8/26/2000
QUARTER-FINAL FINISH AT NEW HAVEN—US OPEN NEWS
Finally, the streak is over, the bad streak that is! Kim Clijsters had lost her past 3 tournaments in the second round or the first. However, playing the Pilot Pen tournament in New Haven, Connecticut, Clijsters finally got her groove back! The young Belgian made it all the way to the quarter finals where she fell to French-woman Nathalie Tauziat. Tauziat (the writer of a new controversial book criticizing the WTA tour) had lost two previous matches against Clijsters, two crucial ones in fact. A match in Federation Cup and the first round match at Wimbledon. But finally the tour veteran decided enough is enough an defeated Clijsters 6-2 6-4. In the first round, Clijsters took on the tough Austrian Barbara Schett who got all the way to the quarter finals of the US Open last year. Fortunately, Clijsters prevailed with a 4-6 7-61 6-2 win. In the second round, she faced the Colombia Fabiola Zuluaga and defeated her with an overpowering 6-1 6-1. Clijsters didn't play doubles, however but her doubles rank is pretty high right now at 60 while her singles rank is 33. We can rest assure that Clijsters is ready for the US Open after this tournament. She will face Spain's up-and-coming tennis sensation Marta Marrero. Clijsters will play with another Belgian in doubles, Laurence Courtois, and they will face two Australians: Annabel Ellwood and Alicia Molik. Hopefully, Clijsters will play the US Open the way she played last year, but better (she got to the 3rd and was within points of defeating eventual champion Serena Williams)!
~Clijsters City
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