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2 months ago 09th Sep 12:00
Kim Clijster's dream return to tennis continued yesterday as she saw off Li Na to set up a semi-final clash with world number two Serena Williams.
2005 was the last time that the Belgian played at Flushing Meadows, winning the title, before taking a two year break to start a family.
But she has returned to the U.S. Open in fine style seeing of number three seed Venus Williams in the last round.
And the form that saw her win that match as she saw of Li Na in straight sets dominating the first to take it 6-2.
There was a dip in concentration from Clijsters in the second set as Li Na broke to take three games in a row.
But Clijsters soon regained her focused to finish off the match 6-2 6-4. Although unseeded at the Open her run will see her return to the top fifty.
Speaking to the BBC after her match she said: "Something switched with me after Toronto where I felt like, 'OK, I can compete with these girls.' That was obviously a big question in my mind.
"Although I was hitting the balls really good in practice and I felt physically I was doing well, you still want to know what it's like to play against those girls and get a feel for how the level has changed, how girls are playing different tennis maybe these days.
"But I never had that kind of mentality before this tournament, thinking that I was going to get to a semi-final or final."
But Clijsters will have a tough test if she wants to make the final as she will have see off defending champion Serena Williams, who has been the inform player over the last fortnight.
In her quarter final match she faced Flavia Pennetta, who has enjoyed a good run of form coming into Flushing Meadows.
Early in the first set the Italian made a real fight of it but the single break proved to be enough for Williams to take the first set.
The second set was more straight forward for Williams and she had wrapped up the win in just seventy five minutes.
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
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