Kim Clijsters will meet Maria Sharapova in Acura Classic Final
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Aug 5, 2006 | Print
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Top-seeded Kim Clijsters cemented her spot atop the US Open Series rankings with a decisive 6-2, 7-6 (0) win over up-and-coming teenage star Nicole Vaidisova today at the Acura Classic. Clijsters’ dominance on the American hardcourts extended to twenty-five* straight matches tonight and she will face second-seed Maria Sharapova in tomorrow’s championship match.
Tonight’s match on Center Court at the La Costa Spa and Resort was a rematch of last week’s semifinal match between Clijsters and Vaidisova at the Bank of the West Classic. Clijsters stormed past Vaidisova in straight sets at Stanford and the match tonight ended no differently.
Vaidisova began the match with a blistering ace, but that would be the only point that she would win in her opening service game. Clijsters got the match off to a good start by breaking Vaidisova’s serve and easily held to take the first set 6-2. Vaidisova stepped up her game in the second set, and managed to break Clijsters’ serve three times before Clijsters closed out the match in the tiebreak 6-2, 7-6(0).
Vaidisova’s game is definitely top ten quality, but if she wants to work her way higher, she is going to have to do something about her mental game. She has a solid backhand and the power to dictate on court, but she needs to conquer her nerves and keep her head in the match. Clijsters played excellently during most of the match, but Vaidisova handed her several cheap points, especially during the first set. She does have a tendency to be temperamental on court, and this was clearly obvious tonight during her match against Clijsters.
Tomorrow’s match between Kim Clijsters and Maria Sharapova is certain to be a thrilling one, but I think this is Maria Sharapova’s tournament to win. Both players are moving and hitting extremely well, and although Clijsters leads 4-0 in their meetings, I am looking for Sharapova to pull the upset and win her second title of the 2006 season.
*Clijsters has had twenty-four match wins and one walkover since her last loss on hardcourts at San Diego last year.
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