TENNIS

Clijsters Retains U.S. Open Title

Defeats Zvonareva, 6-2, 6-1.

Kim Clijsters won her second straight U.S. Open title Saturday night, by beating Vera Zvonareva of Russia, 6-2, 6-1. The one-sided match took only 59 minutes. Clijsters, the 27-year-old from Belgium who defeated Venus Williams in the semis, never looked troubled. She coolly put 78 percent of her first serves in and mercilessly worked her opponent back and forth across the court. Zvonareva, understandably, showed her exasperation as she played well below the level that had carried her past the no. 1 seed, Caroline Wozniacki, in her semifinal. She smashed her racket and berated herself at the top of her lungs. She's been playing some incredible tennis in these past two Grand Slams. “It must be frustrating for her not to be able to play her best level when it was probably most needed,” Clijsters said.