A Schetty Day for Kim Clijsters
by Christopher Gerby
Dispensing first with the information you could get anywhere else --
Jennifer Capriati, Jelena Dokic, and Martina Hingis all won their
3rd Round matches on Centre Court. (Biggest news I retrieved about
anyone from that trio today: Hingis will be playing doubles with Anna
Kournikova at the US Open. Spice Girls live!) Since we'll be hearing from them
over the next few days, let's instead focus on some of the day's
less widely reported action...
(8) Daniela Hantuchova vs. Amanda Coetzer
Singles: Third Round
Centre Court
24 hours after ousting Elena Dementieva, little Amanda Coetzer faced
another uphill battle against one of the sport's rising stars. Although
seeded just one spot higher than Dementieva, Daniela Hantuchova is
emerging as a far more complete player. Coetzer was her usual battling
self in the opening set, but just could not win the big points against
her taller, stronger, younger opponent. Absolutely pummeling a
cross-court forehand return on set point, Hantuchova took it 6-1 in
just 24 minutes.
Continuing to dictate play from the baseline, the Slovakian charged
ahead 4-1 in the second set. Some untimely errors cost her a break
opportunity in Game 6, keeping Coetzer's hopes alive. A
tension-filled seventh game saw a string of errors and winners off
the dangerous Hantuchova forehand. After six deuces, one more
unforced error from the 19-year-old got Coetzer back on serve at 3-4.
But the rally was short-lived. Hantuchova came out from the changeover
with a renewed sense of purpose and played lights-out tennis. Pushing
the scrappy South American around at will, she broke at 30 and held at
love, firing an ace on the final point of her 6-1, 6-3 victory.
A very strong first serve percentage of 71 was key to Hantuchova's
quick win. "I was trying to go for it also on the second serve because
I knew that I can put her with it under a lot of pressure," Daniela
added in her press conference. Unlike your intrepid reporter,
Hantuchova didn't prefer Thursday's milder weather. "Actually, I like
it when it's really hot, but today was OK. I mean, I really like it
when it's really, really hot." (The grin on her face while she was
dragging out those words almost convinced me she was flirting. Hey,
let a guy dream.) Hantuchova confirmed that Nike will continue its
tradition of giving players special new outfits to debut at the U.S.
Open. "I haven't seen what it's going to be like, but hopefully it's
going to be something nice," she said with another smile. Ah, Daniela,
we hope so too.
(4) Kim Clijsters vs. Barbara Schett
Singles: Third Round
Court 1
Court 1 held mixed blessings for Barbara Schett on Wednesday. She
scored her best singles victory of the year over Chanda Rubin in
the afternoon, but squandered a huge lead in an evening doubles match
with Anna Kournikova. "We were both shocked," Barbara said of that loss (extensively covered by your
friends at On The Line) to Rika Fujiwara and Ai Sugiyama. "6-1,
3-love, we thought, I mean, this was it. We were a double break up and
were not aggressive anymore. It was a bad loss. Shouldn't have
happened. We were not very happy about it." Schett would get an
immediate chance to vanquish those demons on Thursday, facing Kim
Clijsters on the very same court.
Coming out very flat after playing six sets of tennis on Wednesday,
Clijsters fell behind 0-4, winning just five points along the way.
Three separate cries of "c'mon Kim!" from fans in the stands seemed
to wake up the Belgian, who hit some very strong groundstrokes in
breaking Schett for 1-4. Schett would extend the lead to 5-2, but
not before facing another break point against the gradually improving
Clijsters. Kim finally did get the break in Game 9, hitting an
impeccable drop shot and a massive forehand winner in the process.
Understandably frustrated, Schett managed to bounce her racket four
times on the walk from the baseline to her chair.
Just as quickly as she got back into the set, Clijsters put herself
in trouble, committing three unforced errors to give Schett a set
point. The Austrian then struck a return which appeared to land an inch or
two over the baseline, but no call was forthcoming. "See the
mark? No, it's not!" bellowed a livid Clijsters at the sunglasses-sporting
linesman. Asked about that call after the match, Kim gave one of the
run-on, motormouth dissertations we're coming to know and love from
her. "It's hard for linesmen because the balls come quick and I
took it quite fast, because it was really deep and I took it straight
after the bounce and that makes it hard for the linesman to see and to
correct straight away, but on the other hand, you know, it was a big
point and I had two bad line calls which the chair umpire overruled
already and that happened on set point. But you know something? Like,
during the match, it can be frustrating, I think, because we're trying
to do best and we're trying to be professional and we sort of expect a
little bit the same from the linespeople and everybody else."
