US OPEN • KIM AND BOB BRYAN OUT OF MIXED DOUBLES

(2 SEPTEMBER) So this is really it. Kim has just played her very last professional tennis match, as she and Bob Bryan have lost their US Open mixed doubles 2nd round to Makarova/Soares 2-6 6-3 10-12.

'It's surprising that I kept it dry, I haven't been crying', Kim said. 'I think that's just another sign that it's the right choice.'

Kim, a four-time Grand Slam champion, announced months ago the U.S. Open would be her last tournament. She lost to British teen Laura Robson in the women's singles 2nd round on Wednesday, snapping a 22-match winning streak at Flushing Meadows, where the Belgian won titles in 2005, 2009 and 2010.

Kim and Kirsten Flipkens then lost in the 1st round of women's doubles on Thursday.

The mixed doubles loss pulled down the curtain on the 29-year-old Belgian's career. It came with her husband, Brian Lynch, watching from the stands with their 4-year-old daughter, Jada, in his lap playing with a stuffed animal.

When it was over, security guards worked hard to clear a path from the court to the locker room, as Kim was swarmed by TV cameras, autograph seekers and other fans -- all trying to grab one more memory from a player whose smile and positive attitude spoke as loudly as her game.

'You can feel the fans', Bob Bryan said. 'But the people in the locker room, when they love you and they respect you that much, that's true character. That's what Kim has.'

Kim said even though she gave it her all for the match, she couldn't feign heartbreak over her latest (and last) loss.

'Do you want me to say I'm shattered that we lost?' she said, in jest, to Bryan.

If she couldn't go out a winner, at least she can say she was part of an entertaining show.

She and Bryan saved four match points in the super-tiebreaker used to decide the match and Kim hit the key shots on all those points. The best was a looping crosscourt, backhand lob that nobody could touch. It made the score 10-10 and Clijsters pumped both fists and shouted her trademark 'Come oooon!'

'I just didn't want to miss or hit a bad shot on match point and let that be my last professional point ever', she said. 'I wanted to go for it. Luckily, it worked a couple times.'

The last shot came on a serve Makarova sliced into her body. Kim couldn't handle it. The crowd groaned. Then cheered while the former World No. 1 and Bryan hugged.

'Life goes on', Kim said in an on-court interview. 'I'm getting older. I've had a few injuries. It doesn't mean I don't love the sport. That's one of the reasons I wanted to come out here and play mixed.'

Bryan, who has 11 Grand Slam doubles titles with his brother, Mike, said regardless of whether they get No. 12 next weekend, the chance to play with Kim 'really is the highlight of the tournament.'

Soares agreed. He and Makarova have combined to oust Kim, both Bryan brothers and Lisa Raymond, who has 11 Grand Slam doubles titles to her name, on back-to-back nights.

'But to be honest, it came to a moment where winning or losing was just a small part of the whole thing tonight', Soares said. 'It was just so nice, so fulfilling to be playing that match. I was happy either way.'

Kim was, too.

'I had a great night', she said. 'And I couldn't have asked for a better way to finish here.'

Kim will spend a few more days in New York before flying back to Belgium.

adapted from www.espn.com

US OPEN • KIM AND BOB WIN OPENER

(1 SEPTEMBER) Kim's last tournament is not over just yet as she and Bob Bryan have got through the 1st round of the US Open mixed doubles, defeating wildcards Falconi/Johnson in straight sets 6-2 6-2.

In the 2nd round the Belgian-American duo will face the pair Makarova/Soares, who have defeated No. 2 seeds Raymond/M. Bryan in their opener.

This match should be the last one on Grandstand and should not start before 3.30 pm, local time. It might however be moved to Arthur Ashe Stadium.

US OPEN • DOUBLES EVENTS INFO

(30 AUGUST) Kim may be out of the singles event, but she still had to two evens to enjoy her last moments as a professional tennis player. Here's what you need to know!

WOMEN'S DOUBLES

Kim and Kirsten (Flipkens) have been defeated in the 1st round of the US Open women's doubles event. The pair Chuang/Zhang proved too strong and prevailed in straight sets 6-3 6-4.

MIXED DOUBLES

Kim's very last event will be the US Open mixed doubles. Our Kimmie is teaming up with Bob Bryan and they will play their 1st round match against Falconi/Johnson tomorrow (Friday) in the last match on Court 17.

US OPEN • SO THIS IS IT...

(29 AUGUST) So this is it. Kim has just played her final professional singles tennis match. In the 2nd round of the US Open, Laura Robson proved too strong and defeated Kim in straight sets 7-6(4) 7-6(5).

