Kim Clijsters defeats Caroline
Wozniackito wim the Final at the US Open 2009
Serena Williams
Disquilified, Kim Clijsters will meet Caroline Wozniacki
tonight in the Final at the US Open 2009
Interview
with Kim Clijsters after her win of her second round match over Marion Bartoli at the
2009 US Open
Kim won in
3 sets 5-7,6-1,6-2
Q. After you dropped the first
set, was a small part of you thinking, I can't go home
this early?
KIM CLIJSTERS: No, not really. But I did have a feeling
that, you know, if I would have just, you know, give
myself that chance, because she was playing really well.
I felt she was really dominating all the points just
because she was stepping in and taking the risks early
on. It was working. She was serving well.
I think a few things that were really going well for her.
My forehand wasn't really going the way I wanted to. I
had the net tape a few times.
But then I think it was a smart move to just really mix
it up a little bit in the beginning of that second set,
throw some high balls in there. Just to mix it up a
little bit for her, because she loves stepping in and
dictating the points.
That's what she loves to do. So I was kind of just trying
to figure out a way where I could, yeah, just mix my game
up a little bit so that I would break her rhythm, and it
worked. She started making some double faults, you know,
some weaker second serves where I could really step in
and just be aggressive from the first from my first shot
onwards.
I think that's a key against girls like, that. You have
to just really go for the lines early on.
Q. Is this another notch in your
belt to come back from one set down against a seeded
opponent?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yeah, it helps. I like this more than
my first round, where you win 1 1 and you don't really
know, Okay, how did I play today? There were a few things
that I took away from that match that were going well.
But out of this match, it's that mental I think
satisfaction that you have after a match like this. You
know, Okay, I stayed focused, I stayed aggressive, and
really worked out a game plan that beat her today.
I think that's something that's even more rewarding when
you win a match like this.
Q. Do you feel like an unseeded
player, or do you feel like someone that can contend for
the title?
KIM CLIJSTERS: To be honest, I don't really think like
that. Even when I was seeded, I remember in the past, the
favorites, there was a lot of talk like that. But, you
know, I think every girl who's out there, whether it's
Serena or Safina or myself or whoever, we know we have to
win those matches if you want to get there.
I think, you know, you don't really focus especially at
the start of the tournament, you don't focus on
eventually winning the tournament. But I'm just going to
go out there. My next match is against Kirsten Flipkens,
which is going to be tough. That's all I'm going to focus
on right now. I don't want to think too far ahead.
Q. You have enough confidence in
the way you're playing right now that you can play
against the best players in the world?
KIM CLIJSTERS: It was a nice feeling to have in
Cincinnati, Toronto, knowing that I was capable of
beating some of those top 10 players again. That was a
good feeling to have, because that was something that I
didn't know what it was going to be like out there
playing those girls again.
So after the evaluation, after those two tournaments, it
was like, Okay, I can beat those girls if I play well,
and that was a really good feeling to have.
But I haven't played the big ones yet, Venus, Serena,
Sharapova, Dementieva. I haven't played those girls yet.
Like I said, hopefully I'll give myself a shot at doing
that here.
But first, the third round.
Q. Anticipation about the fourth
round and Venus, what do you think of her knee situation?
KIM CLIJSTERS: You know, she's winning her matches,
you know, and that's what they do. They're really good
at, you know, when it's necessary, really getting their
game up there. I think obviously she's struggling. She's
taped heavily, but she's still winning her matches.
I don't know who she plays in her third round. It's going
to be tougher. I think what we don't know now is how here
knee is going to react after a couple of matches and
everything.
I'm sure when she plays bigger matches she's going to be
ready for it. She doesn't need to take that many steps
with those long legs. I think she can take the pressure
off a little bit there.
Q. Having been at the top of the
women's game before, what are your thoughts about some of
the pressures that Dinara is going through now as No. 1?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Look, I really hope that she's not letting
it get to her. I was in that situation a few years ago
where I was No. 1 and not having won a Grand Slam. It
will happen for her, without a doubt. I think she's good
enough; she's a great athlete. You know, she's improved a
lot.
I think having played her in Cincinnati, just the way
that she played there against me I think was some of the
best tennis I've ever had standing in front of me. It's
just a matter of just being consistent.
You know, obviously she's lost against a few girls who
are not ranked as high where people expect her to win.
But it doesn't work like that anymore in tennis these
days.
But, like I said, I really hope she doesn't let it
influence her and just keeps working the way she has been
for the last year or so. It's obviously working. She's
No. 1. She's consistent. She's won some big tournaments.
You don't get to No. 1 like that, you know. It doesn't
get given to you, so she deserves it, I think. She works
hard. But then again, there's a lot of other good players
who are trying to get up there, so...
We'll see what happens after this.
Q. Have you noticed any
differences on tour since you've come back?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Yes. A lot of Russian is being spoken
in the locker room, which is fine, but that's something
I've really noticed. There's a lot of young girls,
Russian girls. It's great to see that girls you know,
when I was playing, the Russians that were coming up,
Petrova, Dementieva, Kuznetsova, have kind of helped
develop tennis in Russia. I think that's what we're
seeing right now, is that it's a really popular sport
there right now. I guess they helped create those tennis
players that are on tour right now.
Q. Do you feel the tour is as
deep as it was when you were playing a few years ago?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Uhm, yes and no. I think it's still a bit
early for me to say after three weeks how the depth is in
women's tennis. On the other hand, having seen a lot of
the results lately, I do think that a lot of girls can
beat a lot of top players. But I think the consistency is
what's lacking.
I think the consistency is what makes you a top 10 player
these days. You know, we can all play tennis. We can all
hit the ball hard. There's a lot better athletes out
there these days in the lower ranked category.
But it's just a matter of consistency. It's the biggest
key. That's what sets you apart from being a top 10
player or a top 50 or a top 100 player. Like I said, you
know, we've seen in the last few weeks, we've seen Serena
lose in Cincinnati early, you know, Venus. That's
something you kind of didn't really see a few years ago,
but it can happen.
That doesn't mean that Venus and Serena are playing worse
than they used to. I think the girls they get in front of
them are extra motivated. The wind blows harder when
you're on top. That's definitely the key, I think, when
you're up there. Young girls, they want to beat you
badly. That's how I used to be when I was, you know,
coming up a few years ago.
Q. Do you feel any different
physically during a match? Is it all coming back to you,
your match fitness?
KIM CLIJSTERS: No, my fitness feels really good. I
think it's just a matter of getting that match
consistency under your belt, and mentally as well, just
staying focused. Staying match focused is something that
you have to, yeah, really create.
Because I'm older now, I can read that better. I can
really pick up when I feel that my concentration is
lacking a little bit. I can really just, yeah, pick up on
that and kind of get back into that groove. That's a good
feeling to have.
But, like I said, it's still some work to do, but so far
I'm glad with the way I've been progressing throughout
these three tournaments.
Q. The on court announcer said
something about having seen a diaper in your tennis bag.
Was he making a joke?
KIM CLIJSTERS: I think so. I hope so. Unless she put it
in there. There's no diapers in my tennis bag.
Q. Keep the bags separated?
KIM CLIJSTERS: Definitely (smiling).
Q. She's not out at the matches
because of the sun?
KIM CLIJSTERS: No, she wasn't out there. She stays in
the creche here. They set it up really nicely here.
There's a lot of toys and other kids for her to play
with. She stays there.
Q. She can't watch on TV?
KIM CLIJSTERS: I don't know if there's a TV in there.
Maybe. She's still too young to just sit there and kind
of realize everything that's happening. I'm just glad
that she's playing with whatever she was playing with. A
little kitchen or something, I don't know.
But, no, like I said, she's still too young to take it
all in and realize it, know what's going on.
Other News on Kim
Kim Clijsters wins her match
against NA Li and moves to the semi-final at the 2009 US Open
Interview with Kim Clijsters after
her win over Venus Williams at the
2009 US Open
Kim Clijsters wins her match
against Venus Williams at the
2009 US Open
Interview with Kim Clijsters after
her win of her second round
match over Marion Bartoli at the 2009 US
Open
Interview with Kim Clijsters after
her win over Viktoriya Kutuzova ar the 2009 US Open
Kim Clijsters wins her first round match against Viktoriya Kutuzova ar the 2009 US Open
2009 US Open Draw is now out
Kim Clijsters losses her match at the Rogers
Cup in Toronto against Jelena Jankovic
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