Momentum shifts Belgiums's way
It took longer than they would have liked but, at the end of the day, Belgium
leads USA 2-0 in the 2006 Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Semifinals. Kirsten Flipkens
delivered the first point, defeating the USA’s Jill Craybas in the opening
match 57 62 64 in 2 hours, 14 minutes. For a while it looked like American
Jamea Jackson would spoil the Belgian party but world No. 2 Kim Clijsters
came through with a 46 62 61 victory to the delight of the local fans who
enjoyed over four hours of top quality tennis at the Sea’rena in Oostende,
Belgium.
The support of the fans was vital to Flipkens, who paid tribute to them after
the match, “It was a great atmosphere. The public was awesome and they were
going crazy and I was going crazy sometimes so it was a nice atmosphere and
experience for me. The crowd was an important part in getting me through. I
love the Belgian public.”
Clijsters also acknowledged the support of the crowd, “This is what you do
it for. This is what gives you goosebumps. We never have an atmosphere like
this on the Tour.”
On such a beautiful day, it seemed almost a shame to be playing indoors. The
unusually pleasant weather did not deter the fans who crowded the newly
opened stadium, five minutes walk from the beach, to cheer on the Belgian Fed
Cup team as they took on the Americans for a place in this year’s Fed Cup by
BNP Paribas Final, against the winner of the Spain/Italy semifinal also taking
place this weekend in Zaragoza.
USA holds a 4-0 nation head-to-head
The tie marked the fifth time these two nations had met in Fed Cup by BNP
Paribas with the USA winning all four previous encounters. The two teams faced
each other just last year in the opening round in Delray Beach but it was a
mismatch as the Americans had their big guns in Lindsay Davenport and Venus
Williams while the Belgians were without their best, Justine Henin-Hardenne
and Kim Clijsters.
This time, although the Belgian team lost Henin-Hardenne to exhaustion this
week following her run to the Wimbledon final, they still had Clijsters to
anchor their team and she was greeted in the opening ceremony by the Belgian
fans with an enormous roar. The American team with singles players Jill
Craybas and Jamea Jackson are less intimidating on paper than the previous US
teams that Belgium has faced but no one here in Oostende had forgotten that
this underdog team upset the Germans in the opening round.
First up for Belgium was 2003 ITF Junior World Champion Kirsten Flipkens
against the USA’s Jill Craybas. At 20, Flipkens is 12 years younger than her
higher-ranked opponent and, at the start, played with more confidence than her
opponent, breaking the American in the fourth game to take the lead. Craybas
squandered a breakpoint opportunity and Flipkens held on for a 4-1 lead in
the first set. Then, as it would happen so many times on this day, the
momentum changed. Craybas held on for 4-2 and the 20-year-old Belgian from
Geel began to feel the pressure and doublefaulted to give USA the break back.
At 5-all, Craybas broke Flipkens again, deflating the mostly Belgian crowd,
and played a near-perfect game to take the first set 75.
At the start of the second set, with her captain, Carl Maes, looking anxiously
on, Flipkens confidently held serve. Craybas, with the first set in her pocket,
also played a strong first game and then took advantage of some sloppy play by
the Belgian to force three breakpoint opportunities. But Flipkens continued to
fight, saving those three break point chances, and jumping for joy as she
finally held serve and brought the crowd roaring back to life. The Belgian
then broke Craybas for a 4-1 lead and looked as if the nerves that had plagued
her at the end of the first set were gone. Flipkens held serve but squandered
two set points before breaking the American to take the second set 62.
Flipkens started strongly
The Belgian, as she had in the two previous sets, started strongly, breaking
Craybas in the second game for a 3-0. Looking anxious, even after reassuring
words from her captain Zina Garrison, Craybas had a poor service game and was
broken again by the Belgian for a 4-0 lead. Just when it looked as if Flipkens
would cruise through the set, the momentum shifted and Craybas clawed back to l
evel the set at 4-4. Flipkens held her nerve and her serve for 5-4 and, a game
later, with the Belgian holding her fourth match point, she powered a smash
crosscourt to give the home-side a 1-0 lead.
The joy in the Belgian camp was apparent as Flipkens was greeted with hugs
and high fives by captain Maes and the rest of the Belgian team including
Clijsters who stayed on the team bench for most of the match, displaying her
generous smile and generous nature as her teammate enjoyed the approval of the
crowd.
“In the beginning, I was leading 4-1 but it was just one break but, in the
third, I was leading 4-0 and that was a different story,” said Flipkens
after the match. “The one who wins the set wins the match so it was very
important to come back and at 4-all to get mentally strong.”
Craybas reflected on the loss, “It was tough. It’s always tough when you
have the crowd against you but it is also fun to play in it, country against
country, and a great atmosphere no matter who is playing.”
Craybas added, “I think I started playing a little bit better and I think
she gave me a few free points here and there and I was able to play the most
important points and come through with the first set. She picked it up in the
second and third…She came out strong in the third but it was a little bit
late when I started getting my act together and being more aggressive.
I can’t wait until I am down at 4-0 in the third; I have to get quicker and bring it to the table right away.”
Clijsters made a nervous start
Twenty minutes later, when Clijsters took the court for her match against the USA’s Jamea Jackson, the anticipation of a 2-0 lead for Belgium energised the sold-out Sea’rena. Clijsters, a native of this part of Belgium, is popular all over the world but, on this occasion, with a chance to put her team into the Fed Cup by BNP Paribas Final before a local crowd for the first time, she had an air of invincibility that could have intimidated the American.
The 19-year-old Jackson, the heroine of the USA’s victory over Germany in the first round, is ranked 65 places below the No. 2 ranked Clijsters and, although Jackson has a perfect 2-0 record in Fed Cup by BNP Paribas, the 23-year-old Belgian has not only posted a 19-4 Fed Cup record but also knows what it is like to be a champion in this competition as she played a major role in her country’s successful march to the title in 2001. But this disparity in ranking and results did not seem to weigh heavily
on the American’s mind; she seemed more awed by the occasion than her opponent.
Both players turned in a nervous first set, double faulting at critical times and making sloppy errors on key points. While there were moments of brilliance, more often than not an error, rather than a winner, decided the point. With Jackson serving for the set, Clijsters had chances but American fought her way out of trouble and took the first set, 64.
But, like the previous rubber, just when it seemed that Jackson had seized the momentum, Clijsters took it back, holding serve easily to start the second set then breaking Jackson when the American double faulted at 15-40. Although it was by no means an easy victory, Clijsters went on to win the second set 62. Jackson continued to fight but again handed Clijsters the lead, doublefaulting again at breakpoint to give the Belgian a 3-1 lead. From that point, Clijsters dominated, defeating Jackson 46 62 61
in one hour 57 minutes to give Belgium a 2-0 lead in the tie.
"I don't feel 100 per cent fit" said Clijsters
Clijsters admitted that she was troubled by her back, “I am not going to deny that I don’t feel 100 per cent but, for me, it’s more important to be here and that makes the pain go away.”
“Kirsten really played great and I think I had some nerves inside of me after watching her match,” added Clijsters. “I wasn’t really feeling the ball out there in the beginning. This was my very first match indoors after the whole outdoor season. There was a bit of an adjustment for me to go through.”
US Captain Zina Garrison praised her squad, saying “The first match was huge and Jill came up just short. Kim played so well in the second and third sets but I am so proud of Jamea and how she handled it. There are still three matches to play and we will see how it goes.”
On Sunday, Clijsters will take on Jill Craybas in the opening singles and will certainly hope to wrap up the tie with a win. In the fourth singles, Kirsten Flipkens will face Jamea Jackson with the doubles to follow.
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