Serena Williams teases the press during her post match press conference. The closest Serena Williams came to failing to win the Venus Rosewater Dish was when she faced down a match point in the 10th game of the third set against Elena Dementieva in their semi-final. “The match is never over until you shake the opponent's hand. It's like you never give up and you always keep fighting,” she said. “It's just a good lesson for life, not even just in sports, but in life as well. “I usually go kamikaze when I'm down. So if I'm going to go out, I'm going out like a hero or something. Nothing to lose. That's kind of how I felt. I just think almost every Grand Slam I've won I've been down match point in a match before, a lot of them. No more than at least two Australians. Definitely here at Wimbledon." Serena did not go out in a blaze of glory, instead she beat Dementieva and set up a repeat of last year’s final against her sister. Venus, who had not lost a set here since the third round of 2007 and had dropped just 19 games leading into the final, was the overwhelming favourite. “This is one of the few times I didn't expect to come out with the win today,” she said. “I felt like I had nothing to lose. I defended every point that I had from last year. I felt like all I had to do is go out there and do my best, just stay even, because she's such a good player. “When I won that first set, I was like, wow, this is great. No matter what, I'm a set away. So I was just trying to relax. I really wanted to stay calm because I felt like I was getting closer to the goal. Sometimes if I get too pumped or if I grunt too loud, I lose. I just want to stay relaxed, stay calm and stay focused more than anything.” It had been six years since Serena lifted the Venus Rosewater Dish and the world number two admitted she thought her name should have been on the Wimbledon honours’ board at least another time before today. “I'm really just playing for me, whether I'm the greatest or not. I can't even put myself in a sentence with the greatest, because I think of people like Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf and Billie Jean King. They were such great champions. To even be mentioned with those people is a real honour to me. I feel like I'm really young. I feel like I'm only thinking about my career and continuing playing.” “Billie Jean King wrote once: ‘Pressure is a privilege’. Being able to work with her on Fed Cup, just as a person, she's really been able to help me understand that it's a privilege to feel that pressure.” | |||||
the legend
joyful rogger fedder
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Serena reveals formula for success
Champion Serena laughs off No.2 ranking
Serena takes a moment to inspect her trophy after he straight sets win in the ladies' singles final. As far as backhands go it was as good as anything Serena Williams delivered on her way to the 2009 ladies singles title at Wimbledon. After winning the title, Williams, the French Open quarter-finalist and reigning Australian and US Open champion, was asked a series of questions about being ranked number two in the world behind Dinara Safina, a player who has never won a Grand Slam. Williams began her answers diplomatically, although with a sprinkle of irony. That sprinkle became a torrent and at one stage Williams was belly laughing after saying: “I think Dinara did a great job to get to No. 1. She won Rome and Madrid.” Serena clearly knew she was in dangerous territory by this stage as she bit her tongue and moved on to the next question. But her answers made it abundantly clear what her feelings are on the world rankings and her place in women’s tennis. “I think if you hold three Grand Slam titles maybe you should be No.1, but not on the WTA Tour obviously, so... You know, my motivation is maybe just to win another Grand Slam and stay No.2, I guess. I'd rather definitely be No.2 and hold three Grand Slams in the past year than be No. 1 and not have any. “I think the girl, Dinara, who is No.1, you can clearly see by her physique how hard she works. You can't get anywhere by not doing the best and not working your hardest. So, you know, I'm happy for her. I'm really excited that I won Wimbledon, though, because, like I said, I'd rather win that than not win the Championships.” It was another entertaining performance from the champion in her final press conference of the tournament. She spoke in glowing terms about her sister Venus, the beaten finalist and defending champion, and Billie Jean King, the player whose Grand Slam record she equalled with her 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 victory. After being filmed looking at the honours board in the clubhouse after the trophy presentation, Serena said she believed her name “should have been there at least once more”. But the very next question she said she was not interested in her legacy. “I'm really just playing for me, whether I'm the greatest or not. I can't even put myself in a sentence with the greatest, because I think of people like Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf and Billie Jean King. “They were such great champions. To even be mentioned with those people is a real honour to me. I feel like I'm really young. I feel like I'm only thinking about my career and continued playing.” |
Sisters sweep to doubles crown
Four finalists line up: Serena Williams,Venus Williams,Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs. The Williams sisters conquered Wimbledon again after they won a battle of power against guile to retain their doubles crown. Venus and Serena triumphed 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 against the Australian pairing of Sam Stosur and Rennae Stubbs in a late, enthralling match on Centre Court. They had to survive a first set scare as Stosur and Stubbs raced into a 4-2 set lead. Stosur, who was beaten 6-2, 6-2 with previous partner Lisa Raymond by Venus and Serena in last year’s final, was in particularly inspired form early on, helping to break the Serena serve at 2-1. The Williams sister unsurprisingly looked a little tired following Serena’s earlier victory over Venus in the singles final. But they soon came back, their renowned power game helping them to break the Stubbs serve and level at 4-4. Stosur and Stubbs continued to produce some high quality tennis to take the set to the tiebreak. But they were overpowered with Serena and Venus winning it 7-4 on their second set point. The Australians did well to remain in contention early in the second set as they wowed a near capacity Centre Court crowd with some exciting tennis and battling spirit, which was later acknowledged by their opponents. "They're a really good team, so they definitely pushed us to play our best tennis on the most important points," admitted Venus. Despite many long rallies the Williams sisters eventually broke Stosur and Stubbs’ resistance in the seventh game of the set. Stubbs once again lost her serve thanks to a fine volley by Serena at break point. Serena celebrated as if the game was up. And there was, indeed, no way back for the Australians despite Stosur holding serve in the next game. Serena closed out the match at 5-4 to ensure another Williams clean sweep of the ladies’ trophies. Serena admitted she was just as happy to add the doubles title to her earlier singles win. "It feels great to win the doubles," she said. "You can go home with two titles. There's nothing like winning a title with your sister. It's really a good feeling."
