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CommentsNEW YORK – A half-hour after getting past Venus Williams in a three-set tussle at the U.S. Open, Kim Clijsters had her hands full again.
Juggling an energy drink, a bottle of water and a snack, Clijsters was trying to keep an eye on her 18-month-old daughter, Jada, as the tyke scurried around the players’ lounge.
Better keep the nanny on call: Mommy’s got more work to do at Flushing Meadows.
Playing her biggest match since coming back after 21/2 years away from tennis, Clijsters knocked off the No. 3-seeded Williams, 6-0, 0-6, 6-4, Sunday in a match of wild momentum swings to reach the U.S. Open quarterfinals.
“It’s still kind of hard to believe. But then again, I’m not trying to get carried away with it all,” the 26-year-old Belgian said.
Against Williams, a seven-time major champion, Clijsters displayed the same sort of booming groundstrokes and vast court coverage that helped her win the 2005 U.S. Open and briefly reach No. 1 in the rankings.
Only two mothers have won a Grand Slam singles title; the last was Evonne Goolagong Cawley at Wimbledon in 1980. Clijsters will be in the semifinals if she beats No. 18 Li Na of China.
“With the kind of training that she’s put in, I knew this wasn’t just for fun,” said Clijsters’ husband, Brian Lynch, an American who ended his professional basketball career in Belgium when she decided to compete again.
Meanwhile, Serena Williams’ bid for a 12th Grand Slam title will continue with a quarterfinal against No. 10 Flavia Pennetta of Italy, who saved six match points en route to eliminating No. 7 Vera Zvonareva, 3-6, 7-6 (6), 6-0.
Williams-Clijsters was the main attraction Sunday, and the biggest piece of news elsewhere came when Rafael Nadal sought treatment from a trainer for a stomach muscle problem.
The third-seeded Nadal, needing the U.S. Open title to complete a career Grand Slam, wouldn’t talk about his health after a 7-5, 6-4, 6-4 win over Nicolas Almagro.
“I don’t want to talk about injuries,” Nadal said. “Sorry. No, no. I am a little bit tired to talk about injuries.”
His next opponent, No. 13 Gael Monfils, advanced when Jose Acasuso quit because of left knee pain while trailing 6-3, 6-4, 1-0.
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