Clijsters' fairytale rolls on
September 7th 2009 11:14
KIM Clijsters was always destined to become a tennis great.
The 26-year-old burst onto the scene with a giant-killing fourth-round run as a qualifier at Wimbledon in 1999 before reaching the No.1 ranking in 2003.
But the latest victory in her comeback – a topsy-turvy fourth-round US Open success over American superstar Venus Williams – has her on the verge of one of the greatest sporting achievements in many years.
The Belgian retired from the sport in May 2007 after a second-round defeat in Warsaw, Poland, due to constant injuries and to start a family.
Clijsters gave birth to her first daughter, Jada, last year before returning to the tour for her ‘second career’ last month.
She enjoyed instant success – reaching the quarter-finals and third round in Cincinnati and Toronto respectively – and arrived at Flushing Meadows confident of a strong showing.
But Clijsters must be pinching herself considering Chinese 18th seed Li Na is all that stands between her and a spot in the final four.
Venus’ younger sister Serena is most likely to be waiting in the semi-finals.
If Clijsters completes the fairytale and wins the US Open for a second time – she won the 2005 event after being runner-up in 2003 – she will be just the third player behind Australians Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong-Cawley to have a baby then win a grand slam title.
Li had little trouble disposing of Italian Francesca Schiavone in straight sets, while Serena Williams rattled off the final 10 games of her clash with Daniela Hantuchova in winning 6-2 6-0.
The other fourth-round women’s victor on day seven was Italian world No.10 Flavia Pennetta, who faced match points in the second and third sets before overcoming Russian world No.7 Vera Zvonareva.
The drama-packed women’s draw continues to overshadow what has been a routine opening week on the men’s side.
Spanish former world No.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero was the only player to topple a higher-ranked opponent – French ninth seed Gilles Simon – overnight.
Simon retired from the match when trailing two sets to one.
Ferrero reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, the final on clay in Umag and three other last-16 performances in the lead-up to New York.
That form is at least the equal, if not better, of Simon’s recent form and he had beaten the Frenchman in their previous two meetings.
Ferrero, a 2003 US Open finalist, faces Argentine hardcourt specialist Juan Martin del Potro for a quarter-final place.
World No.6 del Potro lost his first set of the tournament to Austrian Daniel Koellerer before advancing to the fourth round.
Scot Andy Murray, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and Croatian Marin Cilic enjoyed straight-sets triumphs.
Thirteenth seed Gael Monfils, a former junior world No.1, progressed to the last 16 when Argentine Jose Acasuso retired when 6-3 6-4 1-0 down.
Monfils will like his chances of upsetting Nadal in their upcoming fourth-round contest.
Nadal leads the athletic Frenchman 4-1 in head-to-head match-ups, but they have shared their clashes this year.
Monfils is yet to lose a set at this year’s US Open and is capable of breathtaking tennis at his best.
Men's day seven results
Women's day seven results
The 26-year-old burst onto the scene with a giant-killing fourth-round run as a qualifier at Wimbledon in 1999 before reaching the No.1 ranking in 2003.
But the latest victory in her comeback – a topsy-turvy fourth-round US Open success over American superstar Venus Williams – has her on the verge of one of the greatest sporting achievements in many years.
The Belgian retired from the sport in May 2007 after a second-round defeat in Warsaw, Poland, due to constant injuries and to start a family.
Clijsters gave birth to her first daughter, Jada, last year before returning to the tour for her ‘second career’ last month.
She enjoyed instant success – reaching the quarter-finals and third round in Cincinnati and Toronto respectively – and arrived at Flushing Meadows confident of a strong showing.
But Clijsters must be pinching herself considering Chinese 18th seed Li Na is all that stands between her and a spot in the final four.
Belgian comeback queen Kim Clijsters stunned American Venus Williams to reach the US Open quarter-finals.
Venus’ younger sister Serena is most likely to be waiting in the semi-finals.
If Clijsters completes the fairytale and wins the US Open for a second time – she won the 2005 event after being runner-up in 2003 – she will be just the third player behind Australians Margaret Court and Evonne Goolagong-Cawley to have a baby then win a grand slam title.
Li had little trouble disposing of Italian Francesca Schiavone in straight sets, while Serena Williams rattled off the final 10 games of her clash with Daniela Hantuchova in winning 6-2 6-0.
The other fourth-round women’s victor on day seven was Italian world No.10 Flavia Pennetta, who faced match points in the second and third sets before overcoming Russian world No.7 Vera Zvonareva.
The drama-packed women’s draw continues to overshadow what has been a routine opening week on the men’s side.
Spanish former world No.1 Juan Carlos Ferrero was the only player to topple a higher-ranked opponent – French ninth seed Gilles Simon – overnight.
Simon retired from the match when trailing two sets to one.
Ferrero reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon, the final on clay in Umag and three other last-16 performances in the lead-up to New York.
Spanish star Juan Carlos Ferrero charged into the fourth round when Frenchman Gilles Simon retired from their round-of-32 clash.
That form is at least the equal, if not better, of Simon’s recent form and he had beaten the Frenchman in their previous two meetings.
Ferrero, a 2003 US Open finalist, faces Argentine hardcourt specialist Juan Martin del Potro for a quarter-final place.
World No.6 del Potro lost his first set of the tournament to Austrian Daniel Koellerer before advancing to the fourth round.
Scot Andy Murray, Spaniard Rafael Nadal, Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Chilean Fernando Gonzalez and Croatian Marin Cilic enjoyed straight-sets triumphs.
Thirteenth seed Gael Monfils, a former junior world No.1, progressed to the last 16 when Argentine Jose Acasuso retired when 6-3 6-4 1-0 down.
Monfils will like his chances of upsetting Nadal in their upcoming fourth-round contest.
Nadal leads the athletic Frenchman 4-1 in head-to-head match-ups, but they have shared their clashes this year.
Monfils is yet to lose a set at this year’s US Open and is capable of breathtaking tennis at his best.
Men's day seven results
Women's day seven results
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