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#1 · (Edited)
Venus In Vogue


(thx to doni1212)
December 20, 2007
Tennis Week Main


Whether wearing the beads in her braids that popped like pearls at a party, the sleek Diane Von Furstenberg-designed dress she wore at the 2003 Wimbledon, the hoop earrings that orbit her ears like small satellites, the ever-present adhesive tape wrapping her wrists during matches, the bold black mini-skirt that’s part of her recently-launched EleVen By Venus line or the cap and gown she donned for the graduation ceremony while receiving her associate’s degree in Fashion Design from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale last week, Venus Williams has always had her own singular sense of style.

It’s not enough for Venus to play great tennis, she wants to look great playing it.

Now the woman has complemented her decorating firm, V Starr Interiors(www.vstarrinteriors.com), with the August launch her new clothing line, EleVen(www.elevenbyvenus.com), has cracked a very exclusive top 10: Venus is in Vogue.

The four-time Wimbledon winner and dress designer makes her mark as one of the world’s best-dressed women in Vogue Magazine’s Top 10 Best Dressed List for 2007.

Venus joins Kate Bosworth, Kathryn Neale, Astrid Munoz, Georgina Chapman, Kelly Wearstler, Amy Greenspon, Caroline Sieber, Huma Abedin and Agyness Deyn on Vogue’s elite list.

Photos from Vogue are posted here.



Williams radiates appeal in a regal red Versace halter dress and white Eres V-neck swimsuit in the photo spread, which also features Venus with dog Winston, lounging on a chair, that accompanies “The Independents” article written by William Norwich that profiles the top 10 fashion innovators on Vogue’s list.

But it’s not all about fashion - in the accompanying article Williams admits to an addiction.

“A product addiction. I’ll try anything new for hair or body,” Venus says, adding. “When I started wearing fashion that was over-the-borders for tennis tradition, it was a bit scary. Even now, every time I take off my warm-up jacket and
there’s all of this skin showing and cutouts and the stadium roars, it’s always a daunting moment for me.”

Prior to the Open Era tennis was often viewed as an aspirational, elitist sport. The Williams sisters broke barriers in rising from the gritty public park courts of Compton, California in ascending to the World No. 1 ranking and collecting Grand Slam championships. Venus’ collection both recalls her Compton roots — the name “EleVen” refers to the street address of the Williamses former house in Compton (and “11 is beyond 10 you know how people say something is a 10 out of 10 well this is 11,” Williams said — and maintains price points affordable to the populace: everything in the EleVen collection will be priced at $19.98 and under, including the V-Court sneaker, which will retail for $14.98. For less that the cost of an average string job, aspiring players can own sneakers designed by Williams.

“The collection is definitely very fashion forward,” Williams said. “On court it reflects my style: I play a very graceful, classic game and that’s style is something I think is reflected in the clothes.”

Williams said she formally agreed to work with Steve & Barry’s in November and has been sketching designs since then, spending her spare time off the tennis court drawing on her fashion-school training.

“It’s everything [I’ve learned], it’s understanding the style, the color, the history, being able to put your seams in the right place to make it feel great on the body,” Williams said. “Being able to present a power point presentation, using photo shop, illustrator and drawing. My inspiration comes from everything, really. The more I am designing and working on the process of design, the more inspiration I get and the more ideas pop into my head.”

She sums up her approach to fashion simply in a statement that she might also apply to her game: it’s all about creativity and taking risk.

“Whether I’m on a best or worst-dressed list, if I’m creative, step out a bit, take a chance, at least I know I’ve done something different,” Venus tells Vogue.

http://blog.tennisweek.com/?p=33#more-33

www.vogue.com
 
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1
#5 · (Edited)
Same here.

She really has a legitimate chance of making
herself a household name in fashion in the
years to come! :cool:
 
#11 ·
Venus routs Peng in Open warm-up

From correspondents in Hong Kong, China


January 03, 2008 WIMBLEDON champion Venus Williams has crushed Chinese opponent Peng Shuai in Hong Kong to show she is in prime form ahead of the Australian Open.

Williams, the world No.8 from the United States, outmanoeuvred Peng at every turn in her opening game at the JB Group Classic, winning 6-1 6-2 despite not having played a competitive game since October.

Peng, the world No.45, was unable to match Williams's athleticism and power with any consistency, crumbling to a 64-minute defeat.

Williams said she was delighted with her performance after her self-imposed lay-off, during which she graduated from design college.

"I haven't been out there in a long time, and I had to fight for every point," she said.

"But I felt like all the things I have practised really paid off."

