By Pete Borello
Clijsters, 18, stuns Davenport for title
The runner-up in three Women’s Tennis Association tournaments since March, including the French Open, it seemed like only a matter of time before Kim Clijsters won one.
Her time came last Sunday at Stanford University, where the 18-year-old Belgian defeated veteran Lindsay Davenport for the singles championship of the Bank of the West Classic.
Clijsters pulled out a 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-1 win over Davenport to collect a check for $90,000.
“I’m really happy to have a title this year,” Clijsters said. “I won a few last year, but this means more to me.”
And it didn’t come easy.
Clijsters had to shake off losing a second-set tiebreaker to capture the fourth and arguably most prominent singles title of her two-year career as a pro.
It marked her first win in five tries against Davenport, who dispatched Clijsters 6-1, 6-2 at Wimbledon a month ago.
Clijsters couldn’t match the power of second-seeded Davenport, who stands six inches taller and regularly unleashes serves of more than 100 mph.
But No. 3 Clijsters awed the near-capacity crowd at Stanford’s Taube Family Tennis Stadium with her dazzling dropshots and fancy footwork.
Clijsters, known for skidding and stretching so far to reach shots she nearly does the splits, burned a hole through her shoe and sock during Sunday’s nearly two-hour match.
“I always slide,” Clijsters said. “People don’t understand how I do it; it’s just natural to me.”
While Clijsters was wearing out her shoes, the 25-year-old Davenport was simply wearing out.
“I just felt like I wasn’t 100 percent there,” said Davenport, who’s reached the Bank of the West finals four years in a row and won titles in 1998 and ‘99. “I felt like my return was pretty awful through the whole match and I really couldn’t get anything going. I was flat-footed and waiting around.”
Davenport often beat herself, finishing with 44 unforced errors. She also was just two of 11 on break-point conversions.
Clijsters, on the other hand, had 30 unforced errors and converted six of her 12 break-point opportunities.
“I was more consistent today,” Clijsters said. “I was returning well and defending well. I kept trying to move from side to side, and it worked.”
Clijsters got off to a 4-1 lead in the first set, in which she broke serve three times.
The second set was a different story, as both players held serve throughout.
Clijsters scored the initial two points of the tiebreaker, but Davenport battled back with three straight to seize the momentum.
“After the second set, it was like, ‘Don’t tell me I’m going to lose another final,’” Clijsters said.
Not to be denied, she fought even harder against a withering Davenport, who changed from a red to light green outfit between sets to combat the heat.
After earning a split in the first two games, Clijsters broke serve twice on her way to winning the next five games and the championship.
The victory helped Clijsters climb from sixth to fifth in the world rankings, which were released Monday. Davenport remained fourth.
Other highlights from the six-day tournament at Stanford:
Unseeded Janet Lee and Wynne Prakusya captured the doubles title Sunday with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-3 win over No 2 Nicole Arendt and Caroline Vis. The winners earned $28,000 for their efforts.
Top seed Venus Williams, the defending Bank of the West singles champion, was upset by No. 5 Meghann Shaughnessy 2-6, 7-5, 7-6 (4) in Friday’s quarterfinals.
No. 4 Monica Seles reached Saturday’s semifinals, falling 6-4, 6-2 to Davenport. In the other semifinal, Clijsters beat Shaughnessy 6-3, 2-6, 6-1.
Unseeded Jana Kandarr of Germany surprised No. 6 Amy Frazier 7-5 (3), 6-7, 6-3 in Thursday’s third round.
