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Palo Alto Online

Power surge

by Robyn Israel

ot everyone in the tennis world knows who Kim Clijsters is just yet. But it's only a matter of time until the word gets around. Just ask Lindsay Davenport.

Davenport first took notice of Clijsters at the Belgian's Wimbledon debut two years ago, where Clijsters reached the Round of 16 before falling to her idol and eventual finalist Steffi Graf.

Davenport took notice again two months later at the U.S. Open, where Clijsters, the youngest player in the draw at age 16 years and two months, reached the third round at her debut there before losing a thrilling match to eventual champion Serena Williams after leading 5-3 in the third set.

Clijsters now has Davenport's full attention, especially after Clijsters' 6-4, 6-7, 6-1 victory over Davenport in the finals of Sunday's $565,000 Bank of the West Classic at Stanford's Taube Family Tennis Stadium.

Displaying exceptional agility and speed, the 18-year-old Belgian slip-sided her way over the court, darting from side to side and making incredible gets that wowed the near-capacity crowd. At one point, the Belgian teen sensation even burned a hole right through her shoe and sock.

"It's OK - I'm still alive," Clijsters joked after the match.

One of the hottest players on the women's tour, Clijsters is now ranked No. 5 in the world - one spot behind Davenport -- and has served notice that she is a force to be reckoned with.

"If I can play throughout the year like I played (today), I think I can make it harder for the other Top-5 players," Clijsters said. "But I have to keep working and get the unforced errors out of my game. I have to get fitter, and I have to serve better."

The second-seeded Davenport, who hadn't lost a set all week prior to Sunday's final, faced a more aggressive opponent , she said.

"I never really dictated play," the 25-year-old Newport Beach resident said following the match. "It never felt like I was the one controlling the points."

After losing the first set to Clijsters, Davenport battled back to win the second. She totally collapsed in the third, however, which saw her service game broken four consecutive times. Flat-footed and erratic, the two-time Bank of the West champion (1998 and 1999) couldn't overcome the third-seeded Clijsters' superior play.

"I just felt like I wasn't 100 percent there," admitted Davenport, who earned runnerup money of $48,000.

Splitting a $28,000 paycheck was the winning doubles team of Janet Lee (Taipei) and Wynne Prakusya (India), which defeated the No. 2 tandem of Nicole Arendt (USA) and Caroline Vis (Netherlands), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3.

For Clijsters, her first tournament title this year (and her fourth final appearance this season) earned her $90,000. She had previously won three Sanex WTA Tour singles titles: Luxembourg in 1999 and Hobart and Leipzig in 2000. Sunday's performance also marked the Belgian's first win over Davenport, whom she last played in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon earlier this month. Davenport won that match handily and was riding a 4-0 record against Clijsters prior to Sunday's match.

"She's a better player than three weeks ago, but people go up and down in matches," Davenport said. "Like any young player, she'll get better with more experience and bigger matches."

Still, 2001 has already been a banner year for Clijsters, who began her third year on the women's tour ranked No. 18 in the world. In June, she reached the finals of the French Open, where she fell to Jennifer Capriati 12-10 in the in the third set - the longest final set in French Open history. She also beat No. 1 Martina Hingis at Indian Wells in March.

At last year's Bank of the West Classic, Clijsters lost in the first round to Meghann Shaughnessy, who upset top-seeded Venus Williams in last week's quarterfinal match. Drained mentally and physically from that victory, Shaughnessy lost to Clijsters in Friday's semifinal.

Although the Sunday crowd's loyalty was split fairly evenly between the two players, there was a group of Belgian natives on hand to loudly cheer their countrywoman. Waving their country's red, yellow and black flag in the stands, they chanted "Allez Kim" throughout the match.

Clijsters, making her second consecutive appearance at the Bank of the West Classic, took notice of the fan support.

"They've been coming here the whole week," Clijsters said. "A few people gave up work to come see me. It's great to be so far from Belgium and feel their support."

The Belgian contingent, which included Menlo Park resident Geert Rosseel, described Clijsters as one of Belgium's biggest stars right now. Following her French Open performance, membership in the country's tennis clubs jumped exponentially, with 14,000 new people inspired to play the sport, Clijsters said.

'It's been very hectic, very busy - a lot of receptions and awards ceremonies," said Clijsters, the first Belgian Grand Slam finalist. "I was happy to come to America."

Both Clijsters and Davenport are set to compete in this week's Acura Tennis Classic in San Diego, followed by the estyle.com Classic in Los Angeles. Davenport then moves on to Toronto's Rogers and AT&T Canada Cup; Clijsters to the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament in New Haven, Conn. Both will participate in the U.S. Open, which begins on Aug. 27 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

Clijsters knows that will be the real challenge of the season, one she's obviously quite ready for.