The fifth and sixth games of the match proved crucial, as the six-time grand slam singles champion started to crank up her powerful serve and lethal backhand.

Peng led 40-15 in the fifth game, on her own serve, but was unable to make the lead pay as Williams, 27, ran her round the court with line-hugging backhands, forcing an error on the last point to take a 4-1 lead.

Peng fought back from a 40-0 deficit to take the next game to deuce, but Williams piled pressure on the Chinese 21-year-old and forced her to push a backhand long.

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23005001-23216,00.html
 
#12 ·
Venus Williams beats China's Peng Shuai at Hong Kong exhibition

By MIN LEE, Associated Press Writer




HONG KONG -- Venus Williams beat China's Peng Shuai 6-1, 6-2 Thursday in her first match of the year at the JB Group Classic exhibition tournament, a warmup for the Australian Open.

Peng, a powerful double-handed hitter on both sides, out-hit Williams occasionally but never posed a serious threat to the more consistent American.

The six-time Grand Slam winner believes she and her sister Serena can dominate women's tennis again if they avoid injuries, noting they won two of the four Grand Slams last year. The Williams sisters have fallen out of the world's top five, with Serena ranked seventh and Venus ranked eighth.

"If we can just stay healthy and keep practicing and get the work done off the court before we come to the tournaments, it makes a world of a difference," Williams said.

The Williams sisters have 14 Grand Slams between them.

In Hong Kong, Venus Williams advanced to a semifinal against the winner of the match later Wednesday between Serbia's Ana Ivanovic and Russia's Elena Dementieva. The other semifinal pits Russians Maria Sharapova and Anna Chakvetadze.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_y...XTrI44v7YF?slug=ap-hongkong&prov=ap&type=lgns
 
#14 ·
Venus Williams beats Maria Sharapova to win Hong Kong exhibition

By MIN LEE, Associated Press Writer
January 5, 2008




HONG KONG (AP) -- Venus Williams beat Russia's Maria Sharapova in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 Saturday to win the JB Group Classic exhibition in Hong Kong -- a warmup for the Australian Open.

Both players were holding serve comfortably in the early games, but the Russian faltered first. Serving at 4-5 in the first set, Sharapova sent a backhand into the net after a long rally and then missed another backhand to give the American a one-set lead.

Sharapova, who has won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, was erratic in the second set.

Down 3-2, she double-faulted and missed a forehand to give the reigning Wimbledon champ the crucial break.

Sharapova did save two match points in her final service game, but Williams held to love to take the match, closing out the game with a forehand winner.

Williams, a six-time Grand Slam winner, complained Friday of an unspecified injury but appeared unaffected Saturday.

She said the nature of the injury still wasn't clear but she felt better after treatment. Williams also said she fell on her left wrist while practicing in Hong Kong but that the wrist felt 100 percent Saturday.

"I just had the opportunity to get my racket on the ball and play it deep. I guess I served well. I returned OK. So I guess it was about doing everything good," she said.

Sharapova said she took some chances because she was playing against an opponent that was playing well.

"When your opponent is serving big and serving consistently, you've really got to take your chances on opportunities, on second serves, which I did a poor job of," she said.

The eight-woman field at the JB Group Classic also featured Serbia's Ana Ivanovic, Russia's Elena Dementieva, China's Peng Shuai, Russia's Anna Chakvetadze, Slovakia's Daniela Hantuchova and Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki.

http://sports.yahoo.com/ten/news;_y...55y784v7YF?slug=ap-hongkong&prov=ap&type=lgns
 
#17 ·
Venus overcomes Sharapova in Hong Kong


Saturday, 5 January 2008 10:45


Wimbledon champion Venus Williams overcame injury and testing conditions to land a third title at the JB Group Classic in Hong Kong with a 6-4 6-3 victory over world number five Maria Sharapova.

Williams received treatment for hamstring and back complaints during Friday's semi-final victory over Elena Dementieva and also damaged her troublesome left wrist earlier in the week.

But after a vigorous pre-match warm-up, the world number eight sealed victory in 80 minutes in sweltering heat at Victoria Park.

Williams appeared to loosen up as the match progressed and rained down several trademark serves, which included seven aces, as both players received solid workouts in their only tournament before the first grand slam of the year, the Australian Open, later this month.

'The hamstring was much better today. I got a ton of treatment last night and some this morning and I felt a lot better,' said Williams after the win.
'I am still not sure what it was exactly; I think it was just a little bit of everything but that is sport.

'It is a little strange when you don't know exactly what it is but I have overcome it. It was much better. I think every athlete has a certain tolerance for pain, I can't say mine is extremely high, but I felt good enough for the match.'