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Venus cracks in final act
It is rare for Venus and Serena Williams to need time apart from one another. But in the moments after the younger sibling became the new Wimbledon champion and the two sisters embraced at the net, that was when the moment came. Just for a minute or maybe two, they needed space from one another. Serena waved and bowed to the crowd, hand on her heart and then her forehead, struggling to take in her first Wimbledon win in six years. Venus, the vanquished champion who had planned on taking a sixth title today, sat in her chair at courtside staring one of those thousand-mile stares that come to us all now and again when we think on what might have been. Her face was utterly drained at the knowledge that the prize that most defines her had been taken away. So much of the sisters’ lives are metaphorically entwined. They are endlessly compared, endlessly contrasted, endlessly mentioned in the same breath. And today they lined up for their 11th Grand Slam face-off, with the Williams monopoly of women’s tennis still going strong a decade after it began. Waiting to go on court the two of them looked tense, carefully not looking at one another, minds focused on the serious business ahead. When battle commenced, the first set was fittingly intense. It seemed appropriate given the potency of their mutual relationship, and the huge degree of public attention always focused on them whenever they play one another. Sometimes it seems that we who watch demand of these sibling encounters a standard of tennis we rarely require from other matches. We constantly insist that they “prove” to us they are really trying when they face one another across the net, especially when the most glittering prizes are at stake. Neither is permitted a bad day at the office. There must always be some deep dark meaning behind the failure of either to produce their best. For long periods of the first set there was not much between them. Rallies tended to be short, punctuated by a few powerful exchanges where each had the other running from side to side of the court. But what was really noticeable was the way Serena was serving. Perhaps mindful of the fact that her 20 aces in her semi-final against Elena Dementieva kept her in that match at the most critical moments, she easily and quite unexpectedly out-aced her older sister, amassing eight to Venus’ one in that first set. Venus could hardly take a point from Serena’s serve, and it became increasingly clear that if the set went as far as the tiebreak Serena would be in good shape. But when Venus had her chance to prevent the set running its full course – with two break points at 4-3 – she failed to convert. The tiebreak came and Serena bludgeoned her way through it, finishing off with a beautifully judged lob to take it 7-3. From the guest box the sisters were watched as usual by the calm presence of their mother Oracene Price. As usual, their father Richard Williams was absent, having long held a policy that he never watches his daughters on those occasions when they play each other. (“My work is done,” he likes to say.) But a great battery of former women’s champions here were present in the Royal Box including Billie-Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Ann Jones, Christine Janes, Angela Barrett and Maria Bueno. Incongruously among them, the Hollywood star Ben Stiller was also a Royal Box guest. They watched a second set where it soon became clear that Venus – so dominant throughout these Championships – was rapidly losing confidence. Her key weapon, her serve, was losing speed, while Serena was continuing to amass aces without double faults. At 2-3 a Venus mis-hit off the frame of her racket brought up Serena’s first chance to break in the entire match. In the event she did not need to do anything to convert it, because Venus delivered a double fault. Invulnerable to mental pressure in any other match throughout the fortnight, she could not hold it together at the crucial moment against her sister. Not since the Wimbledon final of 2006 (between Justine Henin and victorious Amelie Mauresmo) has a women’s Grand Slam decider gone to a third set. The chance of such an event here was receding by the moment as the confidence of Venus crumbled visibly. At 2-5 came a succession of four separate Championship points. Three went by, but the last was too much. Serena sank to her knees and perhaps that was the moment when the two of them were briefly separated – one the victor, one the vanquished, the indivisible divided just for now. |
Serena seizes crown from Venus
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
This time the Williams family battle, so often conducted on the lawns of the All England Club, went the way of Serena as she removed the ladies' singles championship from the custody of her older sister Venus. In straight sets, too, 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 in 87 minutes. Serena had been saying from the start of these Championships that it was her turn to win Wimbledon. And since the Williamses have turned this event into a private affair, the only one she really needed to defeat was Venus. The job was accomplished in typical powerful style, with Venus so worn down that her own game collapsed spectacularly from 2-2 in the second set. This was Serena’s third Wimbledon title and 11th Grand Slam and was ample amends for her loss to her big sister 12 months ago. It was well deserved as Venus admitted, saying: "Serena had the answer for everything and played the best tennis today, so congratulations." Serena expressed disbelief that she was finally holding once more the trophy, the Venus Rosewater Dish, which might have been named for her sister, who has won it five times, and paid full tribute: "Venus is the greatest on this surface." At which they both went off for a rest before playing the doubles final. Today, the Fourth of July, America's Independence Day, Venus was far from the best. Her progress to the final had been more impressive, contained fewer games and less stress, but there was not enough in the tank today once the match hit its stride. With four great Wimbledon champions, Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King, Maria Bueno and Virginia Wade, watching from the Royal Box, this contest between the current oligarchs of the women's game was conducted for much of the first set at a comparatively sedate pace and in front of a muted audience as both finalists held serve comfortably, with