Wimbledon - Williams sisters still tough to beat

Eurosport - Sat, 20 Jun 17:09:00 2009

Say it quietly but Venus Williams is just one year short of her 30th birthday, a genuine golden oldie in an era where the top women players routinely peak quickly before fading into an early retirement.

Williams sisters Venus Serena - 0

The American, like her younger sister Serena, has never followed the conventional path, however.

Now, 12 years after first bounding into Wimbledon's All England Club adorned with braids, jangly beads and a dazzling smile, Venus is still creating the same buzz as she goes for a sixth women's singles title.

With more than $22 million in the bank from prize money alone and 41 career titles the number three seed has no need to chase ranking points.

What ignites the spark these days are the big stages, with Wimbledon and all it's traditional magic still proving an irresistible pull for one of the game's most enduring talents.

Unlike number two seed Serena, Venus does not transmit an intimidating aura. She can be dreamy and tranquil off court, but once she sets foot on Centre Court this serene athlete transforms into an unstoppable force of nature.

Venus retained her Wimbledon singles title last year when she stormed through the draw without dropping a set before beating Serena 7-5 6-4 in a high-quality clash of the siblings that finally produced a real match.

If the 29-year-old, a keen historian of the game, is to hold the Venus Rosewater Dish aloft for a sixth time, level with Billie Jean King and just three short of Martina Navratilova's record, it is a good bet she will have to beat her sister again.

"I think on the women's side it is a trio," Navratilova said this week when asked her opinion on who would lift the title.

"The Williams sisters and Svetlana Kuznetsova who just won the French Open. You still have to go with the Williams sisters. They have seven titles between them on the grass (at Wimbledon) and they will be hard to beat."

Fifth-seeded Kuznetsova, who beat world number one and fellow Russian Dinara Safina to win the French Open final this month, certainly looks the biggest threat other than the Williams sisters.

She packs a powerful punch on serve and some big baseline weapons, although the fact that the Russian has never been beyond the last eight at Wimbledon is evidence that she has never felt totally comfortable on the grass.

Safina is seeded number one but losing the Australian and French Open finals this year will have left some emotional scars that a visit to her least profitable slam is unlikely to heal.

Also in the Russian ranks are Olympic champion and number four seed Elena Dementieva, who reached the semi-finals last year, and former world number one Maria Sharapova.

Sharapova, one of the few women on tour who walk on court against either Williams sister without an inferiority complex, will also be lurking dangerously after tumbling down the rankings during a long layoff with a shoulder injury.

The 2004 Wimbledon champion crashed out in the second round last year when she was clearly struggling for fitness but knows what it takes to win a grand slam and her flat, power game is ideally suited to the lush lawns in southwest London.

With Serbian former world number ones Jelena Jankovic, seeded sixth, and Ana Ivanovic (13th) struggling for form, the list of likely women's winners is not a long one this year.

It could be the ideal chance for an outsider like Australia's 18th seed Samantha Stosur to emerge from the pack.

The 25-year-old has all the tools to excel on grass and reached the women's and mixed doubles finals last year at Wimbledon. With the benefit of being seeded, the surprise French Open semi-finalist will be one to watch.

When the screaming starts on Monday, however, Venus and Serena will again look set to stamp their authority all over this green corner of London.

Reuters

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  1. Venus is my favorite to win this title!....i love the­ way she plays, with grace, stretchin dose long legs and­ long arms she don't even need to run much.and i­ want an all williams sisters final at wimbledone this­ year so GOODLUCK TO MA GURLLLLZZZZZ serena &­ venus!

    @ abdurrazeg comment #12, now d russians are­ bitchy?...lol
    lol universe0016 , comment #26....you­ don't need to diss the sisters!

    From Olucci N, on Sun 21 Jun 6:34PM

  2. Sanchez.Santos....u right! Justine Henin is the last­ known player to defeat both Venus and Serena on the­ same tournament right after Martina Hingis but it does­ take its toll mentally and physically. It's kinda­ hard[but not impossible] to take out any of The­ Williams Sisters in straight sets. With the level of­ talent in the WTA tour, i really don't see it­ happenning.......maybe on clay.

    From Chukwuemeka, on Sun 21 Jun 5:15PM

  3. Very well analysed stine 147, The power game may not be­ to some people's palate but it sure is very­ effective and it is true that the best exponents in the­ last fourteen years have been the williamses. I have­ never understood why a knowledgable tennis fan like­ alison keeps harping on about justine coming back. she­ can't come back because she destroyed herself­ taking on the williamses. until she managed it, no one­ else has managed to defeat both sisters in the same­ competition. ask martina hingis at the peak of her­ powers, also lindsay davenport, jennifer capriati and­ kim clijsters. you can beat one but not both on your­ way to the title. justine proved it could be done first­ time but, at the second time the superhuman effort­ took its toll and, harp on as you may, she can never­ come back the same player, so what would be the point?­ do you know which one of their current peers have­ managed to beat both in one competition? Please tell.

