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1/18/2002
Clijsters an Australian? As Long As She Keeps Winning
Three Australians from the same draw fought to win through to the third round of the Australian Open yesterday, and two made it.
Another who has been adopted as a quasi-Australian by the crowd also advanced, watched from the stands by an almost incognito partner who is also a player, but was eliminated early from this tournament.
This is the status quo near the end of the first week at Melbourne Park in all except one detail. It was the women who were carrying the flag, and Lleyton Hewitt who, with cap over his face and no further business here, was a fidgety spectator.
Kim Clijsters, of Belgium and temporarily Australia, brushed aside Austrian Barbara Schwartz in three quarters of an hour. Since Clijsters is No.5 in the world and came within two points of winning last year's French Open, and Schwartz is a journeywoman who is still feeling her way back from a severe injury that yesterday still needed a big thigh bandage, this was to be expected.
Clijsters said later that her greatest challenge had been show court one's typically blustery wind, compounded for a while yesterday by Schwartz's left-handedness. She dealt with both with consummate efficiency for a 19-year-old, figuring that if she only kept the ball in play, Schwartz would eventually put it out. She did, and she did.
Hewitt and his parents cheered Clijsters on, albeit without an audible "c'mon". But at match's end - denoted by Clijsters' merest clenching of her fist - he made a swift getaway by climbing over the rails and disappearing through the players' exit. Meantime, the court rang to screams of "Kim, Kim", and she nearly wrote off her autograph hand. For this fortnight at least, she deserves to be known as Kim Clijsters, who has a boyfriend.
Clijsters commands the affection of Australian fans, as Hewitt's main squeeze and as a capable tennis player whose star is rising quickly. Two years ago, she was the WTA's most impressive newcomer. Last year, she muscled her way into the top five and won a sportsmanship award, doubtlessly puzzling to Hewitt. In an open draw, she is not without hope of winning here.
Clijsters has spent the last month in Australia, playing the Hopman Cup and in Sydney, which meant that not only had she learnt a game for yesterday's wind, but that she has become so comfortable in our consciousness as to be thought one of us. At a time of temporary shortage of tennis heroes, we are not too proud. We love everyone, as long as they are winners.
Clijsters said she appreciated the warmth of the crowd's favour, and that it had inspired her to victory from a set and a break behind Silvia Farina Elia in Sydney. But she had no identity crisis. "I'm still Belgian, I'm not Australian," she said. Thereafter, she spoke in Flemish.
After losing an epic French final 14-12 to Jennifer Capriati, Clijsters was proud to have been invited to the Belgian royal palace. Assuredly, Hewitt will never be invited to see the queen of his country; she lives too far away. Clijsters, referred to newspapers who described her as a defacto Australian, said she did not read newspapers. This made her a fine match for Hewitt, who does not speak to them.
Truth be told, Clijsters is her own person. She might be fresh-faced and chubby-cheeked like a girl, but she is assured and straightforward in all forums like her idol, Steffi Graf, Tennis provides for a fast maturity for those who embrace it, or none at all.
Fate is a diabolical schemer. In the first round, it pitched "Aussie Kimmie" in against Australian wildcard, Christina Wheeler. Next, Clijsters plays Cindy Watson, which means this zaniest of tournaments has reached a point where one of the feature matches tomorrow will be between Hewitt's girlfriend and an anonymous woman who does not think of herself as a big name even in her home hamlet on the Mornington Peninsula.
Villain one day, hero the next; Clijsters will take it all in her confident stride. It could not be more mercurial than life alongside Lleyton.
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Clijsters an Australian? As Long As She Keeps WinningThree Australians from the same draw fought to win through to the third round of the Australian Open yesterday, and two made it. Another who has been adopted as a quasi-Australian by the crowd also advanced, watched from the stands by an almost incognito partner who is also a player, but was eliminated early from this tournament. This is the status quo near the end of the first week at Melbourne Park in all except one detail. It was the women who were carrying the flag, and Lleyton Hewitt who, with cap over his face and no further business here, was a fidgety spectator. Kim Clijsters, of Belgium and temporarily Australia, brushed aside Austrian Barbara Schwartz in three quarters of an hour. Since Clijsters is No.5 in the world and came within two points of winning last year's French Open, and Schwartz is a journeywoman who is still feeling her way back from a severe injury that yesterday still needed a big thigh bandage, this was to be expected. Clijsters said later that her greatest challenge had been show court one's typically blustery wind, compounded for a while yesterday by Schwartz's left-handedness. She dealt with both with consummate efficiency for a 19-year-old, figuring that if she only kept the ball in play, Schwartz would eventually put it out. She did, and she did. Hewitt and his parents cheered Clijsters on, albeit without an audible "c'mon". But at match's end - denoted by Clijsters' merest clenching of her fist - he made a swift getaway by climbing over the rails and disappearing through the players' exit. Meantime, the court rang to screams of "Kim, Kim", and she nearly wrote off her autograph hand. For this fortnight at least, she deserves to be known as Kim Clijsters, who has a boyfriend. Clijsters commands the affection of Australian fans, as Hewitt's main squeeze and as a capable tennis player whose star is rising quickly. Two years ago, she was the WTA's most impressive newcomer. Last year, she muscled her way into the top five and won a sportsmanship award, doubtlessly puzzling to Hewitt. In an open draw, she is not without hope of winning here. Clijsters has spent the last month in Australia, playing the Hopman Cup and in Sydney, which meant that not only had she learnt a game for yesterday's wind, but that she has become so comfortable in our consciousness as to be thought one of us. At a time of temporary shortage of tennis heroes, we are not too proud. We love everyone, as long as they are winners. Clijsters said she appreciated the warmth of the crowd's favour, and that it had inspired her to victory from a set and a break behind Silvia Farina Elia in Sydney. But she had no identity crisis. "I'm still Belgian, I'm not Australian," she said. Thereafter, she spoke in Flemish. After losing an epic French final 14-12 to Jennifer Capriati, Clijsters was proud to have been invited to the Belgian royal palace. Assuredly, Hewitt will never be invited to see the queen of his country; she lives too far away. Clijsters, referred to newspapers who described her as a defacto Australian, said she did not read newspapers. This made her a fine match for Hewitt, who does not speak to them. Truth be told, Clijsters is her own person. She might be fresh-faced and chubby-cheeked like a girl, but she is assured and straightforward in all forums like her idol, Steffi Graf, Tennis provides for a fast maturity for those who embrace it, or none at all. Fate is a diabolical schemer. In the first round, it pitched "Aussie Kimmie" in against Australian wildcard, Christina Wheeler. Next, Clijsters plays Cindy Watson, which means this zaniest of tournaments has reached a point where one of the feature matches tomorrow will be between Hewitt's girlfriend and an anonymous woman who does not think of herself as a big name even in her home hamlet on the Mornington Peninsula. Villain one day, hero the next; Clijsters will take it all in her confident stride. It could not be more mercurial than life alongside Lleyton.
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