Wimbledon - Venus romps into all-Williams final
Eurosport - Fri, 03 Jul 08:27:00 2009
Reigning champion Venus Williams demolished world number one Dinara Safina 6-1 6-0 to set up a clash with her sister Serena in the Wimbledon final.
The five-times Wimbledon champion was in imperious form and brushed aside the first seeded Russian with an air of disdain.
Earlier, Serena Williams had beaten Elena Dementieva in an epic contest on Centre Court and the Williams sisters will now face each other in an All England Club final for the fourth time.
It was another sweltering day in SW19, with temperatures reaching 32 degrees on a dry and sunny afternoon, but Williams barely broke sweat in thrashing her opponent in just 51 minutes.
Williams began the match with a serve of 112mph, and followed it with the fastest delivery of the tournament at 124mph to consolidate her early break in the second game.
Safina knew that she must dramatically improve her serve against the number three seed if she were to have any chance of making a first final appearance at Wimbledon.
But the Russian's demise seemed inevitable as early as the opening game, when the 23-year-old was broken to love.
The American pounced on some indecision from Safina, who looked hesitant and nervy, to ruthlessly seize the initiative from the outset.
From there on Williams maintained her ascendency, and was unflinching in her attacking approach, as Safina grew ever more despondent at the other end.
In all, number three seed Williams broke her opponent's serve five times as she bludgeoned first serves and big forehands to utterly confound the Russian.
After being broken comprehensively in the second and fourth games, Safina could only watch on helplessly as Williams hammered winner after winner to clinch the first set in just 26 minutes.
The solitary game which Safina mustered, at her third attempt to hold serve, was still a real struggle, with Williams lashing a forehand long with her opponent racked with self doubt at 40-30.
If the opening seven games were one-sided, the second set was an absolute thumping, with the American rattling through it without conceding a game.
Safina was broken in the opening game of the set, and her look of bemusement and sheer embarrassment at her coaches exemplified the manner of her capitulation.
The Centre Court crowd, who had been left in raptures after the excitement of the first semi-final, were left underwhelmed and subdued at the lack of a battle which unfolded.
Despite suffering the ignominy of this defeat, Safina will remain the world number one regardless of whether Venus or Serena Williams seals victory in the final on Saturday.
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Comment 214 - 233 of 253
AND JOHN A, WILL BE GOOD FOR @#$%, WHAT HOLE ARE YOU FROM FOOL?
venus is not human, bad for feminine tennis
Well folks, I said it would happen and here it is. Happy 4th of July!
BE PATIENT SAMM I WILL BE BACK FOR YOU AFTER FEDERER'S MATCH WAIT FOR ME I SEE YOU HAVE CLOSED FROM YOUR ZOO KINDERGADING CLASS WHAT WHERE YOU TAUGHT TODAY? LET ME SEE HOW TO SUCK THE ANAL OF A MONKEY I GUESS, JUST WAIT FOR ME I AM COMING FOR YOU
BE PATIENT SAMM I WILL BE BACK FOR YOU AFTER FEDERER'S MATCH WAIT FOR ME I SEE YOU HAVE CLOSED FROM YOUR ZOO KINDERGADING CLASS WHAT WHERE YOU TAUGHT TODAY? LET ME SEE HOW TO SUCK THE ANAL OF A MONKEY I GUESS, JUST WAIT FOR ME I AM COMING FOR YOU
Hates off to william sisters but I think woman tennis have reached to its lowest point. Safina is no.1 player courtesy to micky mouse tournaments all year long. the rest of players are just too busy in grabbing the lime lights by possing for adds and mags. it has been boring to watch woman tennis lately.I dont think there is any justification in equal prize money when there is no entertainment to offer by these incompetents.
