Kim Clijsters advances with double breadsticks at Sony Ericsson Open
World number two Belgian Kim Clijsters downed world number 94 Belarusian Anastasiya Yakimova in straight sets. She earned double breadsticks to advance to the third round at the 2011 Sony Ericsson Open on Friday.
Former world number one Clijsters destroyed the Belarusian qualifier in their first meeting ever. She took the lead in their head-to-head series by 1-0 after dumping Yakimova out from Crandon Park in Miami in 50 minutes.
2nd seeded Belgian is in her top form and has won eight out of her last ten matches. She made a final berth at Sydney, Paris and the Australian Open earlier this season. In addition to this, she successfully won the
Australian Open Grand Slam title after overpowering Chinese Na Li in the final. A seeded player here, the Belgian had received bye into the second round where she overpowered the Belarusian 6-1, 6-1.
Though Clijsters had an acceptable first serve share of 50 percent as compared to Belarusian’s 54 percent in the opening set, she earned an impressive 82 percent win on it. Clijsters only conceded a game since she was charged and
held her serves spectacularly. She also saved the only breakpoint she faced and converted both opportunities to her advantage to clinch the set 6-1.
Clijsters carried her winning ways into the second set. Despite double faulting three times and having a lower first serve share of 41 percent as opposed to Yakimo’s 55 percent, she registered an amazing 71 percent win on it. The
Belgian lost her serve once and that was the only game she lost in this set. Clijsters was playing her best tennis as she converted four out of six breakpoint opportunities to her advantage to win the set 6-1.
Regardless of retiring two weeks ago and still not fully recovered, she displayed her top form in the match in a chase for a third Miami title.
"It's not fully healed, but it's healing," she said. "After Indian Wells I was pretty worried. Now I feel that I'm almost able to do everything that I want."
The Belarusian on the other hand played poorly and despite winning the Nassau ITF after defeating 5th seeded German Angelique Kerber, she showed no enthusiasm in the match and was eventually outclassed by the in-form
Belgian.
Clijsters will next face 27th seeded Spanish Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez who also earned a breadstick in her previous match. She dumped Georgian qualifier Anna Tatishvili by converting six out of fifteen breakpoint opportunities
to her advantage to win 6-1, 6-4.
Tags: