28 Sept 2010

CHINA OPEN • KIM WITHDRAWS

Sep. 28 • After her victory at the US Open, Kim was supposed to come back at the China Open in Beijing, next week. However, the Belgian player has officially announced today her withdrawal from the Chinese tournament.

Apparently, Kim underwent a surgery to a foot right after the US Open ― nothing serious it seems, she 'just' had a few moles removed ― but the recovering process is slower and harder than expected, so playing tennis is totally forbidden as of now.

Consequently, Kim had no other option than to withdraw. Her next tournament could be the WTA Year-End Championships in Doha, providing Kim ends up amongst the 8 best players of the season...

24 Sept 2010

NEWS UPDATE • WORLD RECORD, FOUNTAIN

Sep. 24 • Hi guys, as you may know it, Kim's next tournament will be the China Open in Beijing, starting on 2nd October. Meanwhile, there's also been some interesting things happening in 'Kim's world'!

First of all, Kim received the official Guinness World Records certificate on 16th September, for the highest attendance to a tennis match (the Best of Belgium match from 8th July against Serena Williams).



Also, on Wednesday in Opitter (northeast Belgium), a new fountain was unveiled in honour of Kim. The monument is said to symbolize the connection between Kim's origins and the global tennis superstar she has now become. You can check it out below!


14 Sept 2010

TROPHY PHOTO SHOOT + RANKINGS UPDATE

Sep. 14 • It was delayed because of the weather but the usual trophy photo shoot took place yesterday in... Central Park! Have a look at some of the pictures that were taken there! And just for the anecdote, Kim was wearing a Dries Van Noten dress.



Also (and we did expect it), Kim has now lost two places in the WTA rankings, dropping from 3rd to 5th, due to Zvonareva's and V. Williams's great results at the US Open, while Kim was the defending champion...
BUT in the Race to the Sony Ericsson Championships Singles Standings, Kim is now ranked 3rd after defending her title, which means she's in a very good position for the YEC.

12 Sept 2010

KIM WINS 3RD US OPEN!!!


Sep. 11 • A day after an epic semifinal win over Venus Williams, Kim Clijsters blitzed Vera Zvonareva in prime time for her third US Open title, continuing her love affair with Flushing Meadows and the city that never sleeps.


Clijsters, the No.2 seed, had squeaked past No.3 seed Williams on Friday night, 4-6 7-6(2) 6-4, and on Saturday was completely in her prime against No.7 seed Zvonareva, avenging defeats in their last two meetings with a 6-2 6-1 triumph. She won seven consecutive games from 2-2 in the first set and barely looked back, ending it with her 17th winner - a ferocious crosscourt forehand.

Clijsters had lost her last two meetings with Zvonareva, both this year - including a quarterfinal loss at Wimbledon. "The one at Wimbledon was one of the most disappointing losses I've dealt with in my career. In a way I was excited to play her again to get revenge. I learned some things from that match. That game at 3-1 in the second set was a longer game and was a very important game for me to win, because I just didn't give her that small chance to get back into the match. That was a big game for me to finish it off there."


The win was Clijsters's 21st straight at the Open, the second-longest winning streak here in the Open Era, trailing only Chris Evert's 31. There was also another streak she extended: Clijsters has now won nine straight against Top 10 players, her last loss coming to Jelena Jankovic at Toronto last year.

A year ago, Clijsters made a scintillating return to the Open - in her first Grand Slam back after over two years of retirement, she went al the way to the title.

"Last year, people were still curious to see how I was playing; this year, people knew with my history here I was maybe one of the contenders. I wasn't playing my best tennis at the beginning of the tournament, but I was able to lift my game in the last two matches, when I needed to. That's probably what I'm most pleased about over these last 14 days, that I was able to do that."

Zvonareva was in her second Grand Slam final, her first coming just two months ago at Wimbledon, where she won five games against Serena Williams.

"It was a great honor to be in the finals of the US Open and play in front of the New York crowd. Kim just played a very good match. She didn't give me chances to get into the match. I tried my best. I gave 100%."