In a tight start to the contest, Williams had several chances to break the Russian's serve and finally took her opportunity after 40 minutes of action to seal the opening set on the first break point after Sharapova netted following a long baseline rally.

The second set was also a tight affair until Williams grabbed another break in the sixth game to take a 4-2 lead before Sharapova, who beat compatriot Anna Chakvetadze to reach the final, saved two match points on her own serve in the eighth game.

But the American six-time grand slam winner was not to be denied as Williams sealed the victory with a fine passing shot after bringing up two match points to hand Sharapova a second consecutive finals defeat in Hong Kong after she lost to Kim Clijsters last year.

'I got my racquet on the ball and played it deep. I served well, I returned okay so it was about doing everything good as she is a very good opponent and I knew I would have to bring my best game,' added Williams.

'It is very exciting going into the Australian having played so well against someone of her calibre.'


Sharapova was also upbeat following the match, which saw the 20-year-old fail to land a title in Hong Kong in her fifth appearance at the annual exhibition event.

'When your opponent is serving big and serving consistently well you really have to take your chances on opportunities you have on second serves which I think I did a poor job on,' the Russian said.

'When I did get those opportunities on second serve I made errors or gave her an easy ball. Other than that I thought that I did a good job on my serve when she was trying to attack, I thought I did a good job at handling that.

'I have been happy with what I have done while I have been here. It is always good to get a few matches and I have had four matches in the last week.

'This is probably one of the greatest preparations you can get and now with a good week of training in Australia I definitely think that I can be ready.'
 
#19 ·
Venus Williams overpowers Sharapova in Hong Kong tennis tournament


ABS-CBN.com
Agence France-Presse

HONG KONG - American superstar Venus Williams fired a warning shot ahead of the Australian Open, crushing one of her main rivals Maria Sharapova in Hong Kong with a ruthless display of power tennis on Saturday.

Williams was unremitting in her onslaught against the Russian world number four, clinching a straight sets victory in the final of the JB Group Classic 6-4, 6-3 in just 80 minutes.

Despite occasionally reaching for the hamstring she twinged in Friday's victory over Russian Elena Dementieva, the Wimbledon champion smashed a string of aces and her speed round the court proved it was no serious hindrance.

Williams said the game had given her a real boost ahead of the first Grand Slam event later this month.

"Obviously, she is a very good opponent, so I definitely had to bring my best game," the 27-year-old told reporters.

"So it is very exciting, especially going into the Australian, playing so well against someone of her calibre."

"I knew I was playing well in practice, but a match is different ... to have that competition makes a huge difference," said the world number eight, who has not played a competitive game since October, graduating from design college in the interim.

An attritional first set hinged on just two points, after the first nine games had gone with serve.

Williams clinched the break on a unusually long rally in the 10th game, forcing Sharapova to hit a backhand into the net. She then forced another mistake on break point to take the set.

Sharapova seemed unable to cope with the depth of Williams's ground strokes and despite several attempts to smash her way back into the game had to submit after losing her serve in the sixth game of the second set.

The Russian saved two championship points when 5-2 down, but Williams rapped up the game appropriately enough with a heavy serve, setting up an easy forehand winner.

"Venus must be one of the few who can arrive the day before the tournament and end up winning," said Sharapova after the game.

"When your opponent is serving big and consistently well, you need to take the opportunities on second serve and I think I did a poor job of that," she told reporters after the game.

"It felt like a matter of three or four points here and there which would have easily changed this, but that is what tennis is about," she added.

The four-day Hong Kong annual invitational featured five of the world's top 10 players and is used as a warm up for the Open in Melbourne.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storyPage.aspx?storyId=104557
 
#20 ·
Williams beats Sharapova in exhibition event

seattletimes.com

Williams gets ready for Australian Open with straight-sets victory: American Venus Williams beat Maria Sharapova of Russia 6-4, 6-3 Saturday to win the eight-player JB Group Classic exhibition tournament in Hong Kong that serves as a warmup for next week's Australian Open.

Both players were holding serve comfortably in the early games, but Sharapova faltered first. Serving at 4-5 in the first set, Sharapova sent a backhand into the net after a long rally and missed another backhand to give Williams a one-set lead.

"It's very exciting, especially going into the Australian, having played very well against someone of her [Sharapova's] caliber," Williams said.


http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/othersports/2004109774_digs06.html?syndication=rss
 
#21 ·
Venus hunts for elusive title

1/01/2008 08:04 - (SA)

Melbourne - Melbourne hasn't been a happy hunting ground for reigning Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, but she approaches the Australian Open this year in prime form.

