Football
Associated Press 17y

Clijsters tops Sharapova at Champions Challenge

HONG KONG -- Belgium's Kim Clijsters kicked off her final
season the best way she could Saturday, beating Maria Sharapova
6-3, 7-6 (8) in the final of the Champions Challenge.

In a duel between the last two U.S. Open champions, Clijsters
rallied from 2-3 down to win the first set with an ace.

Sharapova, the world No. 2, missed a backhand to give Clijsters
the break in the first game of the second set. The Russian used
heavy hitting to break back in the fourth game to tie it at 2.

Clijsters' ground strokes were more accurate, but she struggled
with her serving. She double faulted on break point in the sixth
game to give Sharapova a 4-2 lead.

At 6-6, Sharapova squandered a 4-1 lead in the tiebreaker with
three consecutive errors.

Clijsters hit a backhand winner to save set point, a mishit
backhand by Sharapova gave her match point, then the Belgian
converted by charging the net and hitting a forehand volley winner.

Sharapova, who is using the Champions Challenge as her only
preparation for the Australian Open, said she isn't worried about
her form.

"You're never going to guarantee a win in every single match,"
she said. "At some points in the match I felt a little bit flat.
I'd like to get myself going. Other than that, I'm happy with the
match I played here."

Clijsters, who has long said 2007 will be her final year on the
WTA Tour because she wants to start a family, isn't approaching
this season with the preoccupation that it's her last.

"I'm not thinking about that at all," she said. "It's not
something I want to worry about until that last match is there. I
know this is the last time I'm going to be here, but to me, my goal
is to still improve my tennis."

Clijsters, who has won 33 titles, said earlier this week she's
been frustrated by her injuries the past few years.

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