the occasional explosion coming from a Serena ace. Not until the eighth game did the excitement build, when Serena went two break points down. Here was the opportunity for Venus to impose her authority. But the first break point escaped her when she got a bad bounce and the second got away, too, when, faced with a gaping court, she overhit her forehand. Having been reprieved, Serena pressed the power switch and came up with successive aces. She was off the hook and was never subsequently in the slightest danger. A tiebreak to decide the first set was an inevitability, with an indication of the tension coming as both women issued their first challenge on the Hawk-Eye line-calling system. By then Serena was already ahead in the tiebreak by three points to one and tried to make it 4-1 by claiming a Venus shot had been out. No, said the system, it was on the line. By the time Venus got in her own challenge, which was upheld, she was set point down and although Hawk-Eye delayed the inevitable, it was for only one more point as Serena left sister stranded with a perfect backhand lob after 52 minutes. The second set proceeded uneventfully to 3-2 in Serena's favour before Venus and her first service action parted company. One of her second serves trundled over the net at 66mph, which is food and drink to Serena. Venus then double faulted on break point to give her a 4-2 lead, and the destination of the title was set as Serena moved to a 5-2 lead with a love game. The final Venus service game was another catalogue of errors as she faced, and fought off, three match points before capitulating on the fourth with a backhand into the netting.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sisters shine on day of finals
Serena and Venus Williams are the ladies' singles winner and runner-up for 2009 Serena Williams deprived her sister Venus of a hat-trick of consecutive wins in a comprehensive 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 victory in the women’s singles final. The younger sister stepped up her game at important moments, pulling away in the tiebreak and then breaking midway through the second set to put the match beyond Venus’s reach. For nigh on an hour, there was no quarter asked and none given between the 29-year-old number three seed and the 27-year-old second seed. Only two games went to deuce, one on each service, but in the tiebreak Serena was that little bit better. “I don't think I did too many things wrong,” said Venus ruefully after the match. “But I would play a good shot and she'd hit a winner off of it or put me in a position where she could hit another winner.” The second set began much like the first, but then Venus’s serve, usually her greatest weapon, particularly on grass, deserted her. In the sixth game, she sliced a second serve at a mere 66mph that Serena devoured. A break point ensued and worse was to come as Venus double-faulted for the third time in the match, virtually handing the title to Serena. Venus was understandably subdued after the match, refusing either to blame her ailing knee or question her equally faltering serve. Serena, meanwhile, was boisterous, holding court in a press conference where she sported a T-shirt with a risqué slogan and made sideways remarks at Dinara Safina, the world number one who has yet to win a Grand Slam while Serena currently holds three, and the WTA ranking system for allowing such a situation to come about. The sisters were back a few hours later for the women's doubles final, playing the Australians Samantha Stosur and Rennae Stubbs. The first set was a close battle, with some thrilling exchanges around the net. It went to a tiebreak that the Williams sisters won 7-4. The second set involved Venus and Serena battering their opponents with powerful shots as the Australians tried to mount a brave defence. But the American pair were too strong and they took the set 6-4 to claim their fourth Wimbledon doubles title. The men’s doubles was a typically epic affair, stretching over four sets. Second seeds Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic eventually prevailed over top seeds Bob and Mike Bryan, retaining the title that they won last year. The first three sets all went to tiebreaks. In the girls’ singles final, Thailand’s Noppawan Lertcheewakarn put the disappointment of last year’s loss to Laura Robson behind her as she came from a set down to defeat top seed and Roland Garros champion Kristina Mladenovic of France, who struggled with a knee injury as the match wore on. |
Friday, July 3, 2009
Quotes of the day - 03 July 2009
 | ||
“Are you ready to get out of here (laughter)?” With just two days ago until the end of Wimbledon 2009, Serena Williams has clearly had enough of press conferences. “What would my advice be? I won't be giving them any advice because I'll be heading home tonight.” Andy, if you are looking for tips about how to contend with Roger Federer, beaten semi-finalist Tommy Haas is probably not the best man to go to. “Trying to achieve the fifth straight Wimbledon, equaling Borg's record. For some reason that meant the world to me. I was like in a bubble for two weeks, just trying to achieve it.” We are glad Roger Federer was able to burst that bubble in time to come back and try and win a sixth Wimbledon title. “I think it's been very good. I did better than I ever had before. I had some very good matches. And, you know, I thought I played good tennis.” Andy Murray gives a summary of his Wimbledon 2009 “I believe I can win a Grand Slam, whether it's Wimbledon or US Open or Australia or whatever, I'm going to give myself chances.” And a dose of positivity thrown in for good measure too. See you next year Andy Murray. “She didn't really know much about tennis, so she thought I was playing real great (laughter). She thought I looked cute in the shorts.” Andy Roddick gives an insight into wife Brooklyn Decker's world of tennis. “I've developed a little bit of rapport with the fans. Maybe you guys helping me by asking me a bunch of goofy questions and me giving a bunch of goofy answers.” Why does Rick Astley come to mind? |
Ladies' Singles Final Preview
