US Open women's final, Flushing Meadows
Dates: 11 September Start time: 0000 BST
Coverage: Live text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles; updates on BBC Radio 5 live; live on Sky Sports  Clijsters has now won each of her last five meetings with Venus
Defending champion Kim Clijsters survived a brutal test of endurance to overcome Venus Williams and reach her third successive US Open final. Williams was devastating in the early stages, but faltered in the second-set tie-break, enabling Clijsters to recover and win 4-6 7-6 (7-2) 6-4. The Belgian second seed will play Vera Zvonareva of Russia in the final. "I'm glad she made a few double faults in the tie-breaker," said a relieved Clijsters. "It was a fun night". It seemed an odd way to describe what was the ultimate war of tennis attrition, an enthralling contest punctuated by hitting of relentless power, unexpected shifts of momentum and a liberal sprinkling of ill-timed mistakes. Not that two-time champion Clijsters will be unduly troubled by that, having followed up her fairytale triumph last year, when she won the tournament as a wildcard entrant having only recently come out of retirement, by reaching another final.  | 606: DEBATE |
She suggested as much when she said afterwards: "This is what you try to achieve - I never expected that I would come back in this position, but I'm glad I stuck through it and I live for these kinds of moments". Venus blamed her performance on "too many errors", but promised to return next year in an effort to reach her first US Open final since 2002. "I definitely feel like I'll be back next year," she said. "This is what I do. I feel like I played great tennis, even with minimal preparation." Third-seed Venus had looked a nailed-on winner until the second-set tiebreak, at which point her serve inexplicably deserted her. Two double faults were followed by an errant smash, and as Clijsters suddenly discovered her second wind, the American cut a disconsolate figure. Her mood darkened further when Clijsters fashioned an early break in the decider, but at 3-4 the Belgian threw in a couple of double faults of her own before sending a drive volley long. The initiative looked set to change hands again, but in the next game Clijsters somehow managed to conjure another break point, which she converted with a brilliant improvised lob. A final determined push on serve took Clijsters to match point, and she sealed her place in the final with a backhand winner down the line. She has now won 20 consecutive matches at the US Open, drawing level with Venus, Monica Seles, Martina Navratilova and Margaret Osborne duPont on the all-time list. But while destiny seems to be on her side at Flushing Meadows, Clijsters will be all too aware that world number eight Zvonareva - who earlier upset top seed Caroline Wozniacki in straight sets - has beaten her in their two most recent meetings.
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