Belgian fourth seed Kim Clijsters, who had lost all four of her previous grand
slam finals, finally won her elusive first major title at the US Open with an
emphatic 6-3 6-1 rout of Mary Pierce.
The 22-year-old has enjoyed a remarkable return to form following her left
wrist surgery in June 2004.
Ranked as low as 134 in the world on March 6, she has won a tour-best seven
titles and is 56-6 this year.
It was the second crushing loss to a Belgian in a major final this year for
French 12th seed Pierce, who managed just two games against Justine
Henin-Hardenne in the French Open - a defeat she avenged in the fourth round
here.
The winner of the 1995 Australian Open and the 2003 French Open, Pierce was
broken in the first game of the match and never recovered.
She was broken twice twice more in the first set and in the second and sixth
games of the second set.
Serving for the match at 5-1, Clijsters saved two break points before closing
out the 65-minute clash on her second match point with a service winner.
Clijsters dropped her racquet, hugged Pierce and climbed into the crowd to hug
her entourage.
The first Frenchwoman to reach the final here, 30-year-old Pierce was the
oldest Grand Slam finalist since 37-year-old Martina Navratilova lost to
Conchita Martinez in the 1994 Wimbledon decider.
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