Serena Williams stays focused on Centre Court during her semi-final against Elena Dementieva. You would imagine that Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, home of the Williams sisters, is celebrating now. Another publicity boost for the old town. That sort of thing. Apparently not. They take the ongoing brilliance of Venus and Serena quite calmly, it seems. And the two women accept it because, as Venus points out, the United States is a big place where they have lots of stars in a multitude of sports. It seems that Venus and Serena are a bigger item here at Wimbledon than they are in Palm Beach Gardens. Richard Williams, their father and coach, announced after their respective semi-final victories on Friday that he was heading home "to cut the grass" rather than watch his daughters do battle with each other. He never watches them play each other, he says, never has done and never will. Since this will be their 21st meeting at professional level, Richard's grass must be extremely well tended. The grass on Centre Court is beginning to look a mite bare and scorched after the weather we have basked in for the past two weeks, but it will no doubt bear up for the bashing it will receive from the best pair in women's tennis as, once again, they go about disputing the destination of the Venus Rosewater Dish in the 123rd Championships, appropriately on the Fourth of July, America's Independence Day. Speaking of fourths, this will be the fourth time the two have met in the Wimbledon final, and is a repeat of the 2008 occasion, when Venus won in straight sets. Serena won the other two, back to back in 2002 and 2003 and she is muttering that is about time she won Wimbledon again. She has generally had the edge when it comes to Grand Slam finals against her older sister. Five of Venus' six defeats in the finals of majors have come at the hands of Serena, taking in the whole of the Grand Slam scene, the others being one in New York, one in Paris and one in Melbourne. So dominant have they been at Wimbledon that only one women's final in this new century has not included at least one Williams. That was in 2006, when Amelie Mauresmo beat Justine Henin. Both will be playing their 14th Grand Slam final, Serena's won-lost record being 10-3 and that of Venus a more modest 7-6. As usual, they have been sharing a house near the All England Club's grounds and acting in the sisterly fashion they insist is their habit, though they tend not to share the same courtesy car to bring them to their date with destiny. 'Venus is running like a deer right now, and Serena is hitting the ball as hard as a man'Each woman has won 10 of their 20 matches, what Serena calls "super intense". Asked whether they didn't sometimes tire of facing each other, Serena insisted: "The more we play the better it gets. This one here is for everything. This is what we dreamed of when we were growing up in Compton 20-something years ago. This is what we worked for, and this is what we want." Serena feels, quite rightly, that Venus is playing the best tennis of this year's Championships. She has not dropped a set, has lost just 19 games in six matches and has spent only six and a half hours on court. Serena, thanks to that marathon semi-final against Elena Dementieva, has a court time almost two hours longer, in which she has lost one set. The record of Venus, a five-time champion of Wimbledon like Roger Federer, shows how her game and the courts of London SW19 complement each other. She has now won 34 successive completed sets and has not conceded a set since the third round of the 2007 Championships. Though the two of them are thoroughly schooled in diplomacy when it comes to talking about the other, Venus emphasises the tremendous respect she has for her younger sibling (27 years of age, as opposed to 29): "Even if [Serena] is not playing her best, it is just that fight she has. There's so much to face when you play her. It's definitely a lot to get your mind around. We both play such a similar game. After all, we had the same teacher [their father]. But what is especially the same is the respect that we have for each other on and off the court." Venus concedes that a Grand Slam final against her sister is different from that against any other opponent. "It is different because I'm happy for her to be in the final, but I have to face her and defeat her. I don't necessarily want her to lose, but for sure I want me to win. “I don't ever like to see her disappointed in any way but, at the same time, I don't want to see myself disappointed. I need to get my titles, too. But I definitely want to play her in Grand Slam finals like this because the dream has come true for both of us, and for our family, too." Before taking himself off to attend to that lawn of his, Richard Williams declined to forecast this afternoon's winner, confining himself to these descriptions of his daughters. "Venus is running like a deer right now, and Serena is hitting the ball as hard as a man." There are some who feel that yet another all-Williams Wimbledon final is becoming rather repetitious, but the best players tend to come out on top, and these two are the best in the women's game, and have been for quite a few years now. Challengers have come and gone, but the Palm Beach Gardens girls motor on. It's a shame that they aren't making a bit more of it back there in Florida. |
Williamses power into doubles final
Venus and Serena will defend their crown just hours after facing each other in the singles final for the second year running. And Aussie pair Sam Stosur and Rennae Stubbs who beat Spaniards Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual will not look forward to playing the Americans on this form. The Williamses did have a rather slow start to the match with Venus fortunate to hold serve in the first game of the match. But after that they never looked back with some terrific returns from Serena allowing the sisters to break the Huber serve at the first time of asking. Some fine volleying from Serena allowed her to hold serve before powerful play from both sisters led to them breaking Black in the next game. At 5-0, Huber did finally manage to hold and that prompted the No.1 Court crowd’s largest cheer of the match. Black and Huber both managed to hold serve as the Zimbabwean/American pair, the highest ranked doubles players in the world, tried desperately to make the match a contest. But Venus held serve to see out the match in an hour and a minute and later confirmed they have taken the doubles just as seriously as the singles. “We've been so focused, and that's really been the key word this Championship,” the elder sister said. “Our focus has paid off so far.” Serena agreed: “We've been playing doubles a lot, even though we don't play every tournament. We actually have that team camaraderie. We've been getting a lot of experience, and we know what to do doubles wise.”
