The final promised so much between defending champion Kim Clijsters and Vera Zvonareva, who had progressed to the final without dropping a set and who beat Clijsters in their last two meetings, both this year - including a quarterfinal loss at Wimbledon. But at the end, in one sided final, Kim Clijsters defeated Vera Zvonareva 62 61 to defend her US Open title in just 60 minutes.

Clijster has now won 21 consecutive matches in New York, the second-longest winning streak here in the Open Era, trailing only Chris Evert's 31. She triumphed at US Open in 2005 and then coming out of retirement last year to win the title again in just the 14th match of her comeback.

"Last year, people were still curious to see how I was playing; this year, people knew with my history here I was maybe one of the contenders," Clijsters said. "I wasn't playing my best tennis at the beginning of the tournament, but I was able to lift my game in the last two matches, when I needed to. That's probably what I'm most pleased about over these last 14 days, that I was able to do that."

"It was a great honor to be in the finals of the US Open and play in front of the New York crowd," Zvonareva said. "Kim just played a very good match. She didn't give me chances to get into the match. I tried my best. I gave 100%."

Clijsters consoled a visibly upset Zvonareva after receiving the winner's trophy. "You're a great player," she told the Russian in front of a sold-out crowd. "Keep it going. It'll happen. It took me six of seven finals until I got my first one."

"Kim's a great champion, but also a great person. Because she said that, maybe I'm not so disappointed now," Zvonareva said about Clijsters' comments at her press conference. "Hopefully I'll have another chance. Hopefully I'll go far in another Grand Slam. Hopefully I will be more experienced."


(Source: Sony Ericsson WTA Tour)

Kim Clijsters beats Vera Zvonareva to defend US Open title