Clijsters consoled a visibly upset Zvonareva after receiving the winner's trophy.
"You're a great player", she told the Russian in front of a sold-out crowd. "Keep it going. It'll happen. It took me six of seven finals until I got my first one."

"Kim's a great champion, but also a great person. Because she said that, maybe I'm not so disappointed now", Zvonareva said about Clijsters's comments at her press conference.
"Hopefully I'll have another chance. Hopefully I'll go far in another Grand Slam. Hopefully I will be more experienced."

(via www.wtatour.com)

11 Sept 2010

US OPEN • KIM REACHES FINAL!


Sep. 11 • It took her almost 2 hours and a half, but Kim has won through to the final of the US Open 2010 after a thriller against Venus Williams. 

On a windy day, both players came out with a strong serve. Yet, in the 7th game at 3-3, Venus managed to break Kim and thanks to her very efficient serve never really let the Belgian come back in this set.

But Kim turned things around in the second set, breaking the American to take a 5-2 lead, before seeing Venus come back in the set. The set progressed in a tiebreak in which Kim quickly led 4-0 before taking it 7-2.

In the third set, Kim put Venus under pressure with her groundstrokes while the American faced some difficulty trying to hold her serve. Kim led 4-3 with a break of serve but then kind of gave Venus the next game, committing 3 double faults and a drive volley error. At 4-4 all though, Kim bounced right back and hit a fe winners to take Venus's serve and serve the match out in the next game, finishing it off with a backhand winner after a long rally.

Kim's reaction: 
"I was able to raise my level, and that's probably what I'm most pleased about, is obviously that I was able to win a close match like this, but that I was able to kind of rise to the occasion when I had to," 
"It obviously means a lot to be in the final and to give myself a chance to defend my title from last year. It's a great opportunity. But obviously beating Venus here last year and this year, it's a good feeling. I think today was probably one of the best matches that I've played throughout the tournament."

In the final, Kim will face Vera Zvonareva who defeated Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets.   Kim leads the Russian 5-2 in their head-to-head, with Zvonareva winning their last two meetings at Wimbledon this year and in MontrĂ©al a few weeks ago.

The match will be played on Arthur Ashe Stadium, at 7PM, NYC time!

10 Sept 2010

US OPEN • SEMIFINAL INFO


Sep. 10 • Hi guys, just to let you know that Kim's semifinal match against Venus Williams will take place on Arthur Ashe Stadium at 3.30PM, NYC time!

8 Sept 2010

US OPEN • KIM REACHES SEMIS!


Sep. 8 • It wasn't easy but Kim has secured a place in the semifinals of the US Open after defeating the Australian Samantha Stosur 6-4 5-7 6-3. With 43 unforced errors, Kim did not play her best tennis and wasn't happy with her serve (she double-faulted on 8 occasions). Yet, on this windy evening and after a flurry of service breaks in the deciding set, Kim managed to pull her service game together to serve the match out.

Kim's reaction: 
"[Stosur] doesn't give you a lot of rhythm and she doesn't give you the usual kind of shots that you kind of expect, you just have to deal with the things you get given that day and try to make the best of it."
"It has been difficult for me to serve the last few weeks, and obviously the weather conditions didn't help. But I'll just try and remember the last serve I hit today, I just stayed focused. She wasn't serving well either. I was taking it one point at a time and trying to remember the good things."

In the semifinals Kim will face Venus Williams. Both players know each other really well and have already played one another a few times in the past. They are actually tied in their head-to-head, with 6 victories for each girl. This will thus be their 13th meeting...

7 Sept 2010

US OPEN • QUARTERFINAL INFO



Sep. 7 • As usual, let's have a look at today's order of play at the US Open... Kim will play her quarterfinal match against Stosur in the night session at 7PM, NYC time on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

5 Sept 2010

US OPEN • KIM REACHES QUARTERS!


Sep. 5 • At the US Open, Kim has now qualified for the quarterfinals after defeating Ana Ivanovic in straight sets, 6-2 6-1. It turned out to be an unexpectedly short and one-sided match, as Kim managed to keep the Serbian under pressure in both sets, notably preventing her from hitting too many big forehands.