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Americans on top in doubles
The Williams sisters once again stole the headlines in the doubles with a faultless display on Court 18 against China's Zi Yan and Jie Zheng. Venus and Serena, both of whom had sealed victories of their own earlier in the day, completed a perfect "double bagel" 6-0, 6-0 to ensure their place in the fourth round. But it was fellow Americans Bob and Mike Bryan who were the first duo to make it through to the fourth round on Day Seven with a convincing straight sets victory over Leos Friedl and David Skoch. The former Wimbledon doubles champions breezed through 7-5, 6-3, 6-1 in just under an hour and a half to once again underline their status as genuine contenders for the men’s title. James Blake and Mardy Fish made it a hat-trick of wins for the Americans. overcoming 15th seeds Martin Damm and Robert Lindstedt 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (4-7), 6-4. Defending champions Daniel Nestor and Nenad Zimonjic maintained their impressive record at SW19 after triumphing over the British team of Jamie Delgado and Jonathan Marray 7-5, 6-4, 6-4. The Bryan brothers returned later in the day to record second victories in the mixed doubles. Mike and Bob, playing alongside Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Samantha Stosur respectively both cruised to straight set victories. Top ladies' seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber survived a scare against Czech duo Barbora Benesova Strycova and Iveta Benesova to advance to the next round. Black and Huber recovered from a one-set deficit to secure a 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 win. There was no such trouble for number two seeds Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual who lived up to their billing by reaching the fourth round in relative ease with a straight sets 7-5, 6-3 win over Alla Kudryavtseva and Monica Niculescu. Elsewhere, there were four-set wins for Lukasz Kubot and Oliver Marach and Mahesh Bhupathi and Mark Knowles who beat Christopher Kas and Viktor Troicki and Prakash Amritraj and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi respectively. |
Quotes of the day - 2 July 2009
Serena Williams keeps her eye on the ball against Elena Dementieva on Centre Court. “You know, I wasn't sure if it's Serena or Andy Roddick on the other side, 125 all the time. You know, it was a huge percentage of the first serve.” Elena Dementieva gets confused during her semi-final defeat to Serena Williams. “My forehand didn't show up today. I think she went to Hawaii. (Laughter). But I've called and asked her, I should say, to come back for the final. Hopefully she'll be back. But, you know, it's always good to win when one of your stroke's on vacation.” Serena Williams carelessly allows her forehand to take an untimely break. Lucky that the No.2 seed had her gigantic serve at home to make up for the loss. “Would I like it to end even? Of course not. Then I wouldn't win. I'm sure she feels the same.” Seemingly, Serena’s competitive edge decided against jetting off to Hawaii with the forehand in order to stay at home too. “I'm just making sure you're not trying to be down, because I respect Dinara Safina immensely, and I think you should, too.” Venus Williams gives one journalist a stern ticking off after it was suggested that her convincing defeat of the world No.1 was ‘embarrassing’ for women’s’ tennis. “Cranberry sauce. I'm actually a candy addict. That's the closest I can get to, like, sugar, is cranberry sauce and raisins. So those are the two things that when I celebrate, it's with cranberry sauce. It's a little strange, I know. I happen to like it.” Venus Williams lets slip her Achilles heel. She must have a ball on Christmas Day. “No, we're not so competitive off the court. She tricks me a lot, but I get hip to her tricks. Like we could be in the store trying something on, and she'll be like, No, that doesn't look good. As soon as I put it down she tries it on, but I got hip to that. So soon there will be another trick that I have to get hip to. So I don't mind. It's so funny.” Venus Williams proving once and for all that tennis cannot get in the way of sisterly love. |
Venus well aware of Serena's spirit
It all started in a tournament held at White City in Sydney. Serena Williams, a relative newcomer on the tour, was playing a match against Lindsay Davenport, who was ranked in the top five. At one stage, the rookie was losing 1-6, 2-5 and the crowd could get itself ready for the next match, which featured Serena's elder sister Venus. But Serena kept the crowd and big sister waiting as she fought back to win the match. If Venus didn't already know it by then, she learned that day that little sis Serena was a fighter. This afternoon, it was a case of history repeating itself. Venus was due second on Centre Court, once her sister's match against Elena Dementieva was finished. As she methodically prepared herself for her own challenge, she watched the scoreboard from Centre Court closely - partly to check when she would be due on court but also, of course, to check on Serena's progress. And once again, Serena fought back from the brink to keep Venus waiting. Today, she clawed her way back from a set down to end Elena Dementieva’s hopes of reaching her maiden Wimbledon final. Reflecting on her memories of that Australian tournament, Venus said: “I’ll just never forget. She came back and won that match. It was so intense. I just learned so much from that, her fight. I think that actually has a huge impression on my career, that one incident actually. “We saved the article. It was called White City’s Great Escape. Afterwards I would read it with an Australian accent. We read it over and over again, about how she overcame all the odds and won that match. That’s classic Serena Williams so it was a huge lesson for both of us.” This is exactly why Venus will