The six-time Grand Slam champion will be playing her ninth Australian Open, having made the final in 2003 and the semis in 2001.
But she has struggled in recent times. She pulled out with a wrist injury last year, was sent packing in the first round in 2006, and failed to get beyond the fourth round in 2004 and 2005.

This, though, could be her breakthrough year after a solid 2007 when she bounced back from injury to win Wimbledon and power her way back into the world's top 10.

She got off to the best possible start this month by winning the JB Group Classic invitational event in Hong Kong this month, crushing Maria Sharapova in the final despite not playing a competitive game since Bangkok last October.

The American, 27, is one of the few players who seem able to win tournaments with minimum preparation and she feels ready for the Grand Slam challenge.

'Huge difference

"It is very exciting, especially going into the Australian, playing so well against someone of her calibre," she said after beating Sharapova, who lost to Serena Williams in the Australian Open final last year.

"I knew I was playing well in practice, but a match is different ... to have that competition makes a huge difference," added the world number eight.

"I am so excited to be back playing tennis, this time last year I was not even on tour."

What could come back to haunt her are the injuries that wrecked her 2006 and cut short her 2007 campaign.

During the Hong Kong tournament she received treatment for back and hamstring problems as well as a recurrence of the persistent wrist injury which forced her to miss last year's trip to Melbourne.

But she is confident she can cope.

"I think every athlete has a certain tolerance for pain, I can't say mine is extremely high, but I felt good enough for the match (against Sharapova)," she said.

Dominant serve

As well as Wimbledon, Williams won in Memphis and Seoul last year to take her tournament title tally to 36, the third most prolific winner among active players, behind only Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin.

Ranked eight in the world, one behind sister and defending champion Serena, Williams' dominant serve, which twice reached 128mph last season, bettering her own Tour record of 127mph set in 1998, is her killer weapon.

When not playing tennis, she runs her own company, V Starr Interiors, in Florida, and graduated from design college late last year, one of the few current tennis players to have a degree.

As well as singles, she will team with sister Serena to play doubles here.

The pair have not played together at the Australian Open since they won the title for the second time in three years in 2003.

Organisers said because injuries have sidelined them from playing in doubles events for so long they now have a nominal ranking of 9999.

In all the sisters have won six majors (Wimbledon and Australian Open twice, US and French) and an Olympic gold medal in Sydney in 2000.

Source: http://www.news24.com/News24/Sport/Tennis/0,,2-9-1517_2249923,00.html
 
#23 ·
I'm going to post some of the past articles that I like:

Hingis, Venus are compelling rivals

Click here for more on this story Latest: Friday September 08, 2000 09:44 PM

By Jon Wertheim, Sports Illustrated


FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. -- After wiping a gangly, giggly teenager named Venus Williams off the courts of Key Biscayne in the spring of 1997, Martina Hingis nearly tripped on a bead in the interview room. "Maybe someone should give this back to Venus," she joked, tossing the spheroid to a WTA Tour employee. So far as anyone can tell, that may have marked the opening salvo in tennis' strongest, most contoured rivalry.

Friday their compendium of memorable mano-à-mano throwdowns got even thicker. In three breathtaking sets that left more than 20,000 fans equally drained and exhilarated, Williams outlasted her foil 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in the U.S. Open semifinals. Like all great matches, this one had the ebb and flow of a sine curve.

Just when it looked as though Hingis was pulling away, Venus stole the second set. Just when it looked as though Williams was pulling away, Hingis scored an early break in the third. When Hingis was two points from winning the match, Williams won the point of the year and stormed back to take the next four games. As Williams spun like a top and eventually made her way to the net after match point, she mouthed the word, "Unbelievable." Our sentiments exactly.

What makes the Hingis-Venus rivalry so special? For one, there are the obvious physical differences, the tall, lithe African-American from Compton vs. the porcelain Caucasian with the Swiss/Czech provenance. That there's been no love lost between the two doesn't hurt the storyline, either. It's not exactly a blood feud, but their post-match "handshake" -- more a random clipping of palms -- spoke volumes about the state of their relationship. Further, that neither player harbors much interest in humility creates distinct rooting interests. What tennis fan was indifferent to the outcome?

But beyond surface characteristics, the most compelling disparities, finally, are the ones on the court. Referring to boxing, someone once remarked, "Styles make fights." So, too, tennis. Hingis and Venus are both spectacular players, but they're utterly different. One zigs where the other zags. It's not merely the time-honored, power vs. finesse dichotomy -- though Venus did have 51 winners to Hingis' 13. They like different angles, they like to employ different spots on the court, they prefer different speeds, heights and spins. As Hingis confessed to me last month, "Venus tests me in a way that Lindsay [Davenport] and Serena [Williams] don't."

