News | Pictures << Back to index Form runs outBy Guardian Reporter The Guardian's winning form finally ran out after our random pick, American Samantha Reeves, was steamrollered 6-1, 6-2 by number two seed Kim Clijsters in Friday's ladies singles third round.
Reeves, who once famously wore a 'cheese headband' during a match to mark her native Wisconsin's most famous produce, soon found her game distinctly off.
Broken early in the first set, Reeves was never able to gain solid footing in the match as Clijsters put the disappointment of her French Open final defeat by compatriot Justine Henin-Hardenne to the back of her mind as she dismantled the hapless Reeves.
She raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set, at which point Reeves received sympathetic applause when she finally took a game. But it was only a temporary hold up -- the set was over after just 20 minutes.
Reeves, ranked 109 in the world, gave Clijsters a jolt at the start of the second set when she broke for a 2-0 lead. But the favourite regained her composure and immediately broke back. Although Reeves managed two games, the contest was over in 50 minutes.
Both players won five points at the net but Clijsters dominated on every other front. Reeves hit seven winners to Clijsters' 17, and made 12 unforced errors to Clijsters' 9. Reeves served no aces and two double faults in contrast to her strong serving display in the previous round, whereas Clijsters hit two aces and no double faults.
Speaking after the match, Clijsters said she had had to be on top form to win so convincingly.
"I definitely played a really good match. Even when we had some tough rallies, I still felt like I was dominating and she couldn't really hurt me," she said, adding she was looking forward to playing her doubles partner Ai Sugiyama in the last 16.
Reeves, who had never reached the third round of a Grand Slam tournament before, still has an interest in this year's Wimbledon despite crashing out of the ladies doubles first round with her partner Hungarian Katalin Marosi 6-7, 6-4, 6-4.
She won her first match in the mixed doubles 3-6, 7-5, 6-3 with Argentinean Martin Rodriquez but meets Todd Woodbridge of Australia, one of the greatest men's doubles players in history, and Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the second round.
1:42pm Tuesday 1st July 2003
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