[轉錄]It's a Belgian Slam!
※ [本文轉錄自 Tennis 看板]
作者: esnique (小鱷) 看板: Tennis
標題: It's a Belgian Slam!
時間: Fri Jun 6 11:26:30 2003
It's a Belgian Slam!
By Nyree Epplett
Thursday, June 5, 2003
Second seed Kim Clijsters used a cruel drop shot to unnerve the limping
Russian Nadia Petrova in straight sets and move into her second Roland-Garros
final where she will meet fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne.
"Yeah it feels incredible," said Clijsters, who lost in the final here two
years ago to Jennifer Capriati, after being just two points from the match.
"I don't think I realize yet what I've done again. But it's a great feeling."
The popular Belgian saved a set point in the opening set before steamrolling
past her wilting opponent 7-5 6-1 in 70 minutes on Philippe Chatrier Court.
Henin-Hardenne followed up with a stirring 6-2 4-6 7-5 victory over defending
champion Serena Williams.
After staving off two break points on her first serve, Clijsters played an
erratic next few games, sending numerous forehands either half way into the
net or over the baseline and allowing her determined opponent to play
uninhibited tennis from the backcourt.
"I think I was struggling a little bit with the forehand. I think I wasn't
positioning very well and I didn't have the rhythm and also didn't have a lot
of break points in the beginning," said Clijsters.
Despite being bandaged to the hilt (her left thigh and ankle heavily strapped)
the 76-ranked Petrova came out of the blocks firing. Quietly calm and content
to rally Clijsters into submission from behind the baseline, she also rattled
the Belgian by constantly changing direction on her thunderous first serve.
The Belgian held her serve to love in the seventh game, but then played a slew
of unforced errors (mostly from her forehand side) to hand her serve to the
Russian in the ninth game. Serving at 5-4, the revved up Russian held one set
point at 40-30, but was cruelly thwarted by a Clijsters drop shot that clipped
the net cord and dribbled millimeters over the net.
Clijsters agreed that the point could have been a match-turner, but admitted
she wasn't too worried when down a break.
"I was just trying to stay focused. And if she should want to win this set, I
wanted her to do it playing well and I didn't want to give her any easy
presents," said the Belgian. "I still felt like the drop shot against her was
a very good thing to do because she was moving around and I could see her
getting further and further back...But I was really happy to see that one get
over."
The Belgian executed a screaming backhand passing shot and then watched a
Petrova backhand sink into the net to hand her back the break.
"I actually wanted to get that set because I was very limited on the energy
level today," said Petrova.
Therein lay the difference between Clijsters and Petrova today. Stepping
inside the baseline and using short crosscourt angles, the No2 seed drew on
her wealth of big-match Grand Slam experience to 'up' the tempo in the next
two games, holding serve and then finding her forehand to close it out in 46
minutes.
The demoralized Russian - who had used her nerves of steel and mental
toughness to upset Jennifer Capriati and Vera Zvonareva (both in three sets)
en route - was now physically and mentally spent. The 20-year-old from Moscow
could scrape only one more game in the contest.
Petrova admitted that had she won that first set, things may have been
different. "I think so. Because I would be one set away from being in the
final and I don't know how that would affect her. She could get more nervous
or she would start rushing things. Everything could be different."
Clijsters cracked 27 winners to Petrova's 13, converted four from six break
points, and saved seven break points against the Russian.
Clijsters was relishing the opportunity of meeting compatriot Henin-Hardenne
in the final. She recovered from a 2-6 2-4 deficit to beat Henin in the semi
final here in 2001 and always enjoys playing her.
"It's always a little bit different I think because we know each other so well
and we grew up together. If I play her, you just try to go into that match,
try not to worry about who you're playing, just try to focus on yourself and
make sure you get the best out of yourself.
"Justine looks like she's playing some unbelievable tennis...If we would play
each other, it would be incredible...To be in the final here, so close to home
as well. And then it would be a real Belgian Slam."
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