Kim Clijsters made history last night, capping a comeback from two years out of tennis to become the first unseeded woman to win the U.S. Open -- and the first mom to win a major since 1980 -- with a 7-5, 6-3 victory against No. 9 Caroline Wozniacki.
When it was over, Clijsters collapsed to the ground and started crying -- tears of joy, probably mixed in with a little bit of shock, too. Her 18-month-old daughter, Jada, was in a suite with a pacifier in her mouth.
It was all quite a different scene from Saturday night, when Clijsters' semifinal win against Serena Williams was decided on a point penalty, and Clijsters stood behind the baseline looking bewildered as Williams ran over to shake her hand.
This was Clijsters' second U.S. Open title, the last coming in 2005 -- her last appearance at Flushing Meadows and before a spate of nagging injuries eventually drove her out of the sport.
This was a tribute to her hard work. Clijsters beat both Williams sisters and two other players seeded in the teens. She matched Venus and Serena power shot for power shot and showed that she could play Wozniacki's patient game -- and play it better.
Earlier in the day, Roger Federer hit what he called the greatest shot of his life to move one win away from his sixth straight U.S. Open title.
Federer hit a between-the-legs, back-to-the-net, cross-court winner from the baseline.
A point later, with the crowd in hysterics and opponent Novak Djokovic still in shock, Federer closed out the victory, 7-6 (3), 7-5, 7-5.
Federer, the world's top-ranked player, will take on Juan Martin del Potro in today's final. Del Potro beat Rafael Nadal, 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 in the other semifinal.
Djokovic fought for more than 21/2 hours, hanging with Federer and even grabbing two break points late in the third set to briefly see a glimmer of hope.
But ahead 6-5 and 30-0 in the third set, Federer sprinted to the net to return a Djokovic drop shot, then Djokovic finessed a lob over Federer's head that bounced barely inside the baseline.
Federer had nothing to lose, of course, so he ran back and hit the circus shot, a ball that lots of players, especially at the highest levels, can get back.
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