Williams closes on 4th U.S. Open title
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By JEFF WILLIAMS newsday - Published: September 9, 2009
NEW YORK — Serena Williams had her game face on. She hit winners, big serves and forced errors from Flavia Pennetta with little emotion.
Only at the end, after she had knocked off the No. 10 seed, 6-4, 6-3, Tuesday night did she burst into a pony trot of joy. She's getting closer to her only goal, to win a fourth U.S. Open and a 12th major singles title. Next stop is the semifinals, where she will meet Kim Clijsters, who gave birth to her first child in February and is returning to tennis after two years off. Clijsters dispatched Li Na, 6-2, 6-4, Tuesday.
Williams, the defending Open champion and titleholder at Australia and Wimbledon this year, hasn't lost a set in this tournament and hasn't been tested. Second-seeded here, Williams is also one of only two remaining seeds in the women's draw, the other being No. 8 Caroline Wozniacki, who plays Melanie Oudin Wednesday night. Williams is 23-1 in Grand Slam events this year.
To win that 24th major match, she will have to get past the quickest and most experienced player she has faced at the Open, and the champion in 2005. She watched Clijsters beat her sister Venus in the fourth round.
"It seems like she's moving faster now," Williams said. "I'm thinking maybe I should have a baby and come back faster."
Clijsters' five matches have alternated between routine and ruffling. Li gave her trouble in spurts, just not enough of them. Clijsters won two matches against Viktoriya Kutuzova and Kirsten Flipkens by giving up a total of four games. She lost the first set against Marion Bartoli, then won the next two, 6-2, 6-2. She bageled Venus Williams in the first set, then got bageled herself in the second and won the third set, 6-4. That's the way it's often been for her even before motherhood. Clijsters can be on a run or be run over, sometimes in the same match.
Serena Williams has had Clijsters' number during their matches that go back to 1999, winning seven of eight with Clijsters' only victory coming on carpet indoors.
They first met in the third round of the Open in 1999. After splitting the first two sets, Clijsters was up 5-2 in third. She remembers clearly what happened.
"I was kind of just bringing a lot of balls back and she was kind of missing them," Clijsters said. "But then, at 5-2 in the third set, she just, bang, started going for aces, started hitting winners. Like something switched in her head. That's something the great players can do, and she definitely has it."
Williams went on to win that U.S. Open at age 17. "I think she's always been able to step it up in the Grand Slams," Clijsters said. "She has that face where she's like, 'OK, I'm here to do business.""
The business face was on full display Tuesday night.
"I see it in photos afterward and I'm pretty horrified," Williams said. "I think, who is that person?"
Only the most dangerous player in the field.
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