Rather than lose focus after that incident, Clijsters seemed to come
out more determined in the second set. She was holding serve
comfortably, but Schett was staying even with her, continuing to do
damage from the backcourt. The players became more intense and
competitive as the set went on. When Schett began to argue a fault
call in Game 7, Clijsters ran up to the line and churlishly banged
her racket on the mark. Schett survived a multi-deuce battle in
that game and won her next service round at love for a 5-4 lead.
Clijsters opened Game 10 with a serve out wide that was called a fault,
but then ruled an ace by the chair umpire (a man named Chavez).
Convinced that she deserved to play a let at worst, Schett went
off on the umpire: "That's unbelievable! You cannot do that! Really
great. If I lose this match because of you..." She never finished
that thought, but Chavez almost seemed to take her up on the threat.
Kim's very next serve was another fault overruled by the umpire,
prompting Schett to ask, "Are you doing this on purpose now?"
Perhaps too
angry to get nervous, Barbara played well for the rest of the game,
taking a 15-40 lead.
On that double match point, Clijsters drove a backhand long. Practically
before the ball even landed, the # 4 seed stormed off the court,
having lost a surprising 6-4, 6-4 heartbreaker. While giving Schett
credit for her performance, Clijsters blamed the
loss on fatigue. "I had to play my best tennis if I wanted to beat
her and I didn't, so I felt a little bit tired, I think, and maybe
not as fresh as I should."
Meanwhile, I asked Schett about her old
penchant for struggling to close out big matches. "I always tended
to play a little bit less aggressive when the match was getting closer,
towards the end. I worked on that. I'm still working on that. I think
I'm still not as aggressive as I should be at the end, but yesterday
and today it turned out to be good and I'm happy about it." Of course,
matters at the end were complicated by those back-to-back overrules.
"Of course at that point in the match you are a little bit more
nervous -- especially me, I'm very emotional. And then I was
complaining a little bit, but it turned out to be good at the end."
It's become quite a renaissance week for Schett, whom most observers
would have pegged as being in the twilight of her career by now.
Trying to explain where she's been since her brief stint in the Top 10,
Barbara said, "I just lost my confidence and there were some personal
reasons, like three years ago, and this year I just didn't really
have lots of confidence." (The personal problems in question would be
her breakup with former coach/fiance Thomas Prerovsky, who sold
salacious stories about their relationship to a London tabloid.) "This
feels really good and I think this could be a turning point."
(5) Dementieva/Husarova vs. Clijsters/Dokic
Doubles: Quarterfinal
Court 2
Another weird, brief rain delay hit Jarry Park before the day's
marquee doubles matches could get underway. Finding absolutely
packed stands at Court 1 (where Capriati/Navratilova fans did The Wave
while waiting), I headed to Court 2 instead. It was a fortuitous turn
of events, as I wound up catching what should hold up as the match of
the week...
An upset win over top-seeded Lisa Raymond and Rennae Stubbs on
Wednesday apparently brought Kim Clijsters and Jelena Dokic closer
together. The new (and staggeringly successful thus far) partners
tripled the communication efforts of their first round win. Facing
Elena Dementieva and Janette Husarova, Clijsters/Dokic engaged in many
between-point strategy conferences, had the little hand slaps going,
and seemed to enjoy each other's company during the changeovers.
Maybe they're getting too close: Clijsters sneezed early in the
opening set, making me wonder if she caught the flu bug which dogged Dokic
last week in Los Angeles.
Dementieva was the only player to avoid having her serve broken as the
# 5 seeds grabbed a 3-2 lead. In the next game, Clijsters and Dokic
flew off the handle about a person in the stands who was somehow
distracting them. "I saw it! That's the second time," Kim yelled,
putting her fingers to her lips in a smoking gesture. "He does it
all the time," a scowling Dokic chimed in. To
this moment, I still have no idea who they were referring to or
exactly what his objectionable behavior was. After Dokic held at
love for 3-4, Clijsters gave her a very enthusiastic, ticked-off looking
high five. Continuing to argue about the distracting spectator,
Clijsters asked chair umpire Carolyn Cramer, "Why do you think he
always sits there?" (Remind me to ask Dokic about this tomorrow.)
Clijsters came out like a house on fire in Game 8, putting away an
angry smash, calling a ball out with one of those raised fingers from
juniors tennis, and pumping her fist when a Dementieva error brought
the score to 4-4. Dementieva used a sterling backhand pass to break
right back...before dropping her own serve for 5-all. It was very
exciting, topsy-turvy stuff, with three of the players mostly whaling away
from the baseline while Husarova buzzed around the net looking
for opportunities to poach. Holds by Dokic and Husarova forced a
first set tiebreak...
