Kim Clijsters wins Australian Open 2011

Kim Clijsters at US Open 2010
Kim Clijsters at US Open 2010

Kim Clijsters (picture ©Edwin Martinez) has reached the final losing no sets continuing the good end of the year in which she confirmed her Flushing Meadows title and after closing last season winning the WTA Championships.

Na Li (or Li Na if you prefer the Chinese convention) is the first Chinese player to reach the final of a Grand Slam tournament. It’s a surprise, but only to a certain point because a year ago she had reached the semifinal losing it to tournament winner Serena Williams in straight sets both finished at the tie-break.

This year Na Li reached the final losing only one set in the semifinal against Caroline Wozniacki, the No. 1 in the world ranking who once again remains winless in Grand Slam tournaments.

Experience at this level is important and Kim Clijsters starts the final by winning the first 8 points going 2-0, but Na Li gets into the match and breaks her back in the next game. The Belgian has several break points but fails to exploit them and in the seventh game the Chinese breaks her opponent’s serve going 4-3. Clijsters still has a chance for a break but again she doesn’t do it and when she serves to keep the set alive she loses her serve again so the set ends 6-3 for Na Li.

Kim Clijsters keeps on trying and starts the second set breaking her opponent’s serv, but today Na Li plays really well and breaks her back in the next game. The Belgian however seems to have taken the measures of the Chinese serve so in the third game she breaks her again but once more she gets broken back in the next game. In the fifth game Na Li is the first player to keep her serve in the second set and after four consecutive breaks it’s almost a surprise. Kim Clijsters keeps her serve in the next game as well and again break her opponent’s serve to take a 4-3 lead. The Belgian play better limiting her errors and conquers the next two games winning the set 6-3.

Kim Clijsters begins the third set with great confidence and it seems obvious that she breaks her opponent’s serve in the second game but right after that, partly because of two untimely double faults, she gets broken back. The Belgian doesn’t give up and breaks the Chinese’s serve again: it’s the decisive break because the next games are won by the serving player and Clijsters wins the third set 6-3 conquering match and tournament.

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Kim Clijsters wins her first Grand Slam title outside Flushing Meadows after playing a very tough final. A few days ago the Belgian said that this could be her last full-time year, then she wants to focus more on her family and have another child.

Na Li has nothing to repgret: she played a high-level final, simply her opponent stepped up to the task after the first set as only a true champion can do.

We’ll see what happens in the next Grand Slam tournaments: Kim Clijsters already reached the final at Roland Garros and particularly in Wimbledon we need to see the Williams sisters conditionss. Certainly the Belgian will play them with ambitions so we can hope we’ll have fun.

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