A rather cooler temperature for the first Thursday of 2011 French Open. I was one of many who wondered whether world number 2 Kim Clijsters had done enough to be right for this big event. Granted she has won tournaments on the back of virtually no competition in the past - a US Open springs to mind - but to expect her to win through a gruelling two weeks of clay court trauma may be asking a little too much even of super mum.
Still a second round victory should be a comfortable morning's work, and so it appeared as young Netherlands player Arantxa Rus struggled to maintain pace with the Belgian's fearsome groundstrokes. Fortunately things did become more competitive once the Dutch girl found some timing, but the timing was not in time to prevent a 3-6 loss of set 1.
Although Kim committed a season full of unforced errors in the second set, she managed to hold set and accordingly match points. With sheer brilliance she ignored these and instead chose to give young Arantxa the confidence she needed by playing her back into the match. No twisting of the racquet serving arm required here as Rus took the set 7-5 and said farewell to Kim and the hopes of any female this year winning the Grand Slam. Kim was a mere shadow of her Australian Open champion self as she imploded before our very eyes. The final rites were mercifully quick and the second seed was dispensed with 3-6 7-5 6-1.
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