NEW YORK — Kim Clijsters cradled her baby in one hand, the trophy in the other. The joy of motherhood. The joy of winning the U.S. Open.
Clijsters made history Sunday night, capping a comeback from two years out of tennis to become the first unseeded woman to win the Open — and the first mom to win a major since 1980 — with a 7-5, 6-3 victory over No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki.
When it was over, Clijsters collapsed to the court and started crying — tears of joy, probably mixed in with a little bit of shock too. Her 18-month-old daughter, Jada, watched from a suite with a pacifier in her mouth but later came down to the court to take part in the celebration.
“It was not really our plan,” Clijsters said. “I just wanted to start these three tournaments and get back into the rhythm of playing tennis and get used to the surroundings again.”
This was Clijsters’ second U.S. Open title, the last coming in 2005 — her last appearance at Flushing Meadows and before a spate of nagging injuries eventually drove her out of the sport.
Some might have called it the mother of all upsets, but by the time she reached the final, against the resilient 19-year-old from Denmark, it was hard to view it that way.
Clijsters beat both Williams sisters and two other players seeded in the teens. She matched Venus and Serena power shot for power shot and showed she could play Wozniacki’s patient game — and play it better.
This match was a waiting game, and when Clijsters fell behind 4-2 in the first set, she showed she was willing to play it. A 29-shot rally here, a 25-shot rally there. Drop shots and lobs. Clijsters did that. Went for more too, and finished with two more winners than unforced errors (36-34) — a good ratio on any day — and 26 more winners than Wozniacki.
On the men’s side, Roger Federer punctuated his latest U.S. Open victory with a shot he called, quite simply, the greatest of his life: a between-the-legs, back-to-the-net, cross-court winner from the baseline.
A point later, with the crowd in hysterics and opponent Novak Djokovic still in shock, the world’s top-ranked player closed out the 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5 victory to move one win from his sixth straight U.S. Open title.
OK, who’s got next? Juan Martin del Potro is the lucky guy whose first career Grand Slam final will come today against Federer. Earlier in the day, No. 6 del Potro beat No. 3 Rafael Nadal 6-2, 6-2, 6-2.
Fourth-seeded Djokovic fought for more than 2 1/2 hours on a day that grew windy at Arthur Ashe Stadium, hanging with Federer and even grabbing two break points late in the third set to briefly see a glimmer of hope.
Some things, though, there are no answers for, and the winner Federer hit to set up match point was Exhibit A. It’s the kind of shot every tennis player has tried — oh, a thousand times or so.
The best player in the world practices it too.
“A lot, actually,” he said. “But they never work. That’s why, I guess, it was the greatest shot I ever hit in my life.”
Ahead 6-5 and 30-0 in the third set, Federer sprinted to the net to return a Djokovic drop shot, then Djokovic finessed a lob over Federer’s head that bounced inside the baseline. Federer had nothing to lose, of course, so he ran back and hit the circus shot. Djokovic could only stand there and smile.
Kramer, 88, dies.
Jack Kramer, a tennis champion in the 1940s and 1950s and a promoter of the sport for more than 60 years, has died at his home in Los Angeles. He was 88.
AT A GLANCE
A brief look at Sunday’s play:
Weather: High of 80.
Men’s semifinals: No. 1 Roger Federer and No. 6 Juan Martin del Potro advanced to the finals.
Men’s doubles finals: Lukas Dlouhy, Czech Republic, and Leander Paes (4), India, def. Mahesh Bhupathi, India, and Mark Knowles (3), Bahamas, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.
Women’s doubles semifinals: Cara Black, Zimbabwe, and Liezel Huber (1), U.S., def. Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs (3), Australia, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1.
Stat of the day: Rafael Nadal’s 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 loss to Juan Martin del Potro was his worst defeat in a Grand Slam tournament.
On TV today: Men’s final, 2 p.m. KCNC-4; women’s doubles final, 11 a.m., ESPN2
