No way. On this night, everything was grand.

After coming up short in her first four tries and missing much of last year with a serious wrist injury, Clijsters finally won her first Grand Slam title Saturday night, crushing Mary Pierce 6-3, 6-1 at the US Open.

"It's still very hard to believe," said Clijsters, who won 2.2 million dollars, double the top prize and the richest payday in women's sports, because she won the US Open Series leading up to the tournament.

"It's an amazing feeling to have, especially after being out for so long last year. It means so much more."

When she hit a service winner on the second championship point, Clijsters dropped her racket and covered her mouth with her hands. After hugging Pierce at the net, she rushed to the side of the court, climbing over a photographer's pit and through the stands at Arthur Ashe Stadium to reach her mom, sister and coach.

"I didn't want to be standing out there by myself after the game. As soon as I looked over to them, I wanted to hug them," Clijsters said. "I decided to run up there. I didn't know where I was going or what I was doing. Luckily, I made it back safe." Clijsters had reached the final at the French and US Opens in 2003, as well as the Australian in 2004, only to fall short against fellow Belgian Justine Henin-Hardenne each time. She also lost to Jennifer Capriati in the 2001 French Open.

But those losses paled in significance last summer, when doctors told her she might not play again because of a wrist injury. She had surgery in June 2004, and missed the year's last three majors. She also missed this year's Australian Open.

When she returned to the tour, she had a new appreciation for the game. And new drive. She has talked about retiring in two years, and is determined to make the most of her career while it lasts.

It showed at the Open. She beat Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova to set up her meeting with Pierce, who knows a thing or two about comebacks herself.

The 30-year-old Frenchwoman is playing the best tennis of her career, five years after she won the French Open and 10 years after her victory at the Australian. She also reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, losing to Venus Williams, and will be No 6 when the new rankings come out Monday, her first time in the top 10 since April 1, 2001.

Pierce upset Henin-Hardenne and third-seeded Amelie Mauresmo here as well as last year's runner-up Elena Dementieva -- though she needed an assist from the trainer to do that. Pierce had her right thigh heavily wrapped again Saturday, but duct tape wouldn't have helped her against Clijsters.

The Belgian was too strong, too crisp, too fleet.

No wonder. Clijsters served notice from the start she was there to play, coming back from 30-0 to break Pierce in the first game of the match.

Clijsters used her superior athletic ability to chase down ball after ball, skidding into her trademark splits several times, and made Pierce work for any point she got. Pierce called for a trainer twice, but she moved just fine when she had to. In the first set, she sprinted from the baseline to reach a backhand drop volley from Clijsters, saving it with a backhand crosscourt scoop. But Clijsters answered right back with a backhand half-volley, and Pierce could only watch it go by.

But Clijsters continued to befuddle her. When Pierce hit a backhand wide to give Clijsters the first set, she walked slowly to the chair and called for a trainer. That was only prolonging the inevitable.

Clijsters won 12 of the first 13 points of the second set to go up 3-0. Pierce held serve to make the score a little respectable, but her body language confirmed what everyone in the stands already knew. The match was all but over, and Clijsters was on her way to winning her first major title in grand fashion.

It was the second straight shellacking Pierce took in a Grand Slam final. Henin-Hardenne needed only 61 minutes to wallop her 6-1, 6-1 at the French Open, prompting a tearful Pierce to apologize to the fans of her home country.

It was the 10th straight year the championship was won in straight sets, and was the most lopsided final since Martina Hingis beat Venus Williams 6-0, 6-4 in 1997.