Moms have more fun, Kim Clijsters into the quarters.
Talk about a comeback story that would make Rocky blush -- Kim Clijsters, the 2005 U.S. Open Champ has been out of tennis for the past two years. She left the game to start a family and recently had a baby girl. Clijsters returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium with a vengeance on Day 7 at the U.S. Open with a strange, but convincing 6-0, 0-6, 6-4 win over the 3rd seeded Venus Williams.
This was only Clijsters' third tournament back, but she now finds herself in the quarterfinals of the world’s toughest tennis tournament with a possible semifinal run-in against Serena Williams, looming on the horizon.
Venus Williams on the other hand, ran hot and cold during week one at the Open because of a nagging knee issue. Her topsy-turvy loss to Clijsters was a prime example of her struggling game and limited mobility.
Venus came out flat and slow this afternoon and paid the price with an embarrassing 6-0 loss in the first.
Just when you thought Venus was down and out, she returned the favor with a bagel of her own, dropping Clijsters 6-0 in the second.
No one, including the players, had any idea what to expect when the third set started. Clijsters came out firing, broke Venus early and ran away with the 6-4 win in the deciding set.
If Clijsters can get through to the semifinals, she would likely face Venus’s kid sister, Serena Williams. Serena needs no introduction, owning 11 grand slam championships of her own, including three U.S. Open titles.
I wondered earlier in the week if Serena was peaking too early. Today, I got my answer. Unlike the unseeded women who tormented Dinara Safina all week long – the players who face Serena look downright helpless.
Today’s 6-2, 6-0 demolition of Daniela Hantuchova was just another illustration of Serena’s dominance.
The defending U.S. Open champ looks like she’s on the practice courts, getting to every ball and hitting winners at will. This seemingly stress-free version of Serena is having her way with all who dare to trespass on her court. She’s dropped only 17 games in 4 matches and her toughest test so far (if you can call it that) was a 6-3, 7-5 drubbing of Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez in the 3rd round.
Should Serena Williams match up against Clijsters in the semis, it has all the makings of a classic.
The 2009 U.S. Open Championships featured a wealth of young talent this week including 17-year-old Melanie Oudin. But the young are not likely to inherit this tournament. This year's title will ultimately belong to one of the champions from tournaments past. 3-time winner, Serena is certainly the favorite to repeat, but the 2005 champ, Kim Clijsters has earned her way into the conversation.
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