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| November 11, 2003 | Tuesday | Ramazan 15, 1424 |
Mauresmo spoils all-Belgian final
LOS ANGELES, Nov 10: France’s Amelie Mauresmo defeated world No. 1-elect Justine Henin-Hardenne here on Sunday to earn a shot at defending champion Kim Clijsters in the final of the elite season-ending WTA Tour Championships.
Mauresmo, who practically had her bags packed to go home on Saturday, defeated the reigning Roland Garros and US Open champion 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-3, while Clijsters rallied to beat American Jennifer Capriati 4-6, 6-3, 6-0.
“You’re always disappointed when you lose,” said Belgium’s Henin-Hardenne, who started the tournament battling the effects of a sinus infection. “But I have the feeling I gave everything. I wasn’t able to win the match.
“And Amelie played a good match. She came a lot to the net, she serves well. I had chances during the match, in the first and third set. But she always came back and broke me twice.”
Mauresmo, who won titles at Warsaw and last week at Philadelphia to brighten an injury-disrupted season, said the win was one of the biggest of her career.
“The way I finished it off, and the way I handled the loss of the second set against a top player like Justine,” Mauresmo said, “One of the best.”
She dropped her serve to open the third set, but kept her composure and broke back in the second game. Henin-Hardenne netted a high volley to give up her serve in the sixth game, and Mauresmo clung to her advantage, eventually taking the match on her fourth match point.
Despite the defeat, Henin-Hardenne will replace Clijsters atop the rankings when they are released next week, becoming just the eighth player to hold the year-end No. 1 spot.
With both Serena and Venus Williams absent, a Clijsters and Henin-Hardenne had appeared to be on course for another marquee showdown, after Henin-Hardenne defeated her compatriot in the final at both the French and US Opens.
Clijsters did her part, but not before she went a set and a break down to Capriati.
But the American, who strained a hip flexor muscle in her opening match this week, was left to regret an untimely medical timeout.
After breaking Clijsters’ serve to lead 3-2 in the second, Capriati received treatment on court for stiffness and muscle pain — but didn’t win another game in the match.
Clijsters and Mauresmo will reprise their clash in the round-robin phase, which Clijsters won 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
The duo, who won the French Open and Wimbledon doubles title, defeated Zimbabwe’s Cara Black and Russian Elena Likhovtseva 6-3, 6-4 as the doubles competition got underway at the semi-final stage.
They’ll face familiar foes in Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain and Argentinian Paola Suarez, who reached the finals of all four Grand Slams this year.
They defeated US legend Martina Navratilova and Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova 6-4, 6-4.
Collated results:
Singles (semifinals): Kim Clijsters (BEL) bt Jennifer Capriati (USA) 4-6, 6-3, 6-0; Amelie Mauresmo (FRA) bt Justine Henin-Hardenne (BEL) 7-6 (7/2), 3-6, 6-3
Doubles: (semifinals): Kim Clijsters/Ai Sugiyama (BEL/JPN) bt Cara Black/Elena Likhovtseva (ZIM/RUS) 6-3, 6-4; Virgina Ruano Pascual/Paola Suarez (SPA/ARG) bt Martina Navratilova/Svetlana Kuznetsova (USA/RUS) 6-4, 6-4— AFP
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