Flushing Meadows, NY (My Sportsbook) - Former champion Kim Clijsters was an easy quarterfinal winner Tuesday at the U.S. Open. The wild card Clijsters handled 18th-seeded Chinese Li Na 6-2, 6-4 in 63 minutes at Ashe Stadium. Clijsters converted on her second match point against Li, who misfired wide with one final forehand on Day 9 at the Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center. The victory marked Clijsters' 100th in Grand Slam action. The 26-year-old Clijsters broke Li's serve four times, compared to only one break for the Chinese, who helped the Belgian's cause by piling up 41 unforced errors. Clijsters will meet Tuesday night's Serena Williams-Flavia Pennetta winner in the semifinals. The Belgian star has reached at least the semis in her last six major events. The former world No. 1 Clijsters toppled third-seeded Venus Williams here on Sunday. Clijsters captured the U.S. Open back in 2005 and was the runner-up here in 2003. She returned to the WTA Tour just last month after retiring in the spring of 2007 in order to start a family. The Belgian, who has won her last 12 matches in Flushing, is playing in her first U.S. Open since winning the title here four years ago. The quarterfinals will conclude here on Wednesday when ninth-seeded Dane Caroline Wozniacki meets upstart American Melanie Oudin and Belgian teenager Yanina Wickmayer takes on Ukrainian Kateryna Bondarenko. Wozniacki was a hardcourt titlist in New Haven two weeks ago. |
