Clijsters Outlasts Davenport for WTA Indian Wells Title
Posted on March 20, 2005Former No. 1 Kim Clijsters, currently ranked outside the Top 100 after an extended layoff due to wrist surgery, announced her return as a force with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 win over world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport Saturday in the final at the WTA stop in Indian Wells.
"It's amazing. I was sitting, after we shook hands, on the chair and I just couldn't believe it," Clijsters said. "I was just sitting there looking at my mom and my coach in my box, saying, 'You know, this is true.' I was looking up at the score board."
Down 0-4 to begin the match, Clijsters ripped off six games in a row to take the first set, and held her nerve in the third after the American leveled the match. It was only the second event of 2005 for Clijsters, who lost to Venus Williams in the quarterfinals in her return weeks ago at Antwerp.
"It was crazy," Davenport said. "You know, started off really well and was really excited about that. Kind of continued where I was yesterday, being aggressive and going for my shots. Was able in those first few games to pull out some close ones and get a good lead. As quickly as I was pulling those games out, I was losing them."
With the win Clijsters became the lowest-ranked player in WTA Tour history to win a Tier I event.
"You know, it doesn't happen that often that you have the crowd support behind you straightaway from the beginning of the match," Clijsters said.
Davenport dropped to 1-3 in finals this year after losing to Serena Williams at the Australian Open, and to Maria Sharapova at Tokyo.
"It's amazing. I was sitting, after we shook hands, on the chair and I just couldn't believe it," Clijsters said. "I was just sitting there looking at my mom and my coach in my box, saying, 'You know, this is true.' I was looking up at the score board."
Down 0-4 to begin the match, Clijsters ripped off six games in a row to take the first set, and held her nerve in the third after the American leveled the match. It was only the second event of 2005 for Clijsters, who lost to Venus Williams in the quarterfinals in her return weeks ago at Antwerp.
"It was crazy," Davenport said. "You know, started off really well and was really excited about that. Kind of continued where I was yesterday, being aggressive and going for my shots. Was able in those first few games to pull out some close ones and get a good lead. As quickly as I was pulling those games out, I was losing them."
With the win Clijsters became the lowest-ranked player in WTA Tour history to win a Tier I event.
"You know, it doesn't happen that often that you have the crowd support behind you straightaway from the beginning of the match," Clijsters said.
Davenport dropped to 1-3 in finals this year after losing to Serena Williams at the Australian Open, and to Maria Sharapova at Tokyo.