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I'll drink to that: Girlfriend watches Andy Murray ease into 16 of US Open
Kiran Randhawa7 Sep 2009
Andy Murray's girlfriend Kim Sears had little to be anxious about as she watched him storm through the third round of the US Open and into the last 16 with an emphatic 6-3, 6-2, 6-2 victory over wild card American Taylor Dent, ranked 195th in the world.
However, in the ladies draw there was a surprise as Wimbledon champion Venus Williams was knocked out by unseeded player Kim Clijsters.
The Belgian who has only recently made a comeback after having a baby, won a three-set victory over the world number three at Flushing Meadows in New York last night.
In her first major win since returning from a two-year retirement period last month, the 26-year-old stunned crowds after she sent Williams out in just one hour and 42 minutes.
Clijsters, who has not played in the US Open since winning the 2005 title, said a combination of "mental strength" and the fact that Williams "wasn't playing her best tennis" is what got her through to the quarter finals after the 6-0 0-6 6-4 victory.
The defeat at Arthur Ashe Stadium saw Williams off to her earliest exit in five years at the tournament she won in 2000 and 2001.
On her Twitter page today, Clijsters wrote: "I can't believe it - I managed to beat Venus Williams... this is one of the reasons that I came back - to experience moments like this on the court again!"
The wild card entrant, who has won 34 singles titles and spent 19 weeks ranked No. 1 in the world, returned after a 28-month break during which she got married and had her daughter Jada.
Just after the match, she said: "I know today Venus wasn't playing her best tennis so it's hard to compare but there's a lot of other things personally that I'm taking out of this.
"Reading the game, adjusting my game a little bit to a couple of weaknesses that I had out there. That's a very positive thing for myself, where in the past I maybe could have just let it slip away a little bit."
After the match, Williams said: "She played really well and hit a lot of great shots. I wish her the best of luck."
Miss Clijsters will now play China's Li Na, the No. 18 seed, for a place in the final four, where she could face Venus's sister, Serena Williams.
Reader views (1)
Nothing to worry about, oh really? His classmate, Katherine Brown is now Miss Scotland and she is a big fan of Andy Murray.
Kim Sears will have to work hard to ensure that she hangs on to Andy Murray!
- Manny Goldstein, London, England, 07/09/2009 16:10
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