Venus will now move on to the final, trying to extend her winning streak to 26 matches, encompassing two Slams. She hasn't lost a match since Roland Garros, though she nearly did Friday. "I know how it feels to be close to losing," Venus said afterward. But losing outright? "That's a foreign concept and not a very accepted one," she said. For Hingis, it isn't particularly well-accepted either. She can take some consolation, though, knowing that among all great rivalries, the winners and losers invariably swap roles.

Half volleys

In the other, less breathtaking semifinal, Davenport was leading Elena Dementieva 6-2, 5-2 and 40-0. Rarely perceived as a player who tightens when the pressure's on, Davenport had to go to a tiebreaker to win the second set. ... Nice week for Lleyton Hewitt. Not only will he play Pete Sampras for a spot in the men's final, but he and partner Max Mirnyi took the men's doubles trophy Friday. ... Serena Williams is back in Florida, getting treatment on her left big toe. ... The inimitable Goran Ivanisevic may have lost more than a week ago, but he was still around the courts, presumably practicing before the Olympics.

Sports Illustrated staff writer Jon Wertheim will file daily reports from the Open.
 
#24 ·
Venus Stops Sharapova To Surge Into Wimbledon Final

Photo By Ron Angle By Richard Pagliaro
07/01/2005

Searing shots singed the Centre Court lawn with another force to bend back blades of grass. Guarding ground as if it were the royal jewels, Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova stood toe-to-toe on the baseline and struck biting baseline blasts in running rallies throughout an explosive first set that escalated into a tiebreak. It was then that Williams put her foot down.
As the pair traded backhands Williams stomped her front foot down on the court, feinting an approach to net. A rattled Sharapova rushed her backhand reply that sailed wide to hand Williams four set points.

The second-seeded Sharapova spent the rest of the match hearing footsteps as Williams ran her right out of Wimbledon.

In a performance that recalled the glory days when she ruled the tennis world, the 14th-seeded Williams out thought, out fought and out played Sharapova in scoring a stirring 7-6(2), 6-1 victory to snap the defending champion's 22 match grass-court winning streak and storm into the Wimbledon final for the fifth time in the last six years.

"I love this tournament," Williams said. "This is the surface for me and I have a good record here, so it's all kind of fallen into step." The two-time Wimbledon winner will try to reclaim the Rosewater Dish that belonged to the Williams sisters for four consecutive years until the 13th-seeded Sharapova shoved Serena Williams aside in last year's final to capture her first career Grand Slam. Continuing her quest for her first Grand Slam title in four years, Williams will face either Lindsay Davenport or Amelie Mauresmo in Saturday's final. The top-seeded Davenport leads Mauresmo, 7-6( 5), 7-6(4), 5-3, 0-15 in a match currently suspended due to rain.

Teammates on the United States Fed Cup team, Williams and Davenport have met in two Grand Slam finals with Williams scoring a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory over Davenport in the 2000 Wimbledon final followed by a 6-4, 7-5 victory over Davenport two months later in the 2000 U.S. Open final.

Sharapova fought hard throughout much of the match, but came up slightly short in the running rallies. Unable to solve Williams' serve, Sharapova unleashed her power, but Williams feasts on pace and was famished for her first Grand Slam final appearance since the 2003 Wimbledon.

"I'm obviously very sad. I mean this tournament means a lot to me — more than any other tournament," Sharapova said. "I guess there's many more years to come. You know, it's just one of those things where, you know, you want to win, but you can't."

Rain delayed the start of today's semifinals, but when play began both Williams and Sharapova hit the ground running. Williams fought off break points in the first game to hold then turned up the heat on Sharapova to earn triple-break point in the second game. Sharapova stuck a running backhand down the line then followed with a service winner down the middle to draw to deuce. Williams failed to put successive forehand returns into play as Sharapova dug out of the 0-40 deficit to hold for 1-1.

Surround sound came to Centre Court as the 6-foot titans match each other shot for screaming shot and shriek for shriek. The decibel level of determination grew so loud linespeople would have had trouble hearing a fire alarm go off had one erupted in the middle of rallies. Sharapova's strategy was clear from the outset: persistently pound Williams' weaker forehand wing until it broke down beneath the burden of big shots.

It never happened.

