Clijsters Comes Back in Cincinnati With a Bang, Beats Bartoli

In her first WTA match in 28 months, Kim Clijsters impressively defeated US Open series co-leader Marion Bartoli in the first round of Cincinnati, 6-4, 6-3.

Clijsters showed no rust early, racing out to a 4-0 lead before Bartoli could do anything.  Bartoli dug back in to get four games in the first, but Clijsters, despite a lack of match toughness, was better on the big points, and won the first 6-4.  Clijsters continued to play the big points better in the second, getting the one break she needed on the one break point she had, and successfully fending off all seven of Bartoli's break points.

Bartoli, who's last match was a stunning win over Venus Williams in the Stanford final, admitted afterwards that she was scared of playing Clijsters, and bemoaned her tough draw.  Not the mindset a hot player who just beat Venus Williams should have going into a match against a player who hasn't been in a draw in over two years.

Bartoli had been good but inconsistent, never follows up tourney wins well.  She has lost her last four first rounds the tournament after winning a title, a drought which speaks volumes about her streaky, hit-or-miss style of play.

Since she's so unconventional and streaky, beating Bartoli isn't a great indicator of how Clijsters will do against the rest of the WTA.  She faces Patty Schnyder in the second round, and would then presumably run into Svetlana Kuznetsova, then Dinara Safina.  Not an easy welcome mat of a draw, to be certain.

While the match was nowhere to be seen on the internet or American TV, it was apparently aired on TV in Belgium, as Belgians obviously care more about this Clijsters comeback than your average tennis fan.  I'm hoping to get my Belgian tennis-following friend to put up a FanPost recapping what he saw from Clijsters' game in her first match back, I'll be sure to highlight that if and when it happens.