Criticizing Clijsters is cool again

This story is almost as beaten to death as the story about whether or not the Williams sisters will get off their butts and consistently play good tennis again (all together now - "No!").

But, I had posted some of this guys thoughts previously, and it is true that Kim Clijsters isn't having quite the same summer (so far) that she did last year. And plus, she's going to retire so soon, why not give this one a go again?

Wow! Can Kim Clijsters play tennis?

But where's her heart? This summer, Clijsters is only a shadow of the player who dominated last summer's U.S. Open Series and then rolled through the U.S. Open.

And it's all about heart. Clijsters lost hers about the time she decided to announce that she would retire next year.

She plays with very little conviction and passion. She now often looks like the same player who chokes every time she goes against fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne.

Clijsters appears to be just biding her time on the women's tour, padding her bank account for the time she retires. What a wasted opportunity.

Clijsters is beginning to remind me of Marat Safin. Sometimes I wonder why this talented Russian is still playing tennis. He doesn't appear to put his heart into the game and shows up unprepared without a game plan. He travels the world making millions. He could be so much more. He has the game, but not the dedication.

--Maria Sharapova may be in tennis just for the fame and money, but there is no doubt about this young Russian's conviction. She plays to win. That was obvious in her romp past Clijsters on Sunday in San Diego. Charleston.net

Picking on Safin and Sharapova, too! I think if you want to see Clijsters the way that is described above, it is very easy to just assume she doesn't care and is focused on retiring. It would be nice if that weren't the case, but what is she going to do about it? I wouldn't care personally - since she is retiring in the near future, I don't need any justifications from her.