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FANS CHEER FOR BELGIAN AT US OPEN . . . WTW?

Woman without a country?

Kim Clijsters, an unseeded wildcard and the mother of an 18 month old daughter, defeated number 3 seeded Venus Williams in the US Open 6-0, 0-6, 6-4 Sunday to advance to the quarter finals. Clijsters has been retired from tennis since 2007 but seems to have Venus' number, having defeated her three times in a row. Ironically, Clijsters also defeated Venus for the 2005 US Open championship, her only Grand Slam title. Williams displayed limited mobility due to patella tendinitis that bothered her the entire tournament. However, it appeared to be anybody's match in the third set. Despite Clijster's reputation for having both the mobility and power to compete with Venus, she also got help from the majority American crowd which cheered her on down the stretch. Here is an except from the New York Times (picture courtesy of AP):

It was late in the third phase of the deeply compartmentalized match between Venus Williams and Kim Clijsters, and the largely American crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium had unmistakably chosen its favorite. In a reflection of the power of new motherhood and the lure of an excellent comeback tale, the choice would not be Williams, the dignified seven-time Grand Slam singles champion from the United States. Instead the biggest roars would be reserved for the powerfully built Belgian . . . 'Thank you guys so much for helping me' Clijsters told the crowd, when she provided the latest and strongest evidence that she is back for real by beating Williams . . .

It is very unusual for tennis fans not to cheer on their countrymen/countrywomen against competitors from other countries. I would be curious if Clijsters also enjoys the same home court advantage against a French woman in the French Open or against an Australian in the Australian Open.

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