Top > Sport > 2007 > January > 2007-01-19

Kim Clijsters Takes the Sydney International

Kim Clijsters began her retiring year well, with a victory at the Sydney International, carrying prizes of $600 thousand and the last before the Australia Open, which is scheduled to begin on Monday. The Belgian Clijsters, won a tournament in Hong Kong last week after beating Maria Sharapova, she received her first official trophy in 2007 after 6:4, 6:7 (1), 4:6 in the final vs. rising Serbian star Jelena Jankovic. Clijsters ended Jankovic`s 9-win streak.

"I enjoy every title, regardless the fact that this is my last season." Said Clijsters, after winning her 34th career title, not before saving a dramatic game point against her, during the second set. The excitement on the court was accompanied by a raucous disorder in the stands. Umpire Lynn Welch had to call for quiet in the stands several times and scolded the crowd about their inappropriate behaviour, which upset Clijsters`s fans in the stands.

The parallel male tournament will be settled in the final Saturday between James Blake and the Spaniard Carlos Moya. The American progressed to the final without breaking a sweat, after his rival, Austria`s Jurgen Melzer, quit the tournament before the game due to an illness. Moya, on the other hand, had to work hard before defeating the French Richard Gasquet 3:6, 6:4, 2:6. Moya will arrive to the season`s first grand slam exhausted, after he had to break a sweat in the quarter finals as well against Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus under a blazing sun in the 38 Celsius heat.