Clijsters survives scare to stay hot on hardcourts
Source: Agencies |
August 20, 2010, Friday
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A SLEEPY Kim Clijsters woke up in time to claim a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 second-round win over American qualifier Bethanie Mattek-Sands at the Rogers Cup in Montreal on Wednesday and continue her perfect buildup to the US Open.
While there was nothing close to perfection about Clijsters' performance against her 101-ranked opponent, the Belgian remains unbeaten on North American hardcourts this summer, rattling off six straight wins as she prepares to defend her title at Flushing Meadows this month.
Clijsters arrived in Montreal fresh from victory at the Cincinnati Open but the only part of the fifth seed's game that appeared razor-sharp was her determination, as she battled her stubborn opponent for 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Trailing 1-4 in the second set after losing the first, Clijsters finally shifted into gear and raced through the next five games to level the contest.
Sands, who had failed to even qualify for her last two events, halted the skid when she held serve to open the third but Clijsters' class came through to sweep the final four games and close out the match.
"It's obviously nice to win matches like this when you've been down and to fight," she said. "You put the effort in and in the end it pays off. It's a nice way to end matches like that."
Nearly unbeatable
Clijsters, who also won the US Open in 2005, has been nearly unbeatable on hardcourts this season, posting a 20-2 record and winning her last 12 matches on the surface in a streak that stretches back to a victory in Miami earlier this year.
Several other players flashed their hardcourt credentials on a blustery day in Montreal, including Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva, who opened the defense of her Canadian crown in convincing style by sweeping past Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 6-4.
Danish world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki, whom Clijsters beat in the final to lift the US Open title last year, claimed a tough 7-5, 7-5 win over Swiss Patty Schnyder to notch her first ever win on Canadian hardcourts.
China's Zheng Jie sprang a minor surprise when she beat 16th seed Aravane Rezai of France, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-1.
Former world No. 1 Dinara Safina displayed promising signs that the back problems that have plagued her for a year may finally be over as the Russian battled to a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win over compatriot Nadia Petrova.
The victory marked the first time since the Australian Open that Safina, whose ranking had dived from No. 1 to 70, has won back-to-back matches.
While there was nothing close to perfection about Clijsters' performance against her 101-ranked opponent, the Belgian remains unbeaten on North American hardcourts this summer, rattling off six straight wins as she prepares to defend her title at Flushing Meadows this month.
Clijsters arrived in Montreal fresh from victory at the Cincinnati Open but the only part of the fifth seed's game that appeared razor-sharp was her determination, as she battled her stubborn opponent for 2 hours and 14 minutes.
Trailing 1-4 in the second set after losing the first, Clijsters finally shifted into gear and raced through the next five games to level the contest.
Sands, who had failed to even qualify for her last two events, halted the skid when she held serve to open the third but Clijsters' class came through to sweep the final four games and close out the match.
"It's obviously nice to win matches like this when you've been down and to fight," she said. "You put the effort in and in the end it pays off. It's a nice way to end matches like that."
Nearly unbeatable
Clijsters, who also won the US Open in 2005, has been nearly unbeatable on hardcourts this season, posting a 20-2 record and winning her last 12 matches on the surface in a streak that stretches back to a victory in Miami earlier this year.
Several other players flashed their hardcourt credentials on a blustery day in Montreal, including Russian fourth seed Elena Dementieva, who opened the defense of her Canadian crown in convincing style by sweeping past Czech Klara Zakopalova 6-2, 6-4.
Danish world No. 2 Caroline Wozniacki, whom Clijsters beat in the final to lift the US Open title last year, claimed a tough 7-5, 7-5 win over Swiss Patty Schnyder to notch her first ever win on Canadian hardcourts.
China's Zheng Jie sprang a minor surprise when she beat 16th seed Aravane Rezai of France, 5-7, 7-6 (6), 6-1.
Former world No. 1 Dinara Safina displayed promising signs that the back problems that have plagued her for a year may finally be over as the Russian battled to a 7-5, 4-6, 6-4 win over compatriot Nadia Petrova.
The victory marked the first time since the Australian Open that Safina, whose ranking had dived from No. 1 to 70, has won back-to-back matches.
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