- KC serving: Clijsters sends a forehand long and angrily whacks the ball back over the net -- 1-0 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- ED: Double fault by Dementieva, rather unsportingly applauded by Dokic's mother -- 1-1
- ED: Clijsters nets a forehand return -- 2-1 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- JD: Dementieva misses with a backhand, then mimics the proper stroke -- 2-2
- JD: Husarova rips a forehand return off Kim's racket -- 3-2 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- JH: Forehand pass by Dokic sails way over the baseline -- 4-2 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- JH: Winning forehand by Clijsters, who shouts "come on!" -- 4-3 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- KC: Dementieva vs. Clijsters baseline duel ends when Husarova comes from out of nowhere to knock off a volley -- 5-3 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- KC: Husarova gets nothing but net with a backhand return -- 5-4 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- ED: Clijsters puts away a high backhand volley -- 5-5
- ED: Another long rally ending in a successful Husarova poach -- 6-5 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- JD: Dementieva nets a backhand return and screams -- 6-6
- JD: An ambitious Husarova lob lands long -- 7-6 CLIJSTERS/DOKIC
- JH: A big Dokic return forces an errant Dementieva volley -- 8-6 CLIJSTERS/DOKIC
A break of Husarova's serve early in the second set appeared to have
the wild cards well on their way. When Dokic held for 7-6, 3-1, she
and Clijsters simultaneously pumped their fists like some kind of
fiery synchronized swimming tandem. Dementieva and Husarova are no
quitters, though. They earned their first title of the year
after getting bageled in the opening set of the Rome final. Picking up
the level of their games here as the evening sun began to set,
they broke Dokic at love for 3-3.
Game 7 ended with Husarova missing a forehand on break point and
glaring in the direction of whoever Kim and Jelena had been complaining
about. Dokic took that as vindication and laid into umpire Cramer
again: "The whole match it's been like that, but you won't do
anything about it! It's a joke!" Clijsters would then consolidate
the break, but Dementieva staved off elimination with a love hold
for 4-5.
Elena and Janette steamrolled through the Belgian's
attempt to serve out the match, using great angles and court coverage
to break Clijsters at love. Two games later, a correct, undisputed overrule
on a Dokic backhand ended the set in favor of Dementieva/Husarova 7-5.
They immediately departed for a bathroom break, leaving Clijsters and
Dokic to ponder what might have been.
The deciding third set was as wild and wooly as they come. Clijsters
went into what Mary Carillo calls "smoke 'em if you got 'em mode,"
with big swings and bad intentions on every point. In her overaggressiveness,
she hit one overhead off the frame of her racket, which she kissed
after the ball fluttered in for a lucky winner. The power hitting
intimidated her opponents so much that Dementieva started standing on
the baseline whenever Husarova would serve to Clijsters. (At first I
thought Elena was just gunshy after being hit by the ball a few times,
but then I saw that Janette was actually ordering her back there as
a strategy move.)
A whopping seven service breaks in the set's first nine games left Dokic and
Clijsters within a game of victory at 5-4. During the changeover,
they clasped hands and raised them like running mates on election night. The celebration was premature. Dementieva, arguably
the most awkward doubles player of the quartet, smoked a couple
winning passes on the way to yet another break for 5-all.
The players
were all completely throwing their hearts into the match now. Game 11
saw Clijsters make a great lunging stab and a scrambling save off
the net cord in the same rally, only to lose it when Husarova angled off
a delicate winner. Clijsters drew a huge ovation for her efforts and
went right back to tomahawking every ball as if she could get bonus
points for knocking the cover off it. Dementieva and Husarova fought
off two break points in the game, but finally succumbed for 5-6. But
if you think Clijsters then wrapped up the match with a tidy service
hold, think again. Husarova was the star of Game 12, winning points
with a drop volley and a clutch forehand winner. Clijsters netted a
high backhand on double break point to force the inevitable third set
tiebreak...
- ED serving: Clijsters shrugs after missing a forehand -- 1-0 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- KC: Clijsters serves a double fault; code violation for then whacking the ball over the back fence -- 2-0 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- KC: Dementieva drills a forehand past a lunging Clijsters -- 3-0 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- JH: Dementieva puts away a high forehand volley -- 4-0 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- JH: Husarova guides a forehand winner down the line and pumps her fist -- 5-0 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- JD: Dokic double faults and momentarily forgets to switch sides -- 6-0 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
- JD: Another Dokic second serve lands behind the line on match point -- 7-0 DEMENTIEVA/HUSAROVA
After 2 hours and 19 minutes of action-packed tennis, Clijsters and
Dokic apparently had nothing left in the tank for the climactic
tiebreak. But the long period of rhythmic applause the appreciative
fans gave both teams before that 'breaker is a testament to the
unforgettable match they'd played. In all, there were 33 break points,
with 21 of them converted -- just about unheard of numbers, especially in
doubles. Not all of it was pretty or technically sound, but the 6-7,
7-5, 7-6 Dementieva/Husarova win was incredible entertainment.
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Last updated 26 September 2015
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