US OPEN: Day 12

Clijsters defeated Sharapova in a match which started ugly, but which got pretty tight in the middle (with Sharapova saving 5 match points!) but in the end the score was 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-2.

Pierce vs Dementieva, surprisingly was NOT a blow-out. Dementieva served surprisingly well and demonstrated exactly how important good movement can blunt extreme power. In the end, Pierce won 3-6, 6-2, 6-2.

In today's Women's Final I predict that Pierce will not disintegrate like she did in the French Opem final versus Justine Henin-Hardenne a few months ago. She will still lose to the resurgent Clijsters in 3 sets, though. Kim will finally win her first Grand Slam title, before she retires at the end of 2007.