Williams' forehand has failed her on occasion in big matches in recent years, but today the three-time Grand Slam champion not only stood up to Sharapova in the forehand exchanges she often beat her off the forehand side. Sharapova had sacrificed serve just once in 44 games during this fortnight, but Williams broke her four times today and was particularly proficient on pivotal points handling Sharapova's wide serve to her forehand on the deuce side.

"I don't think I played my best tennis. But credit to her for not making me play my best," Sharapova said. "She had a lot of deep balls, hard, deep balls. She was serving consistently big. On the contrary, I don't think I was serving as big. But I don't have as big a serve as her. I don't think I had a really high percentage. I don't know what it was, but it didn't seem like it."

Preparing her racquet early and bending her long legs so low to dig out shots you half expected to see grass stains on her knees, Williams whipped furious forehands to race out to a 4-2 lead before extending the lead to 5-3. But Williams could not find closure serving for the set and Sharapova battled back to break and close to 4-5.

In the 10th game, Williams earned two set points, but Sharapova, who had not surrendered a set in two prior wins over Williams, saved both to even the set and eventually force a tiebreak.

Neither woman had lost a set in their five victories in this fortnight and both were well aware the winner of the first set would take command. Sharapova continued to target the Williams forehand like a boxer jabbing at a scab on an opponent's face, but Williams continued to thump forehands deep in the court.

Seeking to step up and take control of the tiebreak, Sharapova drilled two aggressive backhands that barely missed the mark to fall behind 0-3 in the tiebreak. Sharapova's execution did not match her ambition in the tiebreak and it ultimately cost her.

"Once it got to 5-all, you know, I felt good," Sharapova said. "Then once we started the tiebreaker, I was down 1-0 and I'm serving and I made two errors that were about one inch wide. That's the way it goes with tennis. If I would have made them, you know, who knows what would have happened. We would have been back on serve."

In last year's final, Sharapova consistently beat Serena with sharp, short-angled backhands cross court followed by biting backhands down the line. That crisp shot sequence served as a one-two combination that knocked the crown off the defending champion's head, but Venus, whose pure speed and expansive reach enable her to run down balls most women couldn't catch with the help of a butterfly net, ran down virtually everything Sharapova threw at her. The Williams backhand has always been her most reliable shot and she smacked two-handers cross court that pushed Sharapova so wide she resorted to hitting left-handed forehands on at least five occasions.

When Sharapova netted a return off a slow second serve in the fifth point of the tiebreak, she glanced at the speed gun, muttered "85 mph" to herself and looked up at the scoreboard to find herself facing a 1-4 deficit. Williams' foot-fake rushed Sharapova into a backhand error and earned her four more set points at 6-2. She seized the first set when Sharapova's backhand sailed beyond the baseline.

Though the focus was on Williams' forehand, it was her mind, her will and her legs that ultimately won her the match. Gobbling up stretches of grass with her long strides, Williams used her superior speed to extend rallies and force a frustrated Sharapova to play even closer to the lines.

Serving with authority, playing high-percentage deep cross court shots and hitting decisive shots on the run, Williams broke serve in the opening game of the second set. Unleashing a 121 mph serve that rattled the racquet in Sharapova's hand, Williams held at love for 3-1. In the next game, Sharapova smacked a serve into Williams' body, but she managed to block a backhand return off her hip that Sharapova could not handle to earn break point. When Sharapova's backhand tripped on top of the tape and settled on her side of the court, Williams had another break and a 4-1 lead.

Rain began to fall in the seventh game as Sharapova's reign game to an end. On her second match point, Williams closed out a high-quality performance when Sharapova's forehand sailed wide.

Jumping for joy with excited exuberance, Williams wore the wide smile of a woman overjoyed to be back in the Wimbledon final.

A year after the Russian revolution resulted in Russian women winning three of the four majors, the Williams sisters could combine to win two of the first three majors as Venus seeks to add to Serena's Australian Open title. With only one title to her credit this season, there was little indication Venus would rise again at Wimbledon before this fortnight began. But Williams is a proud player and despite her recent losses in majors, she never seemed to lose her sense of self belief.

"My aim in the tournament is just to be as good as I could in each round," Williams said. "But my level has raised with each match."
 
#25 ·
wwwTracy Austin's view


By Tracy Austin
BBC Sport tennis pundit



Report: Williams reaches final



Venus Williams was unbelievable in her semi-final win over Maria Sharapova. She has not played this well for two years.

After waiting so long to get out because of the rain delay, both women were playing such high quality tennis right from the first game.

But Venus just played better.

I know Maria is going to be so disappointed. She just looked in shock when she hit that last ball out.

But you've just got to hand it to Venus because she played one of the best matches of her life.

