Mum Clijsters' New York success doesn't matter, yet, to Jada (Feature)

By Bill Scott Sep 12, 2010, 20:21 GMT

New York - Infant Jada might be the last to get the news that her mum Kim Clijsters backed up her 2009 US Open title with more of the same at the weekend as she crushed Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-2, 6-1 for a third title in New York.

And Clijsters, 27, is not about to try and explain to a toddler exactly what she accomplished in completing the title hat-trick at Flushing Meadows.

'She's still young, she's two-and-a-half,' said the Belgian, first woman to defend the Open title since Venus Williams in 2001. 'I don't think to her it matters too much whether I win or lose still.

'It's nice to have her a part of it, but I don't think it matters at all.

'She sees a trophy and she knows that a trophy is a part of winning. But I'm not going to go tell her, 'Mommy won the US Open'.' Clijsters, who retired from the sport for 27 months, continued a career-long run of form on the New York hardcourts. Her last loss at the event came in 2003. She did not play in 2004 and won in 2005 before another three-year absence.

She cemented her comeback to tennis with the trophy a year ago in only her third event back on the WTA, and backed it up over the 2010 fortnight without losing a set.

Clijsters was particularly pleased that the was able to defend in such imposing style. 'You have to stay focused throughout those whole seven matches, two weeks. It's not just the tennis. There's so much more involved around it.

'I'm very excited that I was able to defend, it's always an honour to go back to a place, especially a Grand Slam, where you've done well and you've won. You obviously want to bring your best tennis again.

'I'm capable of beating a lot of the top players. But, you know, I was just kind of aiming for that,' said Clijsters, who rises back to fifth in the world on Monday. 'I'm happy that I was capable of repeating history.'

Now that she's fully back in the winning rhythm, Clijsters is in no mood to stop.

'I would like to keep it going until the (2010 London) Olympics. But you never know what can happen. Always my main goal is to try and just stay injury free.

'If I can do that and if I can practise and work hard, the Grand Slams will always be my focus. I'm not going to just give it up - I just want to keep it up.'