Not enough

Capriati has easier time with Clijsters in this one

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) -- On Parisian clay last June, Kim Clijsters stretched Jennifer Capriati to the longest third set of a French Open women's final before losing. The end was much quicker on the Australian Open's hard courts Thursday.

Clijsters won just 13 points in a 23-minute last set as Capriati, the defending champion and world No. 1, raced to a 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 semifinal win.

After it was over, a dejected Clijsters trudged from the center court. World No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt, who is dating the Belgian, watched from the stands.

"She just played too good for me," said 18-year-old Clijsters, whose run in Paris made her the first Belgian to play in a Grand Slam singles final.

"I was very motivated after winning that second set... and I felt like she was struggling a little bit," she said.

"I could hear her puff and everything, so I really wanted to keep the rallies long and make her move," she said. "But she just made the points short and whenever she got a chance to come in, just came in and finished them off as soon as she could."

At the French Open Clijsters forced Capriati to serve for the match three times before the American finally won it 12-10 to win her second Grand Slam title.

"Today in the third set, she made a lot less unforced errors," said Clijsters, seeded No. 4.

She said Capriati kept the ball deep in the third set and 'whenever she hit a deep shot I felt like I was in trouble.'

Clijsters said it was tougher on the Australian Open's Rebound Ace courts to "put my body into the ball" and still hit a good shot.

The Belgian became a favorite with Australian fans because of her relationship with Hewitt. One Australian newspaper on Thursday called her "Kangaroo Kim."

But crowd support couldn't stop Capriati moving into Saturday's final against Martina Hingis. The Swiss beat four-time winner Monica Seles 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in their semifinal.

"She's a good fighter ... every time I have played her, she has been fighting unbelievable," Clijsters said of Capriati. Both had carried injuries into the match -- Capriati had a hip flexor problem, and Clijsters was suffering a right-arm strain.

But it was loose play that cost Clijsters most. She said some of her drop shots, including one backhand from behind the baseline that landed a foot from the net on her side, were "stupid."

Clijsters, who will take a few weeks off to rest her arm, lost in the fourth round of the Australian Open last year.

 

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