The impressive run of comebacking Belgian tennis star Kim Clijsters in Cincinnati came to an end following a loss to the world’s number one player.
Top-ranked Russian Dinara Safina stepped up on her game to beat Clijsters 6-2, 7-5 in the quarterfinals of the Cincinnati Open on Friday. The Belgian said after the match that her opponent, which she had beaten six out of seven times in the past, improved in her game immensely.
“I really felt today that Dinara played some of her best tennis that I’ve seen. I think by far that’s the best she’s ever played against me,” she said.
The draw for this $2 million tournament just blew wide open when seeded players such as Venus Williams and Serena Williams were ousted in the earlier rounds. This prompted fans to believe that Clijsters, who took a two year break on the tour, has a great chance to win the title. However, Safina knew what to do.
“I know exactly what to expect from her. For me, she’s one of the best players. I thought I was very aggressive today and didn’t let her dictate too much,” the Russian said.
Safina will face Italy’s Flavia Pennetta in the semifinals. Pennetta is currently on a winning streak, winning the LA tournament last week. The Italian is assured to become part of the world’s top ten next week by reaching this stage in the tournament.
In the other semifinal, world number four Elena Dementieva will meet Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic.
