By Etienne Stekelenburg
February 18 2005

Venus Williams of USA defeats Belgian Kim Clijsters at the Proximus Diamond Games in Antwerp. Williams had her victory just over the hour in two sets 6-2, 6-3. Venus Williams showed her aggressive side and played an almost flawless game of tennis. She has her eyes on the racket and nothing seems to stop her from bringing it home with her. Clijsters, who is very pleased with her previous two matches, was not there yet to stand in Venus’ way to success.

“I am very satisfied and had not expected to be this far but today I was not good enough”, she said after the match. “I just lack some match rhythm, I need more matches to get back. With Venus at her best she is just a level too high for me".

Venus Williams said that Kim played a great match, “You can see the fire in her, I am a lot taller than she is and I think that helped today. I know she can get back to the same level or better”.

About her own game Williams said that she was major motivated and very committed to tennis and to herself.

In the first set Clijsters was broken twice for 3-1 and 6-2. It took Williams 30 minutes to win the first set.

“I did play a good match and I was close to breaking her but Venus was just too good and she played as good as she did two years ago”, Clijsters said. “I was in a good rhythm and I was into the match but the balls kept on coming”.

In the 6th game of the second set Clijsters hit a double fault on 30-40 and Williams takes a 4-2 lead. At 5-2 Williams held two match points when Clijsters played a ball long but she could come back to deuce both time. Serving an ace for advantage and with Williams hitting a ball wide, Clijsters held on to her game for 5-3.

Venus Williams serving for the match leading 40 love before she hits a double fault. After Clijsters hits a ball long she takes the game, the set and the match. “This was technically my best match, I know I have great tennis and great shots in me. I just have to bring that out,” Williams said. “Today I was real focused but I was real focused in the first match as well. The crowd is not bothering me, even if they call the ball out.”

Both players had compliments for each other. “Nobody can beat Venus if she plays like this”, Clijsters said about tonight opponent. “I think Kim was playing well, she played very consistent. She was returning my serve well and she didn’t make a ton of errors, she played really well. But I was fortunate to be able always play the better shot”.