Kim Clijsters had two match points against Serena Williams in the 2003 Australian Open semifinal.
Clijsters, the fourth seed, pushed Serena into one of the tournament’s most dramatic matches. Serena lost the opening set 6–4, recovered to take the second 6–3, and then faced severe pressure in the deciding set. Clijsters led 5–1 and held two match points, but Serena fought back to win the set 7–5.
That escape carried Serena into the final, where she defeated her sister Venus Williams 7–6(7–4), 3–6, 6–4. The championship was Serena’s fourth consecutive major title, completing the non-calendar-year Grand Slam commonly called the “Serena Slam.”
The match is easy to misremember because several elite players were prominent in the draw. Jennifer Capriati, the defending champion, lost in the first round; Lindsay Davenport reached the fourth round; and Justine Henin-Hardenne reached the other semifinal. However, it was Clijsters who held the two match points against Serena, making the semifinal a crucial turning point in the tournament.