Clijsters comeback lights up Day One
Kim Clijsters posted a triumphant return to the US Open tennis on Monday, four years after being crowned queen of New York.
The 26-year-old former world number one, who only returned to competitive tennis at the start of the month after more than two years of retirement, hammered Ukraine’s Viktoriya Kutuzova 6-1, 6-1 in just 58 minutes.
It was another clear demonstration that she has lost little of the power and talent that took her to the top of the world rankings and her unseeded category will make her a dangerous floater in the bottom half of the draw.
Clijsters was given the honour of playing the opening match on the Arthur Ashe Stadium central court, her first appearance at Flushing Meadows since she defeated Mary Pierce in straight sets in the 2005 final. She was unable to defend her title the following year due to injury and then retired from the game in May, 2007, to marry and have a baby, only returning to action earlier this month. The Belgian got off to a storming start by winning the first seven points against her 21-year-old opponent. That set the tone and she totally dominated the east European who once was touted as a potential top tenner.
Clijsters, who hit 17 winners and was 70 percent on her first serve, won the last eight points of the match against a demoralised opponent to smoothly move into the second round. “It was nice to come out here on centre court and open the tournament, as I didn't get to do so as defending champion a few years ago,” said Clijsters. “I’m glad I won in two sets without wasting too much energy. I had a few butterflies, more than I normally do.” It was a complete entertainment for the US open tennis fans who bought tickets for this match.More over online streaming of this match was reportedly high too.
The win was the sixth for Clijsters against two losses since she launched her comeback and moved her forward to a potential second round clash against French 14th seed Marion Bartoli, whom she beat in straight sets in her first match back in Cincinnati.
Also through early on the first day was Belarussian eighth seed Victoria Azarenka, who defeated Alexandra Dulgheru of Romania by an identical 6-1, 6-1 score, and Polish 12th seed Agnieszka Radwanska, who ousted Patria Mayr of Austria 6-1- 6-2.
It was a far tougher opener for Australia’s 15th seed Samantha Stosur, who was taken all the way by 34-yearold Japanese veteran Ai Sugiyama before winning 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. The French Open semifinalist started slowly in the first two sets, hitting back to win the first but dropping the second against an opponent who was playing in her 16th consecutive US Open draw.
Stosur regained control of the match early in the third set, breaking Sugiyama’s serve in the fourth game. But Sugiyama levelled it at 3-3. Games went with serve after that until the 10th game when Sugiyama hit a backhand long on the third match point for the Australian.
It was a welcome win from Stosur, who will next play US youngster Vania King, who was 2-1 up in the opening set against Anastasiya Yakimova when the Belarussian retired. Day 2 US Open tennis tickets sold like hot cakes. Below is the day1 (Round 1) mens and women's result.
Men First Round US Open results Day 1
Roger Federer (1) def. Devin Britton 6-1, 6-3, 7-5
Andy Roddick (5) def. Bjorn Phau 6-1, 6-4, 6-2
Nikolay Davydenko (8) def. Dieter Kindlmann 6-3, 6-4, 7-5
Robin Soderling (12) def. Albert Montanes 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Tommy Robredo (14) def. Donald Young 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
Radek Stepanek (15) def. Simone Bolelli 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Tommy Haas (20) def. Alejandro Falla 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 6-2
James Blake (21) def. Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo 6-1, 6-4, 7-5
Philipp Kohlschreiber (23) def. Andreas Seppi 6-0, 6-4, 6-4
Mikhail Youzhny def. Paul-Henri Mathieu (26) 2-6, 7-5, 6-0, 6-2
John Isner def. Victor Hanescu (28) 6-1, 7-6 (16-14), 7-6 (7-5)
Lleyton Hewitt (31) def. Thiago Alves 6-0, 6-3, 6-4
Simon Greul def. Giovanni Lapentti 6-3, 4-6, 3-6, 6-0, 7-6 (11-9)
Marco Chiudinelli def. Potito Starace 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-2), 6-0
Guillermo Garcia-Lopez def. Peter Polansky 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 6-1
Robert Kendrick def. Martin Vassallo Arguello 6-3, 6-2, 6-2
Leonardo Mayer def. Andrey Golubev 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3
Marcel Ilhan def. Christophe Rochus 3-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-5
Marcel Granollers def. Mischa Zverev 2-6, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, 6-0
Somdev Dev Varman def. Frederico Gil 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
Olivier Rochus def. Igor Kunitsyn 6-3, 6-0, 6-2
Marc Gicquel def. Dmitry Tursunov 6-2, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3
Jan Hernych def. Rainer Schuettler 1-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
Juan Ignacio Chela def. Oscar Hernandez 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
Women First Round US Open results Day 1
Serena Williams (2) def. Alexa Glatch 6-4, 6-1
Venus Williams (3) def. Vera Dushevina 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-3
Vera Zvonareva (7) def. Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-0, 6-4
Victoria Azarenka (8) def. Alexandra Dulgheru 6-1, 6-1
Flavia Pennetta (10) def. Edina Gallovits 6-0, 6-4
Agnieszka Radwanska (12) def. Patricia Mayr 6-1, 6-2
Marion Bartoli (14) def. Rossana de los Rios 6-1, 6-0
Samantha Stosur (15) def. Ai Sugiyama 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Amelie Mauresmo (17) def. Tatjana Malek 6-3, 6-4
Na Li (18) def. Ioana Raluca Olaru 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
Anabel Medina Garrigues (20) def. Gail Brodsky 6-4, 6-4
Daniela Hantuchova (22) def. Meghann Shaughnessy 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
Kai-Chen Chang def. Kaia Kanepi (25) 6-0, 2-6, 6-2
Francesca Schiavone (26) def. Yvonne Meusburger 6-1, 6-2
Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez def. Sybille Bammer (28) 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (7-5)
Elena Vesnina (31) def. Lucie Hradecka 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
Michelle Larcher De Brito def. Mathilde Johansson 1-6, 7-5, 6-1
Angelique Kerber def. Andrea Petkovic 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
Kim Clijsters def. Viktoria Kutuzova 6-1, 6-1
Sania Mirza def. Olga Govortsova 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Vania King def. Anastasiya Yakimova 2-1
Stefanie Voegele def. Alberta Brianti 6-7 (10-12), 6-1, 6-3
Bethanie Mattek-Sands def. Iveta Benesova 6-3, 6-4
Magdalena Rybarikova def. Valerie Tetreault 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
Timea Bacsinszky def. Vesna Manasieva 6-3, 6-4
Barbora Zahlavova Strycova def. Marta Domachowska 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
Jill Craybas def. Carly Gullickson 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
Kirsten Flipkens def. Jelena Dokic 6-3, 6-4
Melinda Czink def. Maria Camerin 6-3, 6-4
Anna Chakvetadze def. Yurika Sema 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
Aleksandra Wozniak def. Laura Granville 6-1, 7-6 (9-7)
Maria Kirilenko def. Mariya Koryttseva 6-2, 6-1
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