And it was a monumental win for her because she has only beaten one player ranked in the top five in the past two years - and that was her sister Serena in Miami earlier this year.

Because Venus has not been playing her best tennis for the past 18 months - and nowhere near the type of tennis that she played against Maria - you just weren't sure that she could keep it up for the whole match.

And you knew that Maria is the best competitor out there, along with Justine Henin-Hardenne.

She's just never going to give an inch so you know that she can come back in the match at any time.

So that's why I give Venus even more credit because she stayed with her game, played as aggressively and served extremely well.

Tracy Austin was talking to Sue Barker on BBC Two.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Venus leaves little doubt she's back in form

A win away from a Wimbledon title, American star is on top of her game





Image: Venus Williams

Kieran Doherty / Reuters

Venus Williams of the U.S. has shown at Wimbledon the form that not so long ago made her a dominant player on the women's tour, says Tracy Austin of NBCSports.com.

COMMENTARY

By Tracy Austin

NBC Sports

Updated: 7:36 p.m. ET June 30, 2005

WIMBLEDON, England - Sisters Venus and Serena Williams took tennis to a new level during their heyday, and it looks like Venus is ready to reach that level again. Hopefully for fans of American tennis, Venus' younger sister Serena, who was upset in the third round, will draw inspiration from her older sibling's knock-'em-dead performance so far at the All-England Club.

Venus at her best

The 25-year-old played the best match in which I've seen her perform in years in taking down defending Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova, 7-6 (2), 6-1 to reach her first Grand Slam final in two and half years.

Venus was more athletic, powerful and more sure of herself. She rarely made an error and played steely defense, returning Maria’s biggest blows with interest.

Coming into the tournament almost no one thought that Venus had a serious chance at a third Wimbledon title because she had only won one minor title this year and was shockingly ousted early at the French Open.

Since Venus tore her abdominal muscle in the 2003 Wimbledon final against Serena, she’s been a shadow of her former self, rarely scoring wins over top players and being pushed by lower- ranked players she used to have for lunch.

But this year her health has gradually returned and she’s been able to practice a lot more.

Although her results didn’t show it, she felt more confident in her stokes.

She suffered a minor shoulder injury in the spring, which kept her from practicing her serve as much as she wanted to, but in the past three weeks that’s gone away and it certainly showed against Maria, when she unleashed bomb after bomb and was dictating during her service games.

Evidence of Venus' talent

A number of players who have been in slumps will say that it’s just a matter of time before their level of play comes back and it never does.

That was the suspicion with Venus, but she kept her nose to the grindstone and that elusive dose of confidence she’s been looking for came back on Centre Court.

You can’t blame Sharapova for freezing up in the contest –- she was simply outplayed.

The Russian could have played a better tiebreaker, but at that point, she was pressing because Venus was making her hit one great shot after another, and she felt like she could only win points by hitting the lines.

There was no way she could have suspected that Venus' once-shaky-forehead wouldn't break down, or that Williams would move like the wind all afternoon long.

Maria had to go for it a little more than usual, and she paid for it as she was taken out of her rhythm.

A love of the lawns

It’s amazing that Saturday will be Venus’ fifth Wimbledon final in the past six years (there’s been a Williams sister in every Wimbledon final since 2000).

She says she doesn’t own the place and is only renting it, but she’s certainly had a long lease on the facility.

Davenport, the top seed, was just a game away from beating Mauresmo in the other semifinal before the rain came at 5-3 for Davenport in the second set.

Davenport and Venus know each other very well and have one of the game’s great rivalries.

Davenport leads the head-to-head, 14-12, and has won the last four matches between Venus and herself, but Venus won their last six prior to then.

Keys to the final

It wasn’t until last summer in the Palo Alto final that Lindsay turned around her rivalry with Venus, prevailing in a three-set classic and that’s largely because she was able to get on top of Williams' forehand and serve more consistently.

Should they face each other in the Wimbledon final, the woman who serves bigger and returns with more authority will win the contest.

Lindsay needs to be dictating from the first ball and Venus will need to play the same kind of suffocating defense that she did against Maria.

She needs to stretch the points out.

Should Venus face Mauresmo, I’d certainly give the Frenchwoman a puncher’s chance.

She’s like a woman's version of Roger Federer with the way she glides about the court, slides the ball low and uses her soft hands at the net.

It’s fantastic to see a woman who actually serves and volleys consistently go deep at Wimbledon.

But if Venus puts on a near-perfect performance like she did against Sharapova, she’ll be very tough for either Davenport or Mauresmo to stop.
 
