MARTINA HINGIS looked as if she’d never been away.

Belgian fourth seed Kim Clijsters, who had lost all four of her previous Grand Slam finals, finally won her elusive first major title at the US Open with an emphatic 6-3 6-1 rout of Mary Pierce.

Kim Clijsters let five match points slip away in the second set before advancing to the US Open final with a hard-fought 6-2 6-7 (4/7) 6-3 win over top seed Maria Sharapova at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

American Lindsay Davenport’s stay at the US Open came to an unexpected and disappointing end in the quarter-finals.