Sunday at the US Open saw yet another upset of a top female seed by a lower ranked “nobody.” Oh wait, that wasn’t a nobody – that was Kim Clijsters, 2005 US Open Champion! And the top player was Venus Williams, who has been working the mummy-wrap on her knee since Wimbledon. The crazy scoreline – 6-0, 0-6, 6-4 – hasn’t been seen in a women’s match at the Open since 1975 (per Tennis Channel.) The last set took longer than the first two sets combined.
Even crazier than the score – the No. 3 seed losing to an unranked wildcard wasn’t that big of an upset.
Don’t mind Kim’s tears:
Kimmie explained her joyful reaction after the match:
I think it was the emotions of that last game especially and the crowd and everything. I think, yeah, it just all built up, and it just came out as soon as it was over, after that ace. Yeah, it just felt so good. Just looking at whoever was in the box, just seeing my friends and my family and coach and everybody, was just very special.
The ever-stoic Venus Williams still found a reason to smile on Day 7 – she and Serena beat Wozniacki/Cirstea in doubles and will head into the quarterfinals.
Speaking of smiles and tears. . .I have to mention the Vera Zvonareva vs. Flavia Pennetta match. I tuned in during the second set, just before Flavia got busy saving those six match points Vera had against her. It was an amazing stretch of tennis from both players and some clutch play from Flavia, who won the match 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0. She’s obviously dealing well with the new pressures of being a Top 10 player, but she’ll need to find yet another level when she plays Serena Williams next in the quarters.
REUTERS/Jeff Zelevansky (UNITED STATES SPORT TENNIS) via Daylife
Vera, who was reportedly crying hysterically during her bathroom break, could not keep it together when she returned to court to start the third set. She clawed at the heavy tape wrapping her knees, was reprimanded for an F-Bomb by the chair ump, and eventually plopped down on the court and smacked her legs with the relish of a pimp on payday.
“I didn’t lose my temper.” Vera said after the match. (via NYTimes.)
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