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Venus - OZ Press Conference

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#1 ·
Venus rises again
by Bren O'Brien
Saturday, January 17, 2004</I>

Venus Williams has revealed that Australian Open 2004 will see her take a new approach to her game as she returns to the WTA Tour after recovering from an abdominal injury which has sidelined her since her Wimbledon final defeat last year.

The 23-year-old admits she has made mistakes over the past 12 months and she said on Saturday that she had learned her lessons and can't wait to get back to enjoying her tennis.

"I feel eager. Obviously I have not been in a competition in quite a few months. I'm quite excited to be playing and I'm bursting with energy," Williams explained.

"I just want to have fun. I want to go out there and enjoy the competition. I just want to enjoy hitting the ball back and forth. I want to enjoy my opponent hitting a good shot on me and getting one back on them. And when I'm doing all that it just comes easy."

Williams' main regret from 2003 was playing while injured - in particular at the French Open, where her bid to make a fifth-straight Grand Slam final was thwarted by Vera Zvonareva in the fourth-round.

"Looking back I shouldn't have played the French Open at all because I wasn't ready," she said. "I've learned now that if I'm not ready, if you have only a few days of practice, you can't go and play a Grand Slam. It was a hard lesson to learn."

Williams said she had also ignored her father Richard's advice not to play in the doubles at Wimbledon, and her stubbornness had contributed to the length she subsequently spent out of the game.

"At the time I really just felt like I wanted to play because I didn't want to look back and think 'maybe I could have done it and I could have played through it.'"

"The hardest thing is to accept your limitations, to accept that I couldn't do it. I was never taught to say 'I can't' - but I couldn't," she said.

The absence of both Venus and her younger sister Serena has seen Belgian pair Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters climb to the top of the rankings, and Williams said that she would not be satisfied that her comeback was complete until she was back on the top of the pile.

"I didn't even know I was No.11, I really didn't. I knew I'd dropped a little bit but that was to be expected. I suppose if you are No.1 in the world, you feel No.1, if you're anything less than that, you feel like you want to get to No.1."

"I'm obviously a few tournaments away from reaching my personal best ranking. As long as I play well I can keep climbing."

Williams is seeded No.3 for Australian Open 2004, after being granted an exception by the WTA, but says she wouldn't have been concerned if she had been seeded lower.

"If I was No.11 or No.3 I still would be very, very happy to play," she said. "For me I don't care who I play because I'm here to compete. I'm not afraid of anyone."

Williams will get her Australian Open campaign underway against teenage compatriot Ashley Harkleroad.
 
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#3 ·
:bowdown:

At least she took something away from her mistakes last year! Always seeking to improve.

Go Venus :hearts:
 
#7 ·
Originally Stated by VENUS WILLIAMS

"If I was No.11 or No.3 I still would be very, very happy to play," she said. "For me I don't care who I play because I'm here to compete. I'm not afraid of anyone."
Love Her, Think so Highly Of Her!!!:kiss: :hearts: :kiss: :hearts: :kiss: :hearts: :kiss: :hearts: :kiss: :hearts: :hearts: :kiss: :hearts:

Go Venus, COMPETE! and win this Tournament!

The Pointer Sisters said........I'm So excited!!!:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:
 
#8 ·
We Know You are Not afraid Venus, but the Aussie Open officials sure were.
 
#10 ·
Venus!! Love to hear her determination and her renewed attitude towards tennis!! I truly believe she has missed tennis and I truly believe that she is going to be going for it beginning Monday (or whenever she is scheduled to play!!).

GO VENUS!!! Take the title home!!! :hearts: :hearts: :hearts:
 
#12 ·
:worship:

Go VENUS!!!! :bounce: :D
 
#18 ·
suemovie said:
Venus rises again
by Bren O'Brien
Saturday, January 17, 2004</I>

Venus Williams has revealed that Australian Open 2004 will see her take a new approach to her game as she returns to the WTA Tour after recovering from an abdominal injury which has sidelined her since her Wimbledon final defeat last year.

The 23-year-old admits she has made mistakes over the past 12 months and she said on Saturday that she had learned her lessons and can't wait to get back to enjoying her tennis.

"I feel eager. Obviously I have not been in a competition in quite a few months. I'm quite excited to be playing and I'm bursting with energy," Williams explained.

"I just want to have fun. I want to go out there and enjoy the competition. I just want to enjoy hitting the ball back and forth. I want to enjoy my opponent hitting a good shot on me and getting one back on them. And when I'm doing all that it just comes easy."

Williams' main regret from 2003 was playing while injured - in particular at the French Open, where her bid to make a fifth-straight Grand Slam final was thwarted by Vera Zvonareva in the fourth-round.

"Looking back I shouldn't have played the French Open at all because I wasn't ready," she said. "I've learned now that if I'm not ready, if you have only a few days of practice, you can't go and play a Grand Slam. It was a hard lesson to learn."

Williams said she had also ignored her father Richard's advice not to play in the doubles at Wimbledon, and her stubbornness had contributed to the length she subsequently spent out of the game.

"At the time I really just felt like I wanted to play because I didn't want to look back and think 'maybe I could have done it and I could have played through it.'"

"The hardest thing is to accept your limitations, to accept that I couldn't do it. I was never taught to say 'I can't' - but I couldn't," she said.

The absence of both Venus and her younger sister Serena has seen Belgian pair Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters climb to the top of the rankings, and Williams said that she would not be satisfied that her comeback was complete until she was back on the top of the pile.

"I didn't even know I was No.11, I really didn't. I knew I'd dropped a little bit but that was to be expected. I suppose if you are No.1 in the world, you feel No.1, if you're anything less than that, you feel like you want to get to No.1."

"I'm obviously a few tournaments away from reaching my personal best ranking. As long as I play well I can keep climbing."

Williams is seeded No.3 for Australian Open 2004, after being granted an exception by the WTA, but says she wouldn't have been concerned if she had been seeded lower.

"If I was No.11 or No.3 I still would be very, very happy to play," she said. "For me I don't care who I play because I'm here to compete. I'm not afraid of anyone."

Williams will get her Australian Open campaign underway against teenage compatriot Ashley Harkleroad.
I knew playing doubles at Wimbeldon was going to be a mistake, especially since their matches were often delayed and they should have withdrawn when their thrid round doubles match was not played on Saturday, but Monday becuase that was too much on her stomach. Having said that, I hope to see her and her sister play doubles at Wimbeldon and the USO this year.
 
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#19 ·
Venus is a great champion. :worship:

She really sounds focused, and the other girls had better look out :devil:
 
#20 ·
suemovie said:
Williams said she had also ignored her father Richard's advice not to play in the doubles at Wimbledon, and her stubbornness had contributed to the length she subsequently spent out of the game.

"At the time I really just felt like I wanted to play because I didn't want to look back and think 'maybe I could have done it and I could have played through it.'"

"The hardest thing is to accept your limitations, to accept that I couldn't do it. I was never taught to say 'I can't' - but I couldn't," she said.

.
I bet Morariu and Stubbs also wished Venus had not played the doubles at Wimby.
 
#21 ·
WOW!! Good for Venus. Nothing wrong with an extra dose of confidence. I love the swipe at the #3 "special seeding" crap. Venus is a major threat without regard to ranking. I believe all the WTA players know that.
 
#23 ·
Amanda said:
WOW!! Good for Venus. Nothing wrong with an extra dose of confidence. I love the swipe at the #3 "special seeding" crap. Venus is a major threat without regard to ranking. I believe all the WTA players know that.
That's why you don't see the other players coplaining.
 
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