The Sisters Williams - Winners Both

The below article should have been posted yesterday – but I still find it fitting.

I would like to post this before I go on. Winners is a great word. And what the Sisters do to opponents is make their winners talley column look lacking. Venus won that US Open match against Jen last year - where Jen only had what - 5 winners? If you've noticed - both Sisters do everything in their power to help the other players to keep their winners talley down. They both are either tooo sweet or tooo mean to affect the amount of winners their opponents get.

Not that a player can't win a match by waiting for their opponent to make errors like some have said Martina does. I strongly disagree with this philosophy - because in most of Martina's wins -she is able to dictate and hits wayyyy more winners than she does errors. The sisters just like to go for it. And this is why Serena can still win a match w/76 errors.

So IMO - always watch that ues/winners ratio - because it tells a lot. The Sisters are such great movers on the court - and they get back sooooo many ballls, and consequently - this is why many players can't rack up a lot of winners in a match they play against the Sisters.


I thought Venus had that look in her eyes signifying that she was on a mission and would win her 5th GS title – but I was wrong. I intentionally didn’t send out a chant that Venus would win the match when I posted yesterday, because I had changed my mind again. I had no idea who would win.

I agree w/the ones that said there were two things in the match that let Venus down. She had tooooo many unforced errors and her serve let her down. Duh!

Other than that – it was Serena’s time to shine. In most folks minds, Serena has been the most dominate player between the Sisters this year – and it is not surprising at all that she prevailed in today’s FO final. They both rock.

Either way – me being a fan – makes it all jelly for me. I win no matter who won – because I am a true fan of both. All of us Williams’ fans win – and so does all of the Williams family and friends.

Now Serena has two slams to Venus 4 – and in anyone's house – that is a phenomenal accomplishment. Not in any way should Venus feel bad – and I will go out on a limb here and say - that she already knows that. She fulfilled her dreams. She and her Sister conquered the field, and they get to run of w/the top two prizes and the loot. Not a bad day at the office.

Needless to say – the Venus match to me after the Jen/Serena match – was really anti-climatic. But today, I experienced a divine joy and pleasure to behold when watching our two girls. I don’t care if Venus had 50 something errors. Serena had her share – and both of their first serve %s left something to be desired. The main point is – they are both winners and not whiners – and they will continue to be until they retire from the sport.

It was indeed a pleasure to watch this final – even if Venus was off her mark some. At least they both made it – and if you’re a Venus & Serena fan, then that is the best news out of all of the news made at this year’s FO at RG.

Now on to the grass season – where Venus will once again prove her dominance ova the entire field, to include her Sister – Ms Serena” I got two slams to my name now”, Williams.

“CONGRATULATIONS SERENA” “YOU TOOK IT TO YOUR SISTER TODAY” “ENJOY THIS VICTORY TODAY - AND KNOW THAT THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING” “THANK YOU – VENUS & SERENA”

“GOOD JOB BY ALL THE TOP PLAYERS IN THE WTA FIELD TODAY” “KUDOS TO ALL THE WTA PLAYERS”






Sport


June 08, 2002Sisters keep on doing it for themselvesBY NEIL HARMAN, TENNIS CORRESPONDENT IN PARIS


IT IS cent pour cent Williams. The sisters have the stage to themselves in Paris’s 16th arrondissement today and a month from now they will probably have it again in London SW19. The intriguing sub-plot to today’s women’s final of the French Open is that Venus and Serena will be the top two seeds at Wimbledon later this month. Another showdown beckons there and, unless Jennifer Capriati gets the Parisian grit out of her teeth and offers some kind of challenge on the grass, the pair will be in command of affairs at the US Open come September.

The United States Tennis Association is in negotiation with CBS Television, the network that runs (sorry, covers) the US Open to play the women’s final this year on Monday night — in a direct challenge to Monday Night Football on the rival ABC network. Monday night, shmonday night, the No 1 and No 2 in the world won’t care. Who is there to challenge them? Capriati can regather her forces but she has lost her past five matches against Serena and not beaten Venus in four meetings. To win Wimbledon and the US Open is the top of Capriati’s wish-list, the two grand-slam events not yet in her locker.

