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By Ben Dirs
BBC Sport at Wimbledon |
Clijsters 6-3 Zvonareva*
Zvonareva bunts a forehand into the net and the shoulders slump for perhaps the first time. She gives her thigh a slap like a drunken sailor in a bid to pep herself up before Clijsters shows us her full wingspan and puts a tremendous forehand volley away. Clijsters wins a battle of double-fisted backhands and wins the set in just under 40 minutes as the Russian puts a backhand return long.
Zvonareva bunts a forehand into the net and the shoulders slump for perhaps the first time. She gives her thigh a slap like a drunken sailor in a bid to pep herself up before Clijsters shows us her full wingspan and puts a tremendous forehand volley away. Clijsters wins a battle of double-fisted backhands and wins the set in just under 40 minutes as the Russian puts a backhand return long.
*Clijsters 5-3 Zvonareva
Clijsters returning serve with interest with the new balls and she moves into a 0-30 lead. The first double fault from Zvonareva, she's down 0-40 again... rasping backhand from the Russian saves one break point but Clijsters bites her hand off next time round, leaving the Russian flailing with a meaty forehand.
Clijsters returning serve with interest with the new balls and she moves into a 0-30 lead. The first double fault from Zvonareva, she's down 0-40 again... rasping backhand from the Russian saves one break point but Clijsters bites her hand off next time round, leaving the Russian flailing with a meaty forehand.
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Zvonareva gets a good sighter of that serve from Clijsters and slaps it back with extra manners to make it 30-30. The Belgian hits back with a tracer down the line on the forehand wing before picking up a volley off her toes. Clijsters gets a shooter off the baseline as Zvonareva makes it deuce but the Russian then steers a backhand wide. Bit wild from Clijsters with a forehand from behind the baseline and she follows up with a ballooned forehand long - break point. The door left slightly ajar but Zvonareva muffs the forehand pass. Clijsters seems to be getting a little bit overpowered here but she saves another break point with a searing forehand cross-court pass before Zvonareva crashes a forehand miles long - Mrs Clijsters holds.
Brad Gilbert on Twitter:
"I believe if anybody has a shot of stopping the all-Williams final, only Kim Clijsters can do that."
*Clijsters 3-3 Zvonareva
It is only drops and drops at the moment so play will continue. That's nice from Zvonareva, wrong-footing Clijsters with a backhand down the T, and she moves to 40-0 with an ace down the middle. "A little extra mustard on that one," says McEnroe, who could be pretty mustardy at times. And that's another solid hold from Zvonareva, the 21st seed sealing the game with an overhead.
It is only drops and drops at the moment so play will continue. That's nice from Zvonareva, wrong-footing Clijsters with a backhand down the T, and she moves to 40-0 with an ace down the middle. "A little extra mustard on that one," says McEnroe, who could be pretty mustardy at times. And that's another solid hold from Zvonareva, the 21st seed sealing the game with an overhead.
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It's largely a slugging match, but that's not to say there isn't any ring-craft on display. Clijsters sends down her hardest serve of the day and Zvonareva square-cuts down the line for a winning return. Zvonareva buckles on the backhand side and that's another hold as this squally rain drops in again...
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Good speed from Clijsters, chasing down the ball at the net and executing a fizzing backhand pass. Wild forehand from the Russian before Clijsters shows tremendous scrambling skills from the rear of the court and puts away a forehand pass on the gallop - three break points. Zvonareva saves one, and another as Clijsters plonks a backhand into the net... and another, Clijsters finding the net with a forehand this time. That's gossamer touch at the net from Zvonareva, stooping and scooping over on the backhand wing, and she holds - not sure anyone expected that after being 0-40 down.
Clijsters 2-1 Zvonareva*
Goolagong, a graceful serve and volleyer in her day, might be perturbed to learn that this pair have served and volleyed just twice between them so far this Wimbledon. But the Clijsters serve is working well enough so far, a straightforward hold for the reigning US Open champion.
Goolagong, a graceful serve and volleyer in her day, might be perturbed to learn that this pair have served and volleyed just twice between them so far this Wimbledon. But the Clijsters serve is working well enough so far, a straightforward hold for the reigning US Open champion.
*Clijsters 1-1 Zvonareva
It looks to be brightening up out there, no sign of the roof coming on just yet. The last person to win the women's singles crown as a mum was Evonne Goolagong, and she's looking down on Clijsters from the Royal Box today... easy hold for Zvonareva, she's giving the ball a fair old wallop at the moment...
It looks to be brightening up out there, no sign of the roof coming on just yet. The last person to win the women's singles crown as a mum was Evonne Goolagong, and she's looking down on Clijsters from the Royal Box today... easy hold for Zvonareva, she's giving the ball a fair old wallop at the moment...
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It's Clijsters to serve first andrain starts to fall as the first rally gets under way. Clijsters punches a forehand out before reeling off a dreamy backhand pass on the swivel. Corker. Zvonareva pushes a forehand long before Clijsters gives her a sniff with a forehand wide. Zvonareva is a bomber from the back of the court but she mixes things up well there, eventually skipping into the net and putting away a backhand volley. Clijsters goes for broke with a top-spin forehand but it just misses the sideline. It's advantage Zvonareva as Clijsters finds the net with a forehand but Clijsters saves break point with a solid backhand volley. And it's a hold for Mrs Clijsters as Zvonareva puts a backhand long.
* denotes next server
1302: The tension was palpable as they waited to be given the nod to walk onto court, and Zvonareva has form when it comes to tension - Lindsay Davenport has just recalled an occasion when they met at SW19 and the Russian was sobbing at the changeover. "She must have thought I was really bad," chuckles dear old Lindsay, sounding like she loved every minute of it...
1257: Here come the girls - and I'm not talking about Elaine 'I Know Him So Well' Paige and Evonne Goolagong-Cawley up in the Royal Box. The 25-year-old Zvonareva has never reached the quarter-finals at Wimbledon before and her best in a Grand Slam was the last four of the Australian in 2009. Clijsters, positively ancient at 27, has reached the last four at the All England Club twice, but never the final.
1250: You alright? Smashing. It's women's quarter-finals day today and first up on Centre Court we've got one of my favourite lady tennis players Kim Clijsters against Russian 21st seed Vera Zvonareva. This pair have met five times previously, and the Belgian eighth seed has won all five, including at SW19 in 2006. They look pretty well matched though on current form, could be the pick of today's matches.
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