well."

"I really lost my way a little bit," she said of her game after winning the French Open. "That's disappointing. But overall, I'm just very happy about where my game's heading and the way I've been working and practicing."

"Obviously, you know, the US Open is a special tournament for me. I wasn't able to defend my title in 2006, so coming here as a defending champion has been a new experience and something that kind of keeps it fresh," Clijsters said. "And tennis-wise, as well, I felt that I've been improving every match. We'll see. (I) want to try and keep it going."

Ler Mais

Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters look to shake thin up at Indian Wells

Justine Henin, Kim Clijsters look to shake thin up at Indian Wells

Former world number ones Justine Henin and Kim Clijsters of Belgium will provide some early headaches for top seeds at the WTA Indian Wells tournament which begins Wednesday.
The 4.5 million-dollar event, played in conjunction with an ATP event that starts Thursday, also could see a potential third-round rematch of last year's final between defending champion Vera Zvonareva and 24th seed Ana Ivanovic.
With 32 seeds receiving first-round byes, the early star of the show figures to be Henin, the 27-year-old who lost to Serena Williams in the Australian Open final and US Open champion Clijsters at the Brisbane final.
Henin, who won at Indian Wells in 2004, opens against Slovakia?s Magdalena Rybarikova and if she advances will face 31st-seeded Gisela Dulko of Argentina for a possible third-round encounter with fifth seed Agneiszka Radwanska of Poland.
Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva is also in Henin's quarter of the draw.
Clijsters, a 14th-seeded two-time Indian Wells champion, opens with a second-round tie against Germany's Andrea Petkovic or Czech Barbora Strycova Zahlavova. She could face top seed Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round.
Russian star Kuznetsova's path to a third career Indian Wells final could also see her face Serbian sixth seed Jelena Jankovic or Italy's ninth-seeded Flavia Pennetta in the quarter-finals.
Kuznetsova opens in the second round against either Alize Cornet of France or Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain. Last year, Kuznetsova suffered her earliest loss at Indian Wells when she fell to Poland's Urszula Radwanska in her opener.
Russian 12th seed Zvonareva beat 2008 champion Ivanovic of Serbia to take the 2009 crown and opens her title defense against either a qualifier or Czech Lucie Hradecka. Ivanovic opens with a qualifier or Latvian Anastasija Sevastova.
Zvonareva or Ivanovic could face eighth seed Samantha Stosur of Australia in the fouth round with two-time Indian Wells champion Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia or third seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus possible quarter-final foes.
Danish second seed Caroline Wozniacki could meet Russian 10th seed and 2006 Indian Wells winner Maria Sharapova in the quarter-finals.
But Sharapova, who won last month at Memphis, could face two Australian Open semi-finalists from China in her path to the last eight - 18th seed Zheng Jie in the third round and seventh seed Li Na in the fourth round.

Ler Mais