Clijsters 'surprised' at Open success, 18 months after baby

Frustrating.

"I felt like an elephant sometimes, just trying to move," she said. "Even two steps was terrible."

That was just for fun, though. She has been much more committed since deciding earlier this year to come back in earnest. Now, Clijsters finds herself two wins from a U.S. Open title hardly anyone could have seen coming.

The mother of 18-month-old Jada, Clijsters dismantled 18th-seeded Li Na, 6-2, 6-4 in the quarterfinals Tuesday, punishing China's top tennis star with deep, stinging groundstrokes that were part of a game that looked about like it did when Clijsters retired two years ago.

Or maybe better.

"I'm surprised to be sitting here talking to you right now," she said.

Back at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2005, when she won the tournament, Clijsters now has a winning streak of 12 matches at Flushing Meadows.

Clijsters has already beaten No. 3 Venus Williams and two other seeded players. Her next match is against No. 2 Serena Williams, who defeated Flavia Pennetta later Tuesday. A daunting task, indeed, but these days, anything seems possible. Even Serena Williams sees that. She leads the series 7-1, but of course, all those matches were played earlier in the decade.

"She plays tough. She plays hard," Williams said. "Now it's like a totally different level, because she has absolutely nothing to lose. I think that's when you can play your ultimate best tennis."

Clijsters, the world's former No. 1, saw the potential in her second tournament back this summer, in Toronto, when she beat Victoria Azarenka for her fourth win over a top-20 opponent in the span of a couple weeks.

"I felt like, 'OK, I can compete with these girls,' " Clijsters said. "Because that was obviously a big question in my mind."

But winning a Grand Slam tournament? Seemed crazy then. Not so out of the question anymore.

What recession?

Fans are turning up at the U.S. Open in record numbers. And more are tuning in on TV, too.

The tournament set a Week 1 attendance record of 423,427, including a single-day mark of 61,554 for Friday's combined day and night sessions.

There also was a stretch of three consecutive days with at least 61,000 spectators — the first time that number has been topped more than once during a given year.

Wacky rankings

Here's one indication of how complicated the WTA's computer ranking system is: The WTA itself has a tough time figuring everything out.

A day after saying that Serena Williams could move past No. 1 Dinara Safina in the Sept. 21 rankings by reaching the U.S. Open final, the tour reversed itself Tuesday.

Instead, the tour clarified, Williams could rise from No. 2 a week after the tournament ends "if (and only if)" she were to win the U.S. Open.

There has been discussion and debate about the rankings lately, because Williams has won three of the past four major championships to raise her career total to 11, while Safina is still seeking her first Grand Slam title.