Tennis Update: Kim Clijsters: Top six reasons her year’s final major was a fluke
The Belgian tennis star, Kim Clijsters dominated the Flushing Meadows this year in New York, triumphing in the championship on the third occasion in three attempts. However, a deeper look at the overall woman’s draw of the two weeks play in Queens suggests
that this win was in part supported by a couple of events that helped the twenty seven year old Clijsters defend her crown at the U.S Open 2010.
6. No Henin
The 2010 grass court Grand Slam tournament is surely considered a cursed one for a couple of players on the women’s side. Not only did Venus Williams suffered an injury that sidelined her for over two months but in fact her younger sister, Serena Williams
also injured her right foot right after winning the Wimbledon trophy this season at the All England Club.
Besides William sisters, Justine Henin was also among the players who were harmed at the All England Club. In her round of sixteen loss, Henin suffered a partial ligament fracture in her elbow that also didn’t let her play the United States Open tennis tournament
in New York.
Moreover, against who did that elbow injury come; her fellow tennis foe, Kim Clijsters!
5. Vera folded
Irrespective of the fact how she reached there, the Russian tennis ace, Vera Zvonareva was not set to face the Belgian in the title battle. In just her second major final, the twenty six year old Russian stumbled right out of the gate, blasting a total of
thirteen unforced errors in the opening set alone. All through the clash, she kept on struggling and didn’t manage to bounce back.
Although, it was not as worst as the previous seasons “meltdown” however, she didn’t give a tough time to the Belgian, something which will serve as a stroke of luck for Clijsters.
4. Kim made it looked too simple
She didn’t even miss a single set on her way into the quarters in New York, then knocked down Samantha Stosur to set up her clash with Venus Williams. The fact that the Belgian was so dominating both in terms of athleticism as well as tennis craftsmanship
showed she was best in the draw.
However, it indeed has to raise doubts about the quality of depth within her game.
3. The weather
The weather in New York was a major problem all weekend, as a result of which the men’s final, was also delayed a day then postponed part of another. However, it was the rain that stopped the play.
The blustery winds at the Flushing Meadows affected the actual game much more than that. In one of the major U.S Open matches, Kim versus Venus, the wind largely supported Clijsters speed, accuracy and strength and therefore she did enjoy that extra advantage
due to her style of play as compared to the rest out there.
2. The surface
It is not the fault of Kim that Arthur Ashe Stadium has the hard surface; in fact, the Belgian took full advantage of it. There is something about the game of 2010 U.S Open champ that produces great dominance in the U.S. Open: her victory over Vera was Kim’s
twenty first at the Flushing Meadows in a row. Her game highly suits the surface in New York without any question.
1. No Serena
You can’t actually blame Clijsters, as it’s is certainly not her fault if the field is not at its full complement of contenders. However, in any sport, individual or team, if the best player in the world is sidelined, the winner will always be doubted in
terms of his ability and aptitude.
Fans do remember the absent former winner as much as they do the present, current winner. Therefore, with Serena failed to compete at the year’s final major, Kim Clijsters victory, fair or not, takes on a slight twinge of a fluke as the world number one
was not out there.
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