HAHAHAHAHA SAMM YOU ARE BACK WELL LET ME FINISH WATCHING FEDERER AND HASS MATCH AND I WILL COME FOR YOU
excuse me, but if you feel so strongly about these williams brothers, you could at least let us know who thy are :):):)??? -.-
Thank you Stine147 you are also right time waits for no one either u take the chance or miss it. It took Kuznestsove 5 years to finally come back & win a slam in that time you can see the changes in her game & the weight loss. Safina has lost plenty put on muslce but has no brain to go with that muscle i'm not calling her stupid u just can't play responsive tennis you hav to think where can i put this ball what do i want to do nxt, it takes so little, once such thoughts become part of you it instantly comes out. Eg Serena was taken to the chopping board by Demi, her ingrained fighting spirit, never say die attitude and postive thinking came out. its a part of her that she can call up on when things are not going right. As a world number 1 Safina has to have that not soon but now! Too many finals and semi's have come and gone with no showing of growth. It shocks me that people can't see a world number 1 to wilts the way she does is not coming to peoples attention. Simon Reed often says the system is wrong yes it is wrongly set up but that does not excuse how she plays in slam semi's & finals . That is down to her and Sam Smith often says she works hard... on what because i don't see any change come slam time, i don't see her thinking i see her just responding, not finding something from a past expericne a fighting ability, a plan B a change of some sort, you can't go on just hitting the ball hard if her coach was good he would force her to play doubles soften up those hands, get her thinking when in trouble try coming forward, slice which by goodness works so well on grass, kick serve when hot the ball just kicks and keeps going wide, serve into the body ,Williams is so tall that that would be a nice change. To many young players come in having see Williams sisters hit hard but they counteract that with softeness largely because of doubles which they continue to play today. Justine was short but look at how she deve
eurosport is even more racists than the writera by validating #241-253
VERY INTERLIGENT COMMENT MADE BY janice m, CONCERNING SAFINA, I THINK IT IS HIGH TIME SAFINA REALIZES THAT TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE, THE MORE SEMI FINAL SHE PLAYS AND NOT WIN THE TITLE THE MORE STRESS SHE PUT ON HERSELF AND THE OLDER SHE BECOMES, TODAY WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE WILLIAMS, "HELLO" THEY WERE ONCE AT THE SAME AGE AS SAFINA BUT GETTING TO THE SEMIFINALS WAS NOT THERE AIM AT THAT AGE, THEY PUT MORE PRESSURE TO WIN WHEN THEY GET TO FINALS NOT STOP AT SEMIFINALS OR GET TO THE FINALS AND STARE AT THERE FATHER, I HAVE COME TO KNOW SAFINA AS SOMEONE WHO CAN GET TO THE SEMIFINALS OR FINALS AND LOST TO ANY OF THE TOP FIVE PLAYERS, BECAUSE OF LACK OF CONCENTRATION, WITH HER PARTERN OF PLAYING IN GRAND SLAM FINALS I SEE HER LOSSING TO PLAYERS LIKE A. RADWANSKA OR V. AZARANKA, REASONS BECAUSE SHE LEAVES ALL HER PLANS AT THE LOCKER ROOM AND COMES TO THE CENTER COURT TO ADMIRE HER COACH, FORGETTING SHE IS THE TIGER THAT HAS BEATING PLAYERS 6/0, 6/0 IN THE BEGINNING OF THAT SAME TOURNAMENT. IT IS THIS SAME SAFINA THAT DEFEATED A. KEOTHAVONG IN THE BEGINNING OF RG 6/0, 6/0 ONLY TO GET TO THE FINAL AND BE DEFEATED 6/4,6/2. I THINK SHE NEEDS TO TALK TO A SHRINK DOCTOR.