Martina Hingis had been blown out of the water as a challenger long before the saga of her left foot that culminated in a career-saving operation three weeks ago. The rumour from Switzerland is that she may not be ready even for the US Open in August. Lindsay Davenport is scheduled to play in the Britannic Assurance Management tournament in Eastbourne the week after next, but she cannot be expected to click into gear after seven months off recovering from a knee operation. Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin left Paris licking their respective wounds, Monica Seles and Mary Pierce have had their day.

The quality of the base may be expanding but not quick enough to match the accelerating improvement at the top. “We feel we have come a long way,” Venus said. “We have reached the best of our profession which is what we always aimed to do. I’d like to stay No 1 but I’d like to see Serena No 1 also. I’m not giving it up but I’m sure she’ll get there. Serena has been playing real well, intensity level, running well. We’ll be running down a lot of balls. “We live a great life, have great opportunities that most people don’t have. I’ve had a great experience at the French this year. I wanted to do better because I thought I had a jinx at this tournament — there are some on the tour where you always lose in the first or second rounds. I didn’t want this to become one of them.”

The sisters will strongly argue that they do not take matches like today’s duel for the Suzanne Lenglen trophy for granted, that they have to be earned through an earnest determination which the rest have to copy. Neither had been beyond the quarter-finals here in previous attempts (five for Venus, three for Serena) but Serena said before this championship: “I am now a clay-courter, pure and simple.” If her form is maintained, the 20-year-old should win but the course of sisterly love does not always run true to the formbook. Since Venus did the big sister thing in their first three meetings, the official record shows that they have split victories — although that list includes a match that never took place, the semi-final in Indian Wells in March last year, when Venus withdrew five minutes before she was due to face her sister, a misdemeanour that sparked a furious reaction from the Californian crowd and inspired Richard Williams to say that his daughters would never play the championship again.

Even matches they don’t play against each other get people’s backs up. Every nuance will be monitored today. Kevin Wulff, who became chief executive officer of the Sanex WTA Tour in January, has heard the conspiracy theories. “People need something to talk about,” Wulff said. “Our staff dismisses it, they know how hard the girls train and prepare, if they are competing against each other or not. Everyone has dismissed it. It’s an old story. People trying to find something wrong are going to have a tough time. “The first few matches between them were the big/little sister thing, but Serena is maturing all the time. She is such a dedicated person, who has continued to improve and work on her weaknesses. They both have a wonderful competitive spirit, they are diverse on and off the court.” Did Wulff know that Richard Williams had once suggested changing the name of the organisation he runs to the “Williams Tennis Association”? “The first time I met Richard, he kept congratulating me for becoming involved in women’s tennis,” Wulff said. “I know what he means.”

They are both winners, thats how I see it!


Go Venus and Serena!!!!!! Lets go this again in about a month!!!!!!!:bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

I can not wait until Wimbledon.

It wasn’t pretty but Serena wins

Venus has trouble
with serve, little sis
takes advantage


ASSOCIATED PRESS



PARIS, June 8 — Round two of the Sister Slam went to Serena. The younger Williams had her day on the clay when big Sis couldn’t find her serve in another historic Grand Slam final between the two siblings.



June 8 — Venus and Serena Williams talk with Bud Collins of NBC Sports after their French Open title match.



IN AN ERROR-FILLED match that often lacked tempo and flow Saturday, Serena Williams beat Venus 7-5, 6-3 at the French Open — their second meeting in a Grand Slam final in nine months.
When Serena broke Venus for the eighth time to complete the victory, she thrust her arms aloft, bent over at the waist and then headed to the net to hug her sister, best friend and practice partner.
“I think hopefully we can build a rivalry that we’ll be able to do this a lot, just make a legacy, then retire as champions,” said Serena, who’d lost to Venus in last September’s U.S. Open final.
Venus will be No. 1 when the rankings are released next week and Serena will move up to No. