Tonight:
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Kim Clijsters wept tears of joy last night as she defeated Caroline Wozniacki 7-5, 6-3 to win the US Open women's title, two years after retiring to start a family.
Jada, her 18-month-old daughter, played with the trophy on court after Clijsters capped a fairytale return to tennis by reclaiming the title she won in 2005.
The Belgian, playing only her third tournament since her comeback, clinched a 93-minute victory over her Danish opponent with a forehand winner and dropped to her knees in celebration, visibly sobbing. The 26-year-old climbed up to the
family box to hug friends and kiss her husband, basketball star Brian Lynch, who had convinced her to come out of retirement.
Now she has become the first mother to win a grand slam since Evonne Goolagong won the 1980 Wimbledon crown and the first woman to triumph at a major as a wildcard. Clijsters said: “This means the world, and I'm just so glad that I am able to share it with my husband who is here now but wasn't a few years ago. And with our daughter, of course, and she is the greatest thing ever.
“This is something that in my wildest dreams I could never imagine happening. As a woman, I came to a stage in my life where I wanted to get married. We wanted to start a family, and I was glad.
“I feel very lucky that I got this chance to be back here now and that I made that decision, because it's obviously been a good choice.”
The Open had been disrupted by a combination of heavy rain and television's scheduling demands which means it will finish 24 hours late for the second year running tonight.
Clijsters' victory gave tennis a much-needed boost in the wake of Serena Williams's foul-mouthed outburst against a line judge who foot-faulted her at the end of her semi-final against the Belgian. Williams had waved her racket ominously at the lineswoman and then shook a ball in her clenched fist as she threatened “to shove it down” her throat.
The American apologised last night and although she has been fined £6,000 that could be increased by the International Tennis Federation, who are investigating the incident. Williams was not thrown out of the tournament and will partner sister Venus in the final of the women's doubles tonight against Cara Black and Liezel Huber.