Early in the match, Kim seemed ready to advance comfortably after racing to a 4-1 lead in the first set. Robson, however, had other ideas for the Belgian after the athletic game of Kim began to break down slightly. While serving for the set at 5-3, the Belgian faltered allowing Robson back into the match.

She wouldn’t win a game until 5-all on her serve as Robson’s movement improved and the Brit’s power game proved on par with Kim’s.

The Brit next took the match into a tiebreak and, after saving three set points, converted her first opportunity to grab a lead her first break point with help from a Kim return error. 

In the second set, however, the Belgian would take the lead early on with help from faults from the Robson serve. On her own serve a game later, Kim struck a double fault of her own to donate back a game.

A tight battle between the two women ensued soon after, with Robson ultimately earning two match points on Kim's serve at 6-5. The Belgian, however, summoned the form that earned her so many titles in a celebrated career to get to a second set tiebreak in which she saved two first match points. Ultimately, however, Kim faltered after Robson's serve forced a mistake from the Belgian's backhand wing.

Despite the end to her singles career, Clijsters will still play in both the doubles and mixed doubles events.

'I just want to thank Kim for being such a good role model for me for so many years', Robson said in her on-court interview straight after the match. 'It was an absolute pleasure to play against you.'

'This feels like the perfect place to retire, I just wish it wasn't today', Kim said. 'I gave it my all today and it just wasn't good enough at the end of the match. But I'm still in doubles and mixed doubles.'

'Since I came back it's been a great adventure for me, my team and my family, and it has all been worth it, but I'm excited for the next part of my life.'

'In the first hour after the match there was still disappointment and a little bit of frustration. I still had that routine of going through the match and trying to figure out how to do it better next time. But after thinking about the retirement in singles, I'm happy. The last year and a half or even two years have been kind of up and down, and I'm happy I stuck through it and lived a lot of these emotions I've had. I'm kind of proud of myself in a way that I was able to do that.'

'Even moments like today where I'm able to save those match points, those are definitely moments that are fun to have, fighting for it when you're not playing your best, playing with your back against the wall and still finding a way to come back and play well.'

'I knew before I stepped on court I would have to play well. I've practiced with Laura at Wimbledon – we had a really good practice, and I told my team she hits the ball so clean. Today she moved really well and anticipated really well. If she gets better physically and even more explosive, she's going to be a great player, and someone I'll be watching and keeping an eye on.'

'The words she said on court after the match were so nice. I got a little bit emotional there. It was nice to hear those things from another player.'

WOMEN'S DOUBLES

Kim will however be back on court as soon as today as she plays her women's doubles 1st round match with Kirsten Flipkens. They'll play the pair Chuang/Zhang in the second match on Court 4, so not before 12.30pm, local time.

US OPEN • KIM EASES INTO 2ND ROUND

(28 AUGUST) Kim closed the first act of her final US Open curtain call with an authoritative 6-3 6-1 win over 16-year-old WTA newcomer Victoria Duval in 51 minutes on Monday night.

This is Kim's 22nd straight win at Flushing Meadows, and she is looking to claim her fourth US Open crown before officially retiring after the tournament. 

Little did Duval know when she won the USTA Girls' 18s National Championships, her automatic wild card entry would earn her a night on tennis's biggest stage, across the net from one of the players she looked up to as a kid. Despite her youth, the young American put up a good fight to start the match, taking a 3-2 lead shortly after conceding the first two games of the set.

But whether it was the nerves of playing under the lights of Arthur Ashe Stadium, or the sheer power and experience of Kim's game, Duval couldn't seem to handle the pressure after that and dropped the first set. Kim followed up with a clean second set, giving up only one game en route to securing a spot in the 2nd round.

Kim put on quite a show with 23 winners, compared to the lone winner Duval was able to strike against the veteran.

Playing against an opponent 13 years her junior, the Belgian admitted it brought back memories of her beginning years on the WTA Tour, and she saw a lot of potential in the young Duval's future on tour, as well.

'I had moments when I was younger when I played Steffi at Wimbledon and she was my big idol', she said. 

'So, yeah, it kind of takes you back through a lot of emotions and memories. I was talking to her before the match. It was nice in a way to get a feeling of the atmosphere from her side. I just told her, you know, that we've all been there and it's great to have these opportunities. I look forward to kind of keeping an eye on her in the future.'

When all was said and done, it was Duval who gained a new fan, as Kim asked to take a photo with her after the match. 

'It's a great memory for me as well to be in the position that I was in, playing somebody who followed me for most of my career. That has not really happened, I don't think, so it was nice in a way.'

In the 2nd round, Kim will play against Laura Robson. Their match will be the 3rd one tomorrow (Wednesday) on Arthur Ashe Stadium, and should not start before 3pm, local time.

adapted from www.usopen.org