OWN CORRESPONDENT, Wimbledon | Friday 3.30pm.
AMANDA COETZER will be relying on wider experience at the top levels of professional tennis when she faces Kim Clijsters in their third round match-up at Wimbledon. Clijsters, at only 16, is highly regarded by many observers, and is barely younger than Jelena Dokic, who sent Martina Hingis packing in the first round.
Clijsters, a sensation in her native Belgium, actually beat Dokic last year, and her performance in the qualifying rounds and the first two Wimbledon rounds have earned her respect.
Clijsters plays aggressively, and has little to lose. She will begin preparations for the juniors event if Coetzer beats her, and will bask in increased attention if she wins.
Coetzer, by contrast, is under some pressure. She will want to make it into the later rounds, naturally, but she is also the only South African left in the tournament. She also faces the pressure of a match with a solid player with nothing to lose–Coetzer almost has to win, and the win itself will simply serve to move her ahead, rather than build her reputation.
Clijsters has lost just seven games in the tournament so far. In the opening round she defeated Joannette Kruger 6-2 6-3 and then went on to rout England’s Cross 6-2 6-0.
The winner of Friday’s match is likely to face second seed Steffi Graf in the fourth round.