At an age when many tennis professionals are hanging up their racquets, former world number one Kim Clijsters has begun her second comeback to the sport, seven years since she last played a competitive match.
Since last retiring from the sport in 2012, she has been a full-time mother to daughter Jada and sons Jack and Blake, but aged 36, the multiple Grand Slam winner made her competitive comeback in the first round of the Dubai tennis Championships, losing in straight sets to the beaten Melbourne finalist, and number nine seed, Garbine Muguruza, in what, surprisingly perhaps, was the first match between the two former Grand Slam winners.
Here are some key highlights and stats from the match.
The First Set
It began with an extended first game that swung first one way, and then the other, until Muguruza secured it on her third break point. The Spaniard served strongly, and Clijsters found her own serve under pressure, saving a break point at 3-1.
Two games later she cracked and Muguruza established a 5-2 lead, only to make three unforced errors to give Clijsters triple break point. However, Muguruza reeled off five strong serves in a row to take the set in 33 minutes.
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The Second Set
It was one way traffic at the start of the second set as Muguruza secured a double break to lead 3-0, only for Clijsters to achieve her first break of the match. Suddenly the Belgian found some of her old range and temp, and was quickly able to level the match at four games all.
Both then had chances to break, but neither could take them and the set went to a breaker. Clijsters was the first to force a mini-break, but then Muguruza won four points in a row and served for the match at 6 -5. Clijsters saved it when Muguruza hit her backhand long, but after the change of ends, the Spaniard got another match point and, this time, converted it with another strong serve.
Key Clijsters v Muguruza Stats
Muguruza served eight aces to Clijsters’ two, and produced just two double faults compared to 10. It was these double faults which came back to haunt the Belgian.
The Spaniard also won 73% of points on her first serve as opposed to the Belgian’s 58%. Despite this, Clijsters actually won more points on serve than her opponent, in part because she was more efficient on second serve.
Where the match was won, though, was on return of serve – Muguruza won 20% more points than Clijsters receiving serve, and created many more break points than her opponent (15 as opposed to 5). The fact that she only converted four of them is something that the Spaniard needs to work on with her coach.
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