Amelie Mauresmo won a $1.3 million diamond-studded racket trophy Sunday, beating Kim Clijsters 6-4, 7-6 (4) in the final of the Diamond Games tournament. The victory spoiled Clijsters' farewell match before a frenetic home crowd of 14,500 at the Sports Palace. The 23-year-old Belgian has said she will retire at the end of the season.
Mauresmo, the most successful out lesbian on the tennis tour since Martina Navratolova, won the tournament for the third time in a row, enough to keep the 8.8-pound gold racket studded with 1,702 diamonds, which goes to the first three-time winner in any five-year span.
“I said all week I didn't think about it, but honestly I thought about it the whole week,” Mauresmo admitted to the crowd.
Clisters, as always, was a terrific sport: “There is no better champion than you. I admire you in so many ways.”
Clijsters cried when local crooners Clouseau serenaded her career, which included a U.S. Open title in 2005, a No. 1 ranking in 2003 and several Grand Slam near misses. Mauresmo has won her last five matches against Clijsters, including last year's Diamond Games final.