THE WILLIAMS ARE GETTING OLD YOU DON’T EXPECT THEM TO START JUMPING AROUND FROM ONE TOURNAMENT TO ANOTHER WHEN THE BIG PRIZE AND BIG NAME IS GRAND SLAM TITLE, THERE IS NO AGEING TENNIS PLAYER THAT HAVE NEVER DONE IT SAMPRAS DID IT, AGASSI DID IT AND WE CAN SEE ROGER DOING IT BY LOSSING TO PLAYERS AT THE EARLY STAGE OF TOURNAMENTS SO AS TO RESERVE SOME STRENGHT FOR GRAND SLAM, HOW ELSE CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS HE LOST OUT IN ROME TO WAWARINKA, WENT TO MADRID TOOK IT AND WENT TO RG AND TOOK IT, IT WAS JUST A WAY OF SAVING STRENGH FOR THE BIG GAMES A TIME COMES IN ONES LIFE WHEN HE CAN NO LONGER CHASE ALL THE GOALS HE LEAVES SOME FOR THE UP COMING GENERATIONAL STARS, EVERYBODY WILL DO IT, BE IT NADAL, NOVAK OR MURRAY, JUST WAIT AND SEE THEY WILL DEFINITELY GET TO AGE 27, 28, 29 AND 30 AND YOU WILL SEE THEM WITHDRAWING FROM MASTERS TOURNAMENT OR LOSSING OUT AT EARLIER STAGE JUST TO CONCENTRATE ON THE BIG MATCHES. IT IS LIFE THAT IS HOW IT GOES
what a scary performance thw so called world no1 getting embarrased , not since steffi has a woman dominated the game with power play, i fear for serena, venus is on a different level right now she wasnt really trying against safina, she could def play against the men.
I personally am not disputing that Safina is number 1 off course she is, is she a number 1 that any one respects heck no why because she shows one thing its easy for her to win in levels below slams and doesn't bring that same tennis to a slam when asked the question she wilts and turns to her coach. Its not for about losing because people should know tennis you win and lose but its in what manner and what does she learn from her lose. She lost in the French Open to Ana then i could give her that she had never been a final before, Safina gets to the final of the Aus Open in 09 the doesnt show up plays @#$% and then looks at her coach for all the answers as she did in the French Open 08. A year gone by she changed nothing in the i can work it out myself department, or plan b department, she expect the coach to tell her what to do as he so often does when struggling in tournaments below slam level, come the French Open 09 she played better but as the match wore one she began to get desparate and @#$% at the ball forget about calming down and really taking a look at your opponent and being intellegent enough to know Kuznetsova suffers from finishing matches off she could have TRIED to find something, Kusnetsova herself did a good job of staying calming knowing that is her weakness that is what i'm looking to see, finding the answers to her problems but with every lose comes an excuses i have plenty of years, i'm young, no one can dispute i'm number 1 bcos i got to semi's of 3 the slams blah blah while the whole world watching and thinking heck how did you get to number 1 and why the heck are you number 1. Now come to a SEMI's of a slam and she goes out 6-1, 6-0 no effort to change the tactics, no effort to take pace of or even to come to the net she simply folded and that desparate coach help look. Safina needs to be strong, believe in her ability
She's awesome on grass. In all-Williams singles finals I tend to favour Venus because, more often than not, she tends to be the slight underdog. Everywhere else I'm an absolute Serena fan. I fancy venus to win in two closely fought sets, either 2 tie-breaks or a tie-break and only one break of serve.
Safina is World No 1. , well she was thrashed out played and out classed, the i game she did win was luck. As for the rankings what a joke they are not even in the same ball park
everybody should please stop hating safina and just like the williams sisters.what venus did to safina was done to henin too by serena.its much more easier for an unseeded player to beat the williams sisters than for a top seeded player..Just facts
i thing venus was bette todAY....sorry for safina....but grass is not her favourite ......
Venus giving a 51 minute tennis lesson, amazing to see her in full flow. Safina as no 1 is just the worst thing for womens tennis, i'm embarrassed for the whole tour - yes she plays every week etc etc but you don't go down in history being known for winning Tokyo or Madrid, its all about Grand Slam titles - the world just sees her as a complete pushover - sorry sweetheart but they do. Time to change the rankings to reflect quality not quantity!
Venus Williams demolished world number one Dinara Safina 6-1 6-0. "If Safina is number one what number is Venus Williams?
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