Happy Clijsters signs off with no regrets

Women 2nd round results Wednesday Sharapova     bt    Domínguez     6-0, 6-1 Stosur         bt     Gallovits-Hall     6-3, 6-0 Šafárová     bt    Wozniak     6-3, 4-6, 6-2 Petrova     bt     Halep         6-1, 6-1

Thursday, August 30, 2012
Kim Clijsters of Belgium waves to the crowd before walking off court following her defeat to Laura Robson of Great Britain. Net photo.

Women 2nd round results Wednesday Sharapova     bt    Domínguez     6-0, 6-1Stosur         bt     Gallovits-Hall     6-3, 6-0Šafárová     bt    Wozniak     6-3, 4-6, 6-2Petrova     bt     Halep         6-1, 6-1Li         bt     Dellacqua     6-4, 6-4Azarenka     bt     Flipkens     6-2, 6-2Kvitová     bt     Cornet         6-4, 6-3Parmentier     bt     Wickmayer     7-6, 6-3Bartoli         bt     Oprandi         6-2, 1-6, 7-5Men’s second round results Murray     bt     Dodig         6-2, 6-1, 6-3Isner         bt     Malisse         6-3, 7-6, 5-7, 7-6Gasquet     bt     Montañés     4-6, 6-2, 6-3, 6-3Gulbis         bt     Haas         3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, 6-3Muller         bt     Youzhny     2-6, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6, 7-6Hewitt         bt     Kamke         4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-4Ferrer         bt     Anderson     6-4, 6-2, 7-6Del Potro     bt     Serra         6-4, 7-6, 6-4Robredo     bt     Seppi         6-1, 7-5, 6-3NEW YORK - Disappointed but content, Kim Clijsters signed off her singles career with a second-round defeat at the U.S. Open on Wednesday, beaten but unbowed and with the praise of her peers ringing in her ears.Losing 7-6 7-6 to British teenager Laura Robson was not the way she would have wanted to go out but at 29, after two careers and four grand slam titles, the Belgian said she was leaving with no regrets."I think in the first hour after the match there was still disappointment and a little bit of frustration,” the three-time champion said. "But after talking and thinking about the retirement, I’m happy."In the last year and a half or even two years, it’s been kind of up and down and I’m happy that I stuck through it and was able to live a lot of these emotions that I’ve had. I’m kind of proud of myself that I was able to do that.”In her moment of glory, Robson led the praise for a player who is undoubtedly the most popular in the locker room, calling her a role model to young players, while Maria Sharapova and Sam Stosur were quick to add their feelings."I can’t say enough nice things about her,” Sharapova said. "She was a tremendous athlete, a really good competitor."(But) the nicest thing you saw about her was her commitment to the sport but also wanting to have a great family life, retiring from the sport to have that and then coming back and achieving things in winning the U.S. Opens that she did and the Australian Open.”Defending champion Stosur said "the whole tour” was going to miss having Clijsters around."She’s been a great player and a great person. She’s definitely one of those people that you can look up to and really admire with what she’s been able to achieve.”Clijsters singled out being world number one, winning four grand slam titles and her WTA Championships as her best achievements, as well as becoming the first mother to win a grand slam title since 1980.In her "first” career before entering a two-year retirement in 2007, Clijsters was seen as something of a nearly-girl, losing her first four grand slam finals.But her win in New York in 2005 changed everything and when she returned in 2009 having had her daughter, she was even better, winning two more U.S. Opens and an Australian Open crown.