New York: Belgium`s Kim Clijsters won her second straight US Open women`s title on Saturday after crushing seventh-seeded Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-1 in the most lopsided triumph in 34 years.
The second-seeded Clijsters hit 17 winners while making just 15 unforced errors against a nervous Zvonareva to match the three games lost by American Chris Evert in her 6-3, 6-0 demolition of Australian Evonne Goolagong in 1976.Clijsters, 27, extended her Flushing Meadows match-winning streak to 21 in a row, having also won the title in 2005 before missing a year due to injury and two more to start a family.
"It`s been an incredible year, being back in the Open and for the first time I`m able to defend my title," Clijsters said at the trophy ceremony.
Last year her infant daughter Jada came on court to cavort around the shiny silver trophy after Clijsters struck a blow for working mothers everywhere with a grand slam victory in just her third tournament back from her hiatus.
Saturday, curly-haired Jada looked on from the stands, sucking a lollipop as her mom made quick work of Zvonareva.
Clijsters cruised through the first set in 27 minutes after twice breaking Zvonareva`s serve. The Russian, appearing in her first final at Flushing Meadows, gifted Clijsters a break in the sixth game with a double fault and three unforced errors.
Then Clijsters wrapped up the set with a service break when Zvonareva slapped a backhand into the net.
Another double fault by the Russian, who was also runner-up at Wimbledon this season, in the sixth game of the second set put Clijsters up by two breaks and she quickly ended the 59-minute match with a forehand winner in the next game.
It was the quickest women`s final since officials started keeping track of match times in 1980."Kim just played tremendously well today. She deserved to win," said the Russian, who burst into tears at the end of the match, undone by the Belgian`s bullet groundstrokes and by her own 24 unforced errors.
Clijsters, the first woman to defend her title at Flushing Meadows since Venus Williams in 2001, tried to console Zvonareva after the match.
"A little bit of experience definitely helps. She has improved so much," said Clijsters, who lost her first four slam finals before beginning her US open run of success.
"Vera just keep it going, it will happen."
Clijsters pocketed $2.2 million for her efforts. In addition to the USD 1.7 million winner`s prize she received a USD 500,000 bonus for finishing second in the US Open Series of tournaments leading up to the grand slam event.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.