Ousted Kim Clijsters preparing for a long haul

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The Belgian mom of three, stepped on a Centre Court for the first time in years. - Photo my M. Sajjad
The Belgian mom of three, stepped on a Centre Court for the first time in years. - Photo my M. Sajjad

Dubai - Dubai will be hoping that the Belgian star will come back next year and go the whole hog.

By James Jose

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Published: Tue 18 Feb 2020, 10:41 PM

Last updated: Wed 19 Feb 2020, 12:46 AM

It started right when she emerged from the players' tunnel and into the bright lights of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium. It could've been the Arthur Ashe Stadium, or for that matter, Rod Laver Arena. The reception was such, one befitting a former world No.1, a four-time Grand Slam champion.
But this was different.
This was after Kim Clijsters got the seven-year itch, so to say. The Belgian mom of three, was stepping on a Centre Court for the first time in years. The crowd, a multicultural Dubai, a lot of them with Belgian flags, gave the 36-year-old a raucous welcome.
Her every shot, her forehand, her famous double-handed backhand, her run to the net, her slide, her each and every move was met with cheers. Garbine Muguruza, her opponent on the other side of the net, couldn't begrudge Clijsters. In fact, after an hour and 37 minutes, after Muguruza had shaken the crowd from the dream, the Spaniard was humble enough and pointed to the crowd to applaud her illustrious opponent, a legend of the sport.
The fans may have wanted this dream to last, a fairytale to happen. But it was not to be. Clijsters knew it herself. One match doesn't make a whole story. She knows it will take many more matches to get back in the groove. But the early signs were good and she liked what she saw.
"A little bit," Clijsters said smiling, when asked if she had it in her. "I think this whole week has been a big step forward for me and the whole team. It might take 10 matches to get the way I played in the second set," added the three-time US Open champion.
Quite obviously, that rustiness did show at the beginning, in fact, during the warm-up, when she kept missing her timing a little bit.
And that was to be the theme in the first set, that was sprinkled with flashes of brilliance. "My timing in the first set, my footing, just kept looking for it. I felt a few times it was there, then it would be off a few points. The second set I felt I was really in the match. I felt like for a while I was dominating some of the points. I think that's a good feeling to have," said Clijsters.
The reaction at her home has been mixed with daughter Jada backing her while son Jack hoping she loses so that she can come home early.
On this evidence, Clijsters is preparing for the long haul. "I have patience, believe it or not. I'm going to, yeah, work my way into it and fight. We'll see what happens," she said.
Dubai will be hoping that Clijsters will come back next year and go the whole hog. And if she does, Jack will have to wait a little while longer.
Until then, see ya, Kim.
james@khaleejtimes.com

Clijsters still got game, reckons Muguruza
 
Dubai - World No.16 Garbine Muguruza was in a rather unique position to know first hand what it was like to face former world No.1 Kim Clijsters and the Spaniard reported that the Belgian still has game.
"Excited to be the first one on her third comeback. She has tennis over there," said ninth seed Muguruza, who came through 6-2, 7-6 (6) in the first round of the WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
" I'm sure she's going to get better and better, for sure give us a lot of trouble. I think she played really well after all these years, mom, there's so much stuff. I think this is just special because I didn't know how she was going to play. I know she can play incredible. She did at some point play incredible level," added the 2016 French Open and 2017 Wimbledon champion.
james@khaleejtimes.com
 
 
 
 


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