Kim Clijsters powers to third US Open title at Flushing Meadows
Published:Kim Clijsters crushed Vera Zvonareva 6-2 6-1 to win her third US Open title in New York.
Clijsters was in dominant mood as she added the 2010 crown to her triumphs in 2005 and 2009.
Having not played the event from 2006-2008, Clijsters has now won 21 matches in a row at Flushing Meadows. Only Chris Evert (31) has won more since the Open era began.
The disappointing final was the tournaments most one-sided since the professional era was ushered in back in 1969 – Zvonareva melting under the lights of the Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Clijsters’ experience of the big occasion in New York appeared to pay dividends as she made a fast start and never looked back.
Zvonareva sent a backhand long in the sixth game to hand Clijsters the first break of serve.
Sadly for the Russian it was far from a rare unforced error. By the end of the match she had racked up 24 and hit only six winners.
The errors flowed from her racquet as Clijsters went on a mid-match, seven-game winning streak to all but clinch the trophy.
The contest was over in exactly one hour and it left Zvonareva in tears as she sat back in the seat to reflect on what had just unfolded.
However, Clijsters has never won the Australian Open, French Open or Wimbledon and will now set her sights on filling the big gaps in her CV.
Rafael Nadal will face Novak Djokovic in the men’s final tonight after torrential rain meant it could not go ahead last night and Nadal is a strong 2/5 favourite to complete his career grand slam.
Djokovic is 7/4 to cause an upset. See the full US Open tennis betting market here.
