Serena Williams begins US Open with a convincing singles win over Kim Clijsters
The world’s top-ranked tennis player, the winner of 31 Grand Slam trophies, reached a career-high world ranking of No. 4 last week – and, as ever, she’s in the habit of trying to get the record-breaking No. 1 ranking for herself.
But this time, though, it was Serena Williams who got the top spot when she beat Kim Clijsters in one of the biggest upsets of the year. Now, after Clijsters’ defeat, what may have been the first step towards Williams becoming the world’s top sportsperson was taken: She became the world’s highest-ranked woman.
The Williams/Clijsters victory took place at the US Open yesterday (4 August), the first of the US Open final eight matches to be played this year. Serena, 31, who is ranked world No. 1, has only been this high once before: At the French Open last year, where she beat Marion Bartoli in the final to become the world’s No. 1 for the second time.
This time, Clijsters was Williams’ toughest opponent, the world No. 4’s only real challenger: A player who’s won six grand slams, including the Australian, French and Wimbledon titles. The final was a battle between two extremely powerful forces, and that gave Williams the advantage.
“I just wanted to play against a great opponent,” said Williams afterwards.
Williams, who has won at her home tournament more often than anyone else in history (17 ATP finals), is known for her aggressive and sometimes ruthless style on the court. As a result, she can usually beat anyone she faces, but never seems to concede a game against top opposition.
The match started with a tiebreak. Serena broke to make