    From sanchez.santos, on Sun 21 Jun 2:42PM

  4. Come back Justine Henin miss your game so much.
    Good­ luck to Vika Kuzzie Ana JJ Elena Maria Amelie and­ Venus.

    From AJ, on Sun 21 Jun 2:20PM

  5. Serena Williams is the best player on the planet with­ 10 grand slams title! Venus is great on grass but they­ have to get over the tricky first week first. Good luck­ to my babies!

    From Vic M, on Sun 21 Jun 1:30PM

  6. attaha
    Thankfully, Yahoo/Eurosports have responded to­ my complaint and removed your disgraceful, oppressive­ comment from these boards; people should not be made to­ feel intimidated, and afraid to voice an opinion simply­ on the grounds that their views are different to yours.

    From cameron w, on Sun 21 Jun 11:24AM

  7. The williams brothers,a couple of stinking grunting­ pigs.

    From universe0016, on Sun 21 Jun 10:40AM

  8. ATTAHA SORRY FOR USING YOUR NAME IN MY LAST COMMENT

    From stine147, on Sat 20 Jun 7:21PM

  9. attaha and fly_lingus if you look at the list of­ players that have defeated the Williams sisters you­ will noticed they played the power game go and look at­ matches that Justin Henin played and defeated the­ Williams sisters you will see she played the power­ game, go and watch the match that Kuznetsova played­ against Serena at the just concluded Roland Garos you­ will see she had to play the power game to beat the­ Williams sisters and you can see she used the same­ tactics to be able to defeat Safina at the final,­ players like Sharapova are known today because they all­ grew up learning to play the game the way the Williams­ sisters did that was why she was able to defeat Serena­ in there first meeting go back and listen to what she­ said when she defeated serena, Anna Ivanovic and Jelena­ have not found there game because they have refused to­ play the power game, go and watch Safina's game you­ will see she played the power game all the way to the­ RG final but lost concentration when she saw her­ opponent playing the same power game. Where is Nadal­ today it is because he plays Power Tennis, to be in the­ top ten ladies tennis player you must be ready to play­ the power game, if you don't know the game just­ keep quite. The Williams sisters have a weak point and­ it is play the power game that they play and you can­ beat them if you can concentrate and play it for a long­ time. TAKE NOTE.

    From stine147, on Sat 20 Jun 7:15PM

  10. attaha
    are these boards exclusively yours!
    How dare you­ launch into such a poisonous tirade against someone­ merely for expressing his/her point of view.­ Furthermore, where on earth does racism come into it;­ in fact, why are you even mentioning race, comentator­ Number-4 certainly did not mention race. Several people­ on these boards need to show some respect for other­ peoples' points of view, and they certainly need to­ learn some long overdue manners. Remember, we are not­ here just for your benefit; we happen to have our own­ favourite players - oh and by the way, i am reporting­ you for posting such an upsetting, oppressive comment.­ I do hope commentator number-4 does likewise. You and­ several other bullys on these boards (like Chukwuemeka­ W)
    are the reason why tennis has such a bad name in­ Britain . . . . . i mean, how dare mere mortals like­ myself or poster number-4 express a different view to­ yourself.
    Now i will proceed to report you and­ hopefully your disgraceful comment ( 13) will be­ removed!

    From cameron w, on Sat 20 Jun 6:26PM

  11. The world of Tennis will be shocked when they will See­ that maria sharapova beat Serena and Venus on Grass and­ will win Wimbledon 2009

    From Milot S, on Sat 20 Jun 6:24PM

  12. My money would be in Williamses. Too hard for defeating­ them in Wimbledon

    From Dony, on Sat 20 Jun 5:03PM

  13. Go Venus.. You get all my support.. I wish another­ Williams final and Venus will beat Serena again. I like­ Venus very much but I really don't like­ Serena's attitude. Even last year, Serena did not­ give credit to Venus properly when Venus played much­ better than her. Go Venus

    From Tonikum, on Sat 20 Jun 4:49PM

  14. Victoria Azarenka can win this title provided that her­ hip is still not bothering her. She did pull out of­ Eastbourne, but she did beat Serena in a breeze at­ Miami. Venus should be the favorite. I am picking­ Azarenka to win, if she plays.

    From Wozniacki'sbiggestfan, on Sat 20 Jun 3:18PM

  15. 5 wimbledon singles kinda speaking for itself, huh?

    From jay, on Sat 20 Jun 3:12PM

  16. Would love to see Venus in the final but not Serena she­ to big headed for my liking.She always thinks she is­ the best but she is not.get over it Serena.Good luck to­ Vika Kuzzie Maria Elena JJ Ana Amelie hope you all do­ well.

    From AJ, on Sat 20 Jun 3:04PM

  17. what about wozniacky?for denmark?

    From danyb22, on Sat 20 Jun 2:27PM

  18. hear hear

    From sanchez.santos, on Sat 20 Jun 2:08PM

  19. I AGREE WITH attaha . HE always speaks gold

    From abdurrazeg a, on Sat 20 Jun 1:34PM

  20. THANK GOOD . THIS YEAR I`M GOING TO SEE BOTH WILLIAMS­ AT THE FINAL. I`M GOING TO BE READY FOR WATCHING THE­ FINAL BETWEEN U TOO

    From abdurrazeg a, on Sat 20 Jun 1:33PM
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