Clijsters and Venus to clash

Belgian survives horror show

Last updated: 8th September 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Clijsters and Venus to clash

Relief: Clijsters refused to be blown off course

I thought 'Oh, my god, what are we in for today?' I'm a strong player and I hit hard, but I felt like I had nothing.

Venus Williams
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Defending champion Kim Clijsters will meet Venus Williams in the semi-final of the US Open after the pair claimed contrasting victories in the last eight.

Clijsters came through an error-strewn affair against fifth seed Samantha Stosur 6-4 5-7 6-3 to record her 19th consecutive win at Flushing Meadows.

But the Belgian was far from her best during a match that featured 15 breaks of serve, including six in a row at the start of the deciding set.

Both players struggled to come to terms with blustery conditions, Clijsters starting particularly poorly before coming from a break down to sneak the opening set.

She could not repeat the trick in the second as Australian Stosur capitalised on more mistakes to ensure a decider would be required.

Second seed Clijsters finally got her game in order, stringing together three consecutive games to take a 6-3 triumph, sealed with her fifth ace.

Honest

"I didn't play a good match, but I was obviously able to win it," said Clijsters, who registered 43 unforced errors.

"The next match everything will have to be a lot better. My serve hasn't been going the way that I want it to go.

"I think it's because when I play players who play aggressively, I tend to not finish off my service motion properly.

"In my movement, as soon as I land on my left foot, which normally you're supposed to land forward, I'm already pushing off to try to get to the next shot.

"I know that that's not what you're supposed to do. But, yeah, I mean, 20 years of tennis."

Williams awaits in the last four after the American saw off French Open champion Francesca Schiavone 7-6 (7-4) 6-4.

The third seed needed a tie-break to take the first set but then stormed 4-1 ahead at the start of the second.

Sixth seed Schiavone, from Italy, returned superbly to get back in contention but Williams broke again to complete the victory in one hour and 54 minutes.

Challenging

"When I walked out there, I couldn't even warm up my serve because the wind was blowing my toss," said Williams, who lifted the trophy in New York in 2000 and 2001.

"I thought 'Oh, my god, what are we in for today?' I'm a strong player and I hit hard, but I felt like I had nothing.

"So it was challenging. I don't think either of us were able to play our exact normal game because it was just hard to make a choice in the wind.

"I think you end up playing a little safer, more toward the centre of the court."

Clijsters, the champion in 2005 and 2009 either side of retiring to start a family, has met Williams on 12 previous occasions.

Each has won six times but Clijsters has taken the last four in a row - including three-set affairs en route to each of her US Open crowns.

Comments (1)

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Ay Don says...

I tip Roger Federer and Venus Williams to win the us open single titles

Posted 12:02 8th September 2010
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