Clijsters stunned by Petrova onslaught

Russia’s Nadia Petrova has stunned Kim Clijsters on Friday night at Australian Open 2010, annihilating the 2009 US Open champion 6-0 6-1 in the third round.

Clijsters had won all four meetings between the pair before Friday’s encounter, but was never in the hunt in their third-round clash. The loss is the Belgian’s worst Australian Open result since her debut at Melbourne Park in 2000.

While Petrova could barely put a foot wrong, committing only 10 unforced errors for the night, Clijsters struggled all match and amassed 26 unforced errors and only five winners to the 15 that came off the Russian’s racquet.

Despite having a packed Hisense Arena crowd urging her on, Clijsters, who has advanced to the semi-finals or better at Melbourne Park on her last five visits, could not find any answers to Petrova’s booming serve.

In an opening set that lasted a mere 18 minutes, Clijsters won only five points as she was silenced by Petrova’s court speed and forehand.

Taking a 4-0 lead, the world No.19 sailed away to win the first set without dropping another point.

“She was good. But, you know, I let her,” Clijsters said of Petrova after the match.

“I made all the mistakes and she didn't really have to do much. She served really well and was aggressive in the rallies, but that's because I let her play into the courts ... I wasn't feeling the ball well. It sucks.”

Petrova started the second set much like she ended the first, racing through her opening service game and applying all the pressure when it was Clijsters’ turn.

The Belgian saw red and her racquet was slammed into the blue Plexicushion courts when Petrova won the opening six points.

There was nothing the 15th seed could do right. Not even her second winner for the match, a backhand down the court that hugged the sideline, could stop the inevitable as Petrova quickly advanced 2-0.

Clijsters showed a bit of her fighting spirit in the next four games, with a break point opportunity presenting itself on Petrova’s next serve. She finally got on the scoreboard in the next game without dropping a point, and even managed to throw in her first ace.

Clijsters said even though Petrova did not face the “right Kim”, that she still tried to push herself.

“I kept moving around. I kept jumping. I felt like my footwork wasn't there. Between the points, I was jumping up, trying to take my time. In my head, I felt like I was trying to ... just change things around a little bit. But it wasn't (going to) happen today,” she said.

Petrova now advances to the round of 16 for the fifth time at an Australian Open. She will be hoping for the same touch when she faces the winner of Friday night’s clash between Angelique Kerber and third seed Svetlana Kuznetsova.

Clijsters, on the other hand, will look to regroup.

“This is something probably you want to forget as soon as possible and go home and ... just let it sit, get settled at home for a few days and then start working hard again and try to forget about it. Just stick to the routines,” she said.

“Everything I've been doing so far with my coach, my fitness coach, everything has been going really well. I'm going to try to not let a match like this get me down or start doubting myself or anything.”

Current Match on Hisense Arena Hisense Arena - Women's Singles - 3rd Round Kim Clijsters BEL (15) 0 1 Nadia Petrova RUS (19) 6 6 Match Statistics Serve Statistics