Clijsters shocks Venus in US Open Round three

Former World No 1's fairy tale comeback continues with a win over Williams

Clijsters shocks Venus in US Open Round three

Former World No 1's fairy tale comeback continues with a win over Williams

Kim Clijsters is all smiles after her 6-0, 0-6, 6-4 win over Venus Williams in the US Open fourth round yesterday. PICS/AFP

The 26-year-old Belgian, who has been the talk of the tournament as she continues her return from two and a half years out of the game to marry and have a baby, won a roller-coaster of a match 6-0, 0-6, 6-4.

She will play China's Li Na in the last eight with a possible tilt at defending champion and tournament favourite Serena Williams awaiting in the semi-finals should she win that.

"It was such a weird match especially the first two sets. When I lost the second set I said, 'Just start again and fight for every point,'" she said.

Working hard
"I've been working really hard the last seven or eight months and I am enjoying it and that is important.

"Tennis is a great sport, but I am just happy that we have a family and I can balance both."

Serena, meanwhile, was all business as she dispatched Slovakia's Daniella Hantuchova 6-0, 6-2 in just 64 minutes and will play either Russian seventh seed Vera Zvonareva or in-form Italian Flavia Pennetta in the last eight.

The Clijsters-Venus Williams tie was a game of three distinct sets with Clijsters blanking Williams in the first and the American returning the favour in the second.

The decider finally saw both women playing well at the same time and it produced a high quality drama that turned on a dropped serve by Williams in the third game as she double-faulted on break point.

The Belgian, bidding to become just the third mother to win a Grand Slam title after Australians Evonne Goolagong and Margaret Court, got to 5-3 ahead with Williams having to serve to stay in the match.

The American successfully did that but Clijsters served out for the match, erasing two break points in the process.

It was a routine win for tournament favourite Serena in stark contrast to the trials and tribulations of several of her main contenders, especially the Russian brigade of top seed Dinara Safina, Maria Sharapova and Elene Dementieva who were all upset

The 27-year-old title-holder broke serve in the sixth and eighth games of the first set against the Slovak, a Grand Slam regular who struggles against the top players.

"Exciting news! Mid-day is now on WhatsApp Channels