Kim Clijsters finds staying in the loop has its fine points

    Kim Clijsters has made the ultimate comeback onto the professional tennis tour after 8 years and three children later. It was a Dubai Duty Free affair against the No.16th ranked Garbine Muguruza. The match had went to the Spaniard who won in straight sets but the lesson wasn't in the result but more like the fact of making a comeback no matter what.

     "I had a good feeling out there," Clijsters had said to the media after the match. She was just glad to have went out and did it regardless of the score. The Belgian wasn't too put off by playing Muguruza, feeling that with more practice the match might have gone her way. "She's probably not the hardest hitter out there...I felt like I was able to go toe-to-toe with her from the baseline." 

     The opening set showed that both players were a bit nervy, popping up with unforced errors often, but Muguruza stayed focus to put away the set at 6-2. Clijsters had some challenging moments but the Spaniard capitalized onher opportunities. She gave credit to the Belgian for not only making a comeback but doing it well. "I'm sure she's going to get better and better and for sure give us a lot of trouble. I think she played really well after all these years," Muguruza had said smilingly.

     It can certainly be a mind game for each player with neither one wanting to lose; Muguruza being ranked No. 16, letting a player over a decade older defeat her and Clijsters wanting to play as best she can and perhaps to get a set on the prime player. But it was the Saniard who came up onthe top of the match, playing well, keeping up with winning strategies and coming up with the victory points. As the second set was tied 4-all Muguruza made more blunders than she shouldhave and Clijsters pulled the set to a tiebreak. Points were tightly evened but the Spaniard put forth the effort to bring her best at the crucial times and won the tiebreak and match 6-2, 7-6.

     No matter the outcome, Kim Clijsters was glad ti was done and over with and did well considering as she critiqued her performance saying "I felt like for a while I was dominating some of the points. I think that's a good feeling to have..." She doesn't have to play an entire schedule and she'll be in Monterrey, Mexico and most likely Indian Wells, if healthy prevails. It's the good feelings and nice performances at times that will take Kim Clijsters far and mentally and physically into participating in many more tournaments and possibly be rewarded with victories along the way.

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2uh1gYR