#26 ·
Title talk with Venus - but don't mention Henin

By Simon Kuper 1 hour, 57 minutes ago

Venus Williams has acquired an academic title. "Fashion designer. Extraordinairrrrrre! Hahaha. I'll be able to get an entry position getting coffee for hopefully Anna Wintour."

The new tennis year - Venus's 10th in the top 10 - takes off on Monday with the Australian Open. At 27, Williams is an ancient on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. But have she and her sister Serena finally lost their dominance to a small ponytailed Belgian called Justine Henin? And is Venus chiefly a designer now anyway?

Williams is in Madrid to answer, in between greeting other Williamses. The breakfast room of the Westin Palace hotel is hosting a clan gathering this morning.

Whenever people say that Venus has got bored of tennis, she goes and wins Wimbledon. Was her victory last July Venus at her legendary best? She laughs (contrary to stereotype, Williams laughs a lot). "At the time I thought I was playing terribly. Every night I was studying my match from the day before like, 'this is all wrong!' Everyone around was, 'you're playing great'. I was thinking: 'fools!' It's funny, the standard that athletes hold themselves to."

The waiter brings peach juice, intended to keep her awake after her flight from her Florida home. "You're doing a good job," she assures him. "Cookies! Mmmm."

Does winning trophies never become routine? "Never. It never gets routine, winning any match. See, I should be allowed to win all of them, because I get the most excited." She laughs at herself: Williams is gradually coming to terms with being a perfectionist workaholic.

It's time to broach the delicate subject of Henin. For a decade the norm in tennis has been that when Williamses are healthy and playing, they rule. But before I can even mention Henin, Williams interrupts: "I feel like if I've had a chance to prepare, and I'm healthy, I'm very confident I'm gonna win. When I play players, they'll come out swinging hard, because they know they have to go for everything. If they don't, that gives me too much room to dictate." She gives a short laugh: "And that's not a good position."

But the brilliant Henin beat both Williams sisters at the US Open. Isn't she their strongest challenger yet? "I consider my strongest challenger Serena," says Williams. "It's almost like playing myself."

But Henin is number one. Williams retorts: "My Dad always said, 'Don't go for being the number one player. Be number zero.'
Why number zero? "Zero comes before one."

She has avoided issuing even anodyne praise of Henin. The sisters seldom pay opponents the compliment of acknowledging their existence.

Another Williams walks into the breakfast room. "Hey, Ish!" Williams calls her sister Isha over, and introduces us. ("You want to be the most polite person in the world!" is another of her Dad's homilies.) After lengthy greetings, the interview resumes.

How have the Williamses changed tennis? "I think our impact on the game is power and speed and interest. When we play often, I think it really helps interest in tennis. Everybody's trying to serve as hard as they can, trying to get as fast as they can, and get to doing the things that - you know, that we do."

A black woman with blonde hair enters. "There's Mom!" shouts Williams. Mrs Williams is hugged, then dispatched to a museum with Isha. "Be tourists," instructs Venus.

The next clan gathering is scheduled for Williams's graduation in fashion design in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Williams mock-laments: "When I wake up I do portfolio, all day till 10 o'clock. I miss doctors' appointments, I forget everything because even at night I'm thinking of colours. I ordered my cards where you announce your graduation. You know they're charging $45 for 25 of those? I said, 'Are you serious? This is a scam!' "

Few world-class athletes study on the side. "I think I like the pressure," Venus admits. "But I've worked on my overachiever issues. I max myself out too much."

From Madrid to "Fort Laudy" to Melbourne. "This time of year," says Williams, "I'm excited about travelling, about possibilities. I prefer Melbourne over Sydney. It's a nice, relaxing easy feel."

What is her favourite Melbourne moment? Venus describes a doubles match with Serena. "We were playing against this team, and losing. They weren't laughing at us, but they were having fun, and winning, and laughing with each other. And I'm saying to Serena: 'Look. They're laughing." Williams mimics herself with a frantic squeal: 'We've got to do something!'

"And watching Serena so many times come back from being down in Australia. It's one place where she makes it happen. But she says, 'I should pick Wimbledon.' And I say, 'I've picked Wimbledon.' "

Well, Wimbledon does outrank Melbourne. Venus counters: "I'd be super-happy to win Australia. It's a slam. When people count your slams, they don't not count that one. They don't say, 'She has eight slams, but three were Australians.' "

Then she beetles off to find Serena. "My protégé," clucks Venus.

simonkuper-ft@hotmail.com
More columns from Simon Kuper

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ft/20080111/bs_ft/fto011120081746551779
 
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