not take her sister lightly when she faces her on the other side of the net for their 21st meeting in Saturday’s final. The women have a head-to-head tally that stands at 10 apiece and there will certainly be no room for any weaknesses on either side, Venus explained. “There’s not even time to think about kinks [in our games]. You have to play and play well, and that’s what I’m expecting in this final,” she said. “Even if [Serena] is not playing her best, just that fight she has, you’re facing that. It’s definitely a lot to get your mind around. So for me I’ll be focusing on getting past the player and the fight in the final.” But perhaps the five-time Wimbledon champion would have preferred a different opponent in the final? “No, I definitely wanted her to win today. It’s like if she didn’t win or if I didn’t win then the dream doesn’t come true that we’re both playing in the final. So I definitely want to play against her, because the dream has come true for both of us and for our family too.” But while Venus is happy that her younger sister is in the Saturday showdown, the defending champion won’t be taking the contest lightly. “I don’t want to see myself disappointed. I need to get my titles too." |
Serena battles to win classic semi
Serena Williams battles Elena Dementieva for a place in the Ladies' final. Saving a match point along the way, Serena Williams battled through to the women's singles final by defeating Russia's Elena Dementieva 6-7 7-5 8-6. At two hours 49 minutes it was the longest women's semi-final at Wimbledon in the era of Open tennis. It was also, by some distance, the finest women's match at the 2009 Championships so far. Dementieva, the Olympic champion, went into the match a clear underdog, despite a superior recent record against the American. But her beefed-up serve, her relentlessly accurate groundstrokes and her fighting spirit extended Williams to the very limit. The difference between winning and the exit door was that Dementieva was found wanting at the key moments and on key points, plus the fact that luck, the net cord and the Hawk-Eye calling system were also generally in Serena's corner. Before the match Serena's father and coach, Richard Williams, had opined "Serena is hitting like a man", and his daughter proceeded to fulfil that comment with her every shot, her every serve and her astonishing stamina under pressure. The Russian applied pressure that Serena has certainly not seen in this tournament, or indeed for a long while. But, champion that she is, the response was there in the end, four games after she had fought off that match point with one of her more outrageous slices of good fortune, a forehand volley winner off the top of the net. Expectations of another straight-sets victory suffered an immediate setback when she was broken in the very first game, despite opening proceedings with the first of her 20 aces. The response, a capture of the Russian's serve, was instantaneous, but the 4th seed Dementieva demonstrated, in a doggedly contested first set lasting 50 minutes, that she is certainly no longer intimidated by facing a power hitter. Her serve has improved immeasurably since her semi-final appearance here last year, but the second serve remains a liability at such a level and was frequently punished. Dementieva fought off three break points at 3-4 and, encouraged by the occasional wild Williams error, took the set into a tiebreak, where more Serena mistakes offered Dementieva three set points. She fluffed the first with a double fault before Williams obliged by walloping a forehand service return wide. The Williams counter-attack was immediate. She broke in the opening game of the second set and appeared comfortably in command until inexplicably dropping serve to love in the sixth game and slid into peril of defeat in straight sets when she faced two break points which would have given the Russian a 5-3 lead and left her serving for the match. Good luck came Serena's way on the second of these when the Hawk-Eye machine called one of her shots in by a millimetre. With 10 Grand Slams already to her name, Serena did not need any more warnings. She broke , luckily once more, to lead 6-5 when a Dementieva net cord was ruled by Hawk-Eye to have dropped just out and even though she served out to level the match it was still only after Dementieva had failed to cash in on four more break points. If what had gone before was thrilling, the final set produced breathtaking tennis. Dementieva broke to lead 3-1, was pulled back at once to 3-2 and though Williams continued to thunder down the aces, Dementieva had her huge opportunity with that match point at 5-5. The moment was snatched away from her and the ruthless Williams guaranteed that there would be no more. The American broke to lead 7-6, reached match point with a forehand winner and screeched in jubilation on the next point as a Russian backhand landed long. After a tournament of largely quickfire wins for the leading ladies, this was a match which will go into the record books. The only previous women’s singles semi-final to have stretched past two-and-a-half hours was the 1994 battle between Conchita Martinez and Lori McNeil. But today, two competitors went toe-to-toe for 169 absorbing minutes, beating that previous mark by 14 minutes. The Centre Court's standing ovation for both women was fully merited.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Road to the final - Serena Williams
1st round: Stuttering Serena passes first test 2nd round Serena sweeps into third round 3rd round: Serena storms into fourth round 4th round: Serena scorches through Quarter-final: Serena gains crushing revenge Semi-final: Serena battles to win classic semi No 3. Seed Venus Williams has not dropped a single set on her road to the final. 1st Round: Venus off to a flyer 2nd Round: Venus power batters Bondarenko Venus William d. Carla Suarez Navarro (ESP) 6-0, 6-4 Williams was untouchable on serve, conceding just two points, while each of Suarez Navarro's service games was a long deuce affair, especially the opening game, which went on for five minutes. Clearly, Venus was tiring of all this when, at set point, she settled it with an ace. 4th Round: Ivanovic injury sends Venus through Venus Williams d. Ana Ivanovic (SRB) (13), 6-1, 0-1, retired The 12th seed was all but blasted off No.1 Court in the first set by the tournament favourite and defending champion Venus Williams in their fourth round match. Feature: Venus sympathy over Ivanovic injury Quarter-final:Venus too hot for Radwanska Semi-final: Venus destroys Safina in 51 minutes |
Dementieva disappointed at missed chance
Elena Dementieva loses in the semi-final to Serena Williams. Elena Dementieva could not hide her disappointment as she pinpointed her biggest regret about losing an epic Wimbledon semi-final to Serena Williams after being match point up at one stage. The 27-year-old Russian, now a losing semi-finalist here two years running, was in reflective mood at her post-match press conference as she said: "Maybe I should have taken a bit more risk on the match point. I should have gone down the line on the match point. I'm disappointed with the shot because I'm very surprised I didn't go down the line. "[The] passing shot is my favourite shot to make. And maybe it was too quick, so I didn't see she was moving to cover [the] cross court. She was very close to the net. I mean, down the line or even lob would work.” Dementieva's deep sighs gave away her enormous disappointment but after all that self-berating, the 4th seed did find time to focus on the positives of playing such a huge part in Wimbledon's longest-ever ladies' singles semi-final, saying: “I think it was a very close match, and we both were playing very well today. It was a good fight.” Her assessment was that it had been her "best match on grass" and "the best match we ever played against each other". "I don't think it was the last chance."After such a solid performance, the Olympic gold medallist’s confidence seemed greater rather than dented. She said her fighting spirit was “still here” and added: "Last year, I was a little bit more nervous than today, and I couldn't really play my game against Venus [in last year’s semi-final]. "But today from the beginning I was very positive. I knew exactly what to expect from her. We played lots of matches before, so I was ready to play. And it was a good match.” It’s beholden on losing semi-finalists to be somewhat stoical, and Dementieva achieved this with notable elegance, saying: “The way I was playing is more important than the result.” But then she was quick to dismiss suggestions that she would have no better chance than this to win a Grand Slam: “I don't think that it was my best chance. I don't think it was the last chance.” In fact, she said, her game is very much on the up. “Only by playing these kind of matches can you improve. [These are] the players that I want to beat, to win a Grand Slam. You have this experience playing a very close match against Serena, I think it's very positive. I'm gonna watch this match again. I'm gonna take some positive things from it and go forward.” |
Serena forced into titanic scrap
It was the longest women’s semi-final in the Open era at Wimbledon and it was, according to all who saw it, a real belter. The women’s tournament had been fairly predictable until this point but when the former champion took on the former French and US Open finalist, they came up with a classic from first ball to last. Williams is used to this winning Grand Slam titles business – she has 10 of them, after all. There have been times when she has not been at her fittest or best prepared and yet still she has managed to win the title. With a champion’s spirit and unshakeable self-belief, she dares the opposition to beat her and usually, they take fright and run for the hills. But Williams when she is fit and ready is all but unstoppable. Dementieva, on the other hand, is one of the tour’s finest runners up. Hampered for most of her career by a first serve that could barely knock the skin off a custard, she has also been gripped by nerves at critical moments. When she lost the French Open final in 2004, winning just three games against Anastasia Myskina, she left in tears muttering, “I hate my serve.” The powder puff serve that invariably went to the forehand side had been replaced by a reliable and dependable shot that could earn a few cheap points and could dig her out of trouble. It could not compete with Williams’s 20 aces – and Dementieva did throw in eight double faults – but it was not longer a weakness. |
Serena takes epic in her stride
Serena William giving it her all on Centre Court. For a woman who had just come through the longest women’s semi-final on record, squeezing past Elena Dementieva, the world No.4, 8-6 in the third set, Serena Williams was looking remarkably relaxed. Dementieva had led by a set and had held a match point but Williams, in her own inimitable fashion, had found a way to survive. The effort of the afternoon’s work had not exhausted her and the thought of playing her sister for the 21st time did not seem to faze her. It was just another day in the life of a serial Grand Slam champion. “I think today she did well,” Williams said calmly of the Russian’s ferocious challenge. “I definitely think she played her best game. I've never seen her serve so well in my life. I think her second serves were in the upper 90s [mph], sometimes hundreds. To keep that up consistently for three sets is not very easy. I just think that she definitely played her best, personal best tennis today. “I think she's definitely always been a great player. Talk about consistent. She's had such a good year already this year and really improved her game. You have to really appreciate that and like that.” There were times when Williams did