Clijsters Takes Title at Palo Alto

With all her nagging injuries healed, Kim Clijsters continued to be unstoppable on U.S. soil, beating Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, 7-5, 6-2, Sunday to win the Bank of the West Classic at Palo Alto.

Clijsters has won 24 consecutive matches in the U.S., dating to November. Seeded fourth at Palo Alto, she broke Williams’ serve six times and defeated her for the third time in nine meetings between them. It was Clijsters’ third championship in the event and fourth tournament victory of the season.

“The tennis I’ve played here means so much more to me than the other tournament victories I’ve had so far,” said Clijsters, who also won the event in 2001 and 2003. “I was looking for motivation. As soon as I came off the clay, I started working hard, thinking ahead to this trip and the U.S. Open. ... I’m just happy where I’m at and that I’m feeling healthy.”

Clijsters missed most of last year and the first six weeks of 2005 because of a serious left wrist injury that required surgery. She also dealt with a troublesome shoulder and a strained right knee this spring. “My knee’s history, my wrist is history and the hip is good,” she said.

After Clijsters broke for a 4-2 first-set lead, Williams fought back to tie it, 4-4, then broke for a 5-4 lead. Clijsters broke back, winning the next three games.

Williams, who finished with 43 unforced errors, compared to 18 by Clijsters, will move up two spots to eighth in the world.

“I just feel even if I’m playing terribly, if I have enough energy to challenge the person with my speed, that’s enough to win,” said Williams, who had been exhausted after her three-set semifinal victory over Patty Schnyder in the semifinals Saturday. “I hit the wall several times today.”

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Third-seeded Gaston Gaudio beat Fernando Verdasco, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, 6-4, to win the Generali Open at Kitzbuhel, Austria, in a match that was delayed for two hours because of rain. Verdasco saved eight match points before Gaudio prevailed.

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Second-seeded Guillermo Coria won his first ATP title of the season, defeating sixth-seeded Carlos Moya, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, in the final of the Croatia Open at Umag.

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Top-seeded Anna Smashnova defeated Catalina Castano, 6-2, 6-2, in the final of the Budapest Grand Prix.