Tough match ... Kim Clijsters in action yesterday. Photo: Anthony Johnson
IF Kim Clijsters was looking for an attritional build-up to the Australian Open, she succeeded. The world No.3 was forced to battle and scrape for three sets and almost as many hours before eventually disposing of Russian Alisa Kleybanova 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) to set up a shot at a potential third Sydney International title tonight.
''I'm pleased with the way I finished off,'' Clijsters said. ''It probably wasn't my best but I had to work for it really hard and I think that's something that's also part of the preparation [for the Open] and something I need.
''Playing that tennis where you have to keep fighting, and where you're not always able to play your own game or the way you like to play, and where you are put under pressure, and you have to try to work your way through points and through matches, you learn a lot and get a lot out of a match like this.
''The tension and everything, it was fun to play a match like this. My first matches were all two sets, a couple of sets were a bit closer but never really in a way like this so it was nice to have a match like that. Physically this was the toughest match I've played and tomorrow I have one more then I'll take the next day off and work my way into Melbourne.''
The only time the pair had met was last year at Indian Wells, and Kleybanova won that battle. She made her intentions clear from the outset yesterday, breaking Clijsters in the opening game.
Kleybanova held the advantage temporarily, however, as Clijsters broke back in the fourth game of the set. Again, unforced errors proved costly as she dropped serve in the seventh game of the set, and this time the Russian was able to serve out a dour set, 6-4.
Clijsters got the jump in the second set and led 4-1, before Kleybanova broke back in the seventh game. The two then produced an epic eighth game which lasted 12 minutes and six deuces, before Clijsters eventually broke and served out the set 6-3 to square the match.
While most expected Clijsters to waltz away with the semi-final at this point, Kleybanova grabbed an early break in the third and she was out to a 3-1 lead. Again the Belgian had to rally, and broke back immediately to put the match back on serve, only to lose the next game to Kleybanova. Clijsters then broke once more and finally held serve to make it 4-4. The pair held their serves and took the set to a tie-breaker, where Clijsters routed Kleybanova 7-1 to take the match.
Clijsters will face China's Li Na tonight after the world No.11's hard-fought 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 semi-final win over Serb Bojana Jovanovski.
''[I've got] nothing to lose because I play her also many times. She's a great player, so, I mean, it's just think like practising now, you know, just show the best tennis on the court. That's all,'' Li said.
The pair have met five times previously, with Clijsters winning on four occasions, and two of those were at this tournament, in 2006, and then in the 2007 semi-final. If Li can get over Clijsters it would not only be the biggest win of her career, but continue her affinity with Australia. Last year she reached the semi-finals in Melbourne at the Open, and in 2008 won on the Gold Coast.
''I don't know why, because Australia's always like the beginning of the season?'' she said when quizzed about her good Australian form. ''Sometimes I do well in the Gold Coast and sometimes I do well in Melbourne and sometimes I do well in Sydney. Always Australia.
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