Tennis: If the world number one, Serena Williams, seemed hasty in polishing off her first round opponent, Barbara Rittner, in just 58 minutes on the first day of Roland Garros, her most likely nemesis this year, Kim Clijsters, made a point of trimming even Williams' time yesterday with a 45-minute 6-2, 6-0 dusting of American Amy Frasier on Centre Court.
Clijsters, who started her match at 11.00 a.m., the same time as partner Lleyton Hewitt, finished well before midday, had time for a shower and lunch and could still have ambled out to Court Suzanne Lenglen to catch the end of Hewitt's three-hour-plus slog with the unseeded American Brian Vahaly.
The 19-year-old Belgian, who has yet to win a Grand Slam title, has lost only one clay court match this year and that was to her compatriot Justine Henin-Hardenne in the final in Berlin earlier this month.
But even at these the foothill stages of the competition, with Venus (a faltering 79-minute match), Jennifer Capriati (53 minutes), Lindsay Davenport (42 minutes) and Jelena Dokic (69 minutes) through to day two with differing ease, Clijsters, perhaps prematurely, is the one who's being talked up as a possible finalist against Serena.
After the match, conversation centred around two issues, the first was Hewitt and the other drew her back to the Australian Open semi-final in January, when she lost to Serena 4-6, 6-3, 7-5.
Suggesting that her service motion was askew for the Williams match was of course risking irritating Clijsters, but the Belgian refused to allow the Australian disappointment become a two-sided conversation.
"I never watch matches," she said. "I've never done it, not even playing in my first final here. I don't watch matches. I watch other matches when they are on TV but I don't watch myself. I've never done it."
Jelena Dokic, who left Angelika Roesch to consider her 6-4, 6-4 exit, joined the still largely silent but growing chorus of those who don't believe in the invincibility of Serena.
The Yugoslavian, who turned Australian, then turned Yugoslavian and is now considering an Australian offer to play Federation Cup and the Olympics next year, believes Serena has few imperfections but is beatable.
"I don't think she has any weak points," said Dokic. "I think she is quite a complete player. I think the only thing that they've (Serena and Venus) been better than others at is physically they've been a little bit more fit and quicker. I think the other players are now getting closer. Out of the top 10 anyone can win this tournament."
Dokic, who has moved away from her father, Damir, and is now with Gunthardt Heinz, Steffi Graf's coach between 1990-99, is hoping that some of his experience will transfer. Graf spent 377 weeks as the world number one compared to 47 so far for Serena, who is sixth in the all-time ranking. She will need to occupy the position for two-and-a-half more years if she is even to match fifth-placed Monica Seles, who held the top ranking for 178 weeks.
"She (Graf) was one of my heroes," said Dokic. "I used to look up to her. I think she's probably the best player that's played the game."
Clijsters more than Dokic is closer to the Williamses' level, while Seles, after her worst ever performance here - a 6-4, 6-0 defeat last night to the unseeded Russian Nadia Petrova - seems no longer a contender.
The 29-year-old American has been hampered by foot injuries for several seasons, but despite the defeat and her injuries, she believes she can still compete at the top level. "I won't give up but I also must listen to my body," she admitted after her defeat.
Whenever the Williamses turn it up, the test is whether players can follow. But Clijsters' speed around court and ability to match the Americans with power off the dirt at least provide the platform for a realistic tilt and to do it at a Grand Slam is the honours test.
The sisters must know that although they continue to shape the game this year the new kids on the block may be slowly chasing them down.
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