Kim Clijsters Beats Na Li for US Open Semifinals
Kim Clijsters of Belgium has revealed that the key to her quarterfinal victory over Na Li of China was aggression. The 26-year-old wildcard has actually missed every Grand Slam since the US Open in 2007 due to having a baby, but she will now find herself in the top 50 worldwide after beating out higher ranked players like Marion Bartoli, Venus Williams, and now Na Li.
Clijsters took care of Li in only two sets on Tuesday with a 6-2, 6-4 victory, putting 73% of her first serves into play and winning 68% of the offerings. This now makes her first Grand Slam event in more than 2 ½ years, leading her to the US Open semifinals. This was also her third tournament after coming out of retirement. She is set to match against either Serena Williams or Flacia Pennetta next and is only two wins away from winning the US Open title.
It’s not all bad news for Li however, as she is upbeat even though she was defeated. She says that she feels like she could have done better, but maybe it was Clijsters’s day, not hers. Li continued that she feels did she well for the tournament, and it was a good experience for her. She had been injured and then tried to come back, she explained, and feels that she has done well in the three years she has played.
Meanwhile, Melanie Oudin, the 17-year-old from Marietta, Georgia, is on her way to the quarterfinals as well, and is the youngest to do so since Serena Williams in 1999. Between her and Clijsters, there have been some big upsets and surprises in this year’s tour, and we can’t wait to see what else is to come.