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Kim Clijsters - Source: Reuters -
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Former champion Kim Clijsters stunned third seed Venus Williams
6-0 0-6 6-4 in a dramatic fourth-round clash at the US Open on
Monday.
In just her third tournament back after two years away during which
time she gave birth to her first child, Clijsters held her nerve to
win a topsy-turvy encounter to book her place in the last
eight.
"It was unbelievable," a jubilant Clijsters said in a courtside
interview, having enjoyed the bulk of the crowd support. "I don't
really know what to say.
"It was such a weird match. After I lost the second set 6-0 I was
just like, okay, just start over and fight for every point."
The Belgian wildcard, who does not even have a ranking yet, played
an almost flawless first set as she romped through it in 27
minutes.
Williams, the winner at Flushing Meadows in 2000 and 2001, again
sported heavy strapping around her left knee and was struggling on
her serve from the start.
Clijsters came out firing, though, and she crunched a series of
flashing winners to race away with the first set.
Just as quickly, though, the match turned and Williams cut out her
errors and stepped up the power on her serve.
Clijsters, the 2005 champion, went off the boil and with her
forehand misfiring, Williams broke serve three times to force a
decider.
The Belgian bounced back at the start of the third set and it was
Williams who felt the pressure as a double-fault handed Clijsters
the break in the third game.
Games stayed on serve through to 5-4 but the tension was ramped up
when three mistakes gave Williams two chances to get back on level
terms.
But Clijsters saved both with some courageous play and then
snatched victory with a service winner.
Li Na of China will be her opponent in the last eight and Clijsters
said she expected a difficult encounter against the 18th
seed.
"I've had some really tough matches against her in the past," she
said. "She has a good serve and a big forehand and I think it will
a tough match physically but I have a day off so hopefully I will
be fine."