not appear to like anything that Dementieva had to offer, not at all. She had to scrap harder than she had anticipated to claim the second set and then was on the ropes in the third. Relying on her serve – she racked up 20 aces – she just about made up for the inconsistencies in her ground strokes. But she knows she needs to find her range again on her forehand if she is to challenge her sister on Saturday. “My forehand didn't show up today,” she said. “I think he went to Hawaii. But I've called him and asked her, I should say, to come back for the final. Hopefully she'll be back. I didn't hit my best today. But, you know, it's always good to win when one of your stroke's on vacation.” With or without a forehand, Williams was just happy to be back in the final. Whether she had won easily in straight sets or taken the scenic route as she did against Dementieva, having the chance to have another crack at the Wimbledon title was all that mattered. “As long as you come out with a big W, which can be Wilson, Williams or Wimbledon, I guess that's what matters,” she said. So now there is just the small matter of family honours to be sorted out before the Williams sisters’ work is done in SW19. Venus is attempting to win her sixth title – Serena has only won twice – but that does not make her the overwhelming favourite. Going into the final, the sisters are level on 10 matches apiece in their career rivalry and even when it comes to Wimbledon finals, they have played against each other four times and each won twice. “I feel like going into this final I have nothing to lose,” Serena said. “I feel like obviously she's playing the best tennis at this tournament. Start with that, and then just keep positive and go with it. So I think that if I can do that, then it will be good. “I’ll just play my game. You know, don't play like I did today, get caught too much near the Royal Box or in the Royal Box, saying ‘hi’ to the Duchess too much. Maybe that will help me out.” And given that the sisters share everything in life, would she like the two of them to end their careers with their match record even? Er, no. “Would I like it to end even?” she asked incredulously. “Of course not. Then I wouldn't win. I'm sure she feels the same.” Stand by for another cracking family showdown on Saturday. | |||||
Match analysis: Ladies' semi-finals
In the rounds leading up to the semi-finals, Serena Williams hit an incredible 40 aces and only nine double faults. In contrast, Elena Dementieva hit 14 aces and 33 double faults. These statistics alone give us good insight into how each player has battled through each round of the tournament. The American relies heavily on her serve and looks to be aggressive when she returns, whereas the Russian is happy to get the rallies going to make the most of her strong ground strokes. Williams had to come from a set down against the powerful baseliner, and survive one match point, using up every last drop of energy she had on a hot and humid day to overcome the Russian in the longest semi-final match in Wimbledon history. Williams is always prepared for the big occasion and despite losing three of her previous four encounters against Dementieva, she maintained her unbeaten record in Grand Slams against the Russian. The Russian won the first set in a tiebreak, relying on her powerful groundstrokes from behind the baseline, and looking to move up the court once she had Serena on the back foot. The fourth seed won one more point on her first serve than Serena, and hit three fewer unforced errors. The second set went to Williams, who won three more points than Dementieva to force a deciding set. The final set was the longest and most exciting of the match and lasted 62 minutes. Dementieva got 71% of her first serves in play, mixed up her game by coming to the net more. She was the first to break serve and also earned herself a match point. But what the statistics do not show is how she started to lose her grip on the match by getting overexcited and losing her focus towards the end of the match. The aggressive gameplan enabled the number two seed to play to her strengths as she was able to hit eight aces (the same number she hit in the second set), and win 22 out of 25 first service points, far more then in the previous set. The American also came to the net more in the third set then in the first two combined, putting her doubles experience with sister Venus to good use. Of the 10 times she ventured in, she won seven times. Keeping the points short with big first serves and returns followed by an early strike into the open spaces or back behind her opponent was Serena’s plan. Dementieva came within one point of the final by keeping the ball in play and driving Serena behind the baseline to stop her getting any power into her shots. Venus Williams went into the other semi-final having never lost in the final four at Wimbledon. In contrast, her opponent, Dinara Safina, who won their last encounter on clay in Rome, had never been past the third round here before. The eagerly awaited match turned out to be a one-sided contest lasting only 51 minutes, five minutes shorter then the average length of one of the sets in Serena’s semi-final victory. The 6-1, 6-0 scoreline against the current world number one demonstrated just how good the five-time champion is at the All England Club. Safina won 12 points in the first set and only eight in the second set, winning barely 30% of her first service points and 38% of her second serve points. Venus amazingly only hit one unforced error throughout the match, winning 80% of the points on her first serve and 77% on her second. The match consisted of 74 points, 163 fewer than Serena had to play in her semi-final. This match was by far Venus’s best Wimbledon performance as she used her height, reach, speed and power against the No.1 seed to edge closer to the possibility of three consecutive Wimbledon titles. |
.jpg)
.jpg)