Kim's reaction: "I really tried to use the chances that I had, and that's what I did really well. And then once I was up 3-1, I went to 4-2, and I felt like I was dictating really well during the points and kind of using the two sides of the court well."

In the quarterfinals Kim will face the Australian Samantha Stosur, who defeated Elena Dementieva in three sets last night.




US OPEN • 4TH ROUND INFO


Sep. 5 • Today starts the 4th round matches at the US Open and Kim will play first on Arthur Ashe Stadium. Her match against Ana Ivanovic will start at 11AM, NYC time.

Kim and Ana played each other a few weeks ago in Cincinnati but the Serbian had to retire after just three games due to a foot injury.

3 Sept 2010

US OPEN • KIM REACHES 4TH ROUND!


Sep. 3 • At the US Open in New York, Kim is through to the 4th round after defeating Petra Kvitova in straight sets, 6-3 6-0. The Arthur Ashe Stadium was the background of the second meeting between Petra Kvitova and Kim Clijsters this year. Earlier this year Kim beat the tall Czech in Miami, 6-1 6-1. In New York things started differently though. Kvitova played very hard, secure on the lines and basically blew Kim away. Kim faced an early break and struggled on her first serve. Kvitova could not keep up with the high level though and started producing double faults herself. Kim started to come back into the match, and on the scoreboard.

Kim then took six games in a row and won the first set 6-3. In the second set the title holder powered on. Often Kvitova produced a hit and miss after about two returns, if not earlier. Kim produced a second series of six games and took the match in an hour and two minutes 6-3 and 6-0.

In the next round, Kim will face the Serbian Ana Ivanovic.



US OPEN • 3RD ROUND INFO


Sep. 3 • Hi guys, today's Kim's 3rd round match at the Us Open. As you know, she will play against Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic, the 27th seed in this US Open. The match is scheduled second on Arthur Ashe Stadium, after Hantuchova-Dementieva (which could be a disputed one), so don't expect Kim to step on court before about 1pm, NYC time!

Both players have already met on-court this season, at Miami, where Kim defeated Kvitova 6-1 6-1.

2 Sept 2010

US OPEN • KIM REACHES 3RD ROUND!


Sep. 2 • Kim has won through to the 3rd round of the US Open, after defeating Australian qualifier Sally Peers in straights sets, 6-2 6-1. Although she did not show her best level, Kim went through quite easily and managed to level up her game, especially in the second set. The Australian player will probably remember this match for a long time as she idolized Kim while growing up (see yesterday's post)


Check what Kim had to say about playing an idol:
"I had posters of Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. Probably for other reasons I had posters of Pat Rafter in my room. I remember playing Steffi at Wimbledon, qualifying there and playing her in the third or fourth round. I remember I was so in awe of the name 'Steffi Graf', her being there. Sometimes I couldn't even believe I was walking next to her. It's something you need to experience, it's something that makes you more mature. It was a career-changing moment. It makes you realize those players are just like people. 
"That made me realize she was one of the most professional girls out there. That's what you have to do if you want to get there. It's the hard work and the details that make the difference. I'm interested in seeing how Sally does."

Next for Kim is a 3rd round match against recent Wimbledon semi-finalist Petra Kvitova, the 27th seed and World No.29, who defeated Elena Baltacha in straight sets.

1 Sept 2010

US OPEN • 2ND ROUND INFO


Sep. 1 • For the first time in this 2010 US Open, Kim will play in the evening session. She will indeed face Australia's Sally Peers at 7PM, NYC time, on Arthur Ashe Stadium. We don't know much about Kim's opponent. Sally Peers is a 19-year-old Australian player, who qualified for the main draw of a Grand Slam for the first time this week. And it didn't take her long before  getting her first WTA win, as she trashed Aleksandra Wozniak 6-0 6-1 in the first round.

Although Kim and Peers have never played against each other before, they did meet back in 2001. Have a look at this picture! ;)