Brussels (Belgium), Aug 11: With champion athletes for parents, it always was obvious Kim Clijsters had the potential to shine.
With Lleyton Hewitt as a boyfriend, she had an inkling of what it would be like to be atop of the tennis world.
Now she can find out for herself. Yesterday, the 20-year-old Belgian beat Lindsay Davenport in the final of a hard-court tournament in Carson, California that means Clijsters will take over the no. 1 ranking from the injured Serena Williams today.
It's a reward for relentless stamina and consistency. Clijsters is the first woman to reach no. 1 without having won a grand slam title since the WTA Tour introduced its rankings in 1975. But she has shown steady form, winning a tour-leading six tournaments this season and reaching the semifinals of all 14 events she entered.
She is among the favourites to win the US Open, which starts August 25. Like Williams, no. 1 for 57 straight weeks, Clijsters stood out at an early age, earning rave reviews.



At 11, her youth coach bet a case of beer that one day she would be ranked in the top 10. When the head of the regional tennis federation saw her play for the first time, he went home and woke up his wife to tell her he had seen something remarkable.


Bureau Report