Clijsters shocks Serena Williams
for WTA title
Steve Keating
Belgian Kim Clijsters recorded the biggest win of her career on Monday with an upset 7-5, 6-3 victory over world number one Serena Williams to capture the $3,000,000 WTA Tour Championship.
Riding a brilliant run of late season form, the fifth-seeded Clijsters needed just 85 minutes to dispose of the defending champion and collect a third title in her last four tournaments.
It was only the fifth loss of the season for French, Wimbledon and U S champion Williams, who finished just short of becoming the first woman to win $4,000,0000 in a single season.
"This is definitely my biggest win and it feels incredible," said Clijsters, who went through the entire event without dropping a set. "I couldn't believe it when she missed match-point, I couldn't believe I had won.
"I had goose bumps all over my body, it's an amazing feeling."
Williams added: "I was happy to make it this far, this whole week I don't think I played well at all. From the first match until today I was lucky to get this far.
"To be honest, right now I feel like I'm 98 years old.
"Everything right now is just broke and I'm ready to go home. I'm an old lady in a young woman's body."
Clijsters began badly, double-faulting with her opening serve and dropping the first game but Williams was even more erratic, committing 34 unforced errors.
The first set appeared headed for a tie-break when Williams serving at 5-6, went ahead 40-0 but the determined Clijsters refused to back off, breaking the American to take a one-set lead.
Clijsters broke Williams in the second set to surge to a 4-2 lead and held serve to collect the winner's purse of $765,000.
Williams will now go on vacation and audition for possible movie roles.
"I don't feel great," said Williams. "You know I like that I didn't win today, because I'm so motivated right now to win the Australian Open.
"Last year I didn't play in the Australian Open and got super-motivated. I told myself I was going to win the French, Wimbledon and U.S. Opens. Sometimes I need to take a step back to keep going ahead."
