TENNIS US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS:THE FACE of Kim Clijsters was plastered all over the television networks here yesterday as the Belgian celebrated her incredible US Open triumph with a dizzying round of media appearances. After only three hours' sleep, the 26-year-old was up and about, smiling broadly at the memory of what will go down as one of the most remarkable stories in grand slam history.
Four years after her only previous grand slam win, in New York, her victory over the Dane Caroline Wozniacki completed a stunning return for Clijsters, who only began her comeback to the tour last month after two years away and the birth of her daughter, Jada.
The messages of congratulations will surely keep coming for many days yet because Clijsters’ march to the title was a stunning triumph. Even before she quit in 2007, no one connected with the sport, from players to tournament organisers, would sanction a bad word about her and since she returned the tennis world has hardly stopped smiling in her presence. Maybe good things do happen to nice people after all.
Clijsters entered the tournament as a wild card, having not played the requisite three events to even earn a ranking. Winning the title propelled her from the wilderness to number 19 and, whatever the debate about what her victory says for the depth of women’s tennis, few will begrudge her a second grand slam title.
Now, though, the hard work really begins for having beaten both Venus and Serena Williams - the latter win overshadowed in an expletive-laden ending when the American, already facing match point, was penalised a point for abusing a line judge and duly lost the match – Clijsters’ own expectations of her performances and those of others are sure to grow.
It would be almost inevitable should she suffer a let-down when she makes her next appearance, in Luxembourg next month, but on the evidence of the past fortnight she will be among the favourites for the Australian Open in January.
She wants to win Wimbledon more than any other grand slam title and on current form few would bet against her.
“I don’t know how I’m going to top this, but it’s a challenge,” she said. “It’s a challenge now at each tournament you play to try to show your best tennis and to stay in good shape. Something that I’m going to be really focusing on is to try to think wisely about my schedule and pick my tournaments and whenever I play really try to peak. Definitely Australia is a part of the schedule. I will train hard again at the end of this year and then on to Australia.”
Whether it be motherhood, marriage or simply her time off the tour, Clijsters seems to be playing with a perspective she did not have first time round. Whereas in the past she was guilty of tightening up under pressure on the big occasion – she lost four grand slam finals – now she seems to be playing carefree tennis, which could spell real trouble for the rest.
“I’m more capable of adjusting on the court and adjusting my emotions a little bit better,” she said.
In beating Venus and Serena Williams, Clijsters belied the notion that the game moved on while she was away for she was never off the pace against two of the biggest hitters in the sport.
Even more impressively, she was mentally strong enough to cope when things got close and in the final she managed her nerves well to see off one of the best retrievers in the game in Wozniacki. Clijsters said she felt there were more players capable of upsetting the big names now than when she quit.
“Maybe they’re still missing that consistency a little bit but on any good day, they can beat a lot of top players and a lot of players who have been in the top 10 now for a few years,” she said.
“I don’t think women’s tennis has, you know, anything to worry about.”
Serena Williams, meanwhile, yesterday apologised for her behaviour towards the lineswoman in her semi-final with Clijsters.
“I need to make it clear to all young people that I handled myself inappropriately and it’s not the way to act, win or lose, good call or bad call in any sport, in any manner,” she said.
“I will learn and grow from this, and be a better person as a result.”
GuardianService
WOMEN'S SINGLES: final: K Clijsters (Bel) bt (9) C Wozniacki (Den) 7-5 6-3.
MEN'S SINGLES: Semi-final: (1) R Federer (Swi) bt (4) N Djokovic (Ser) 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 7-5.
MEN'S DOUBLES: Final: (4) L Dlouhy (Cze) and L Paes (Ind) bt (3) M Bhupathi (Ind) and M Knowles (Bah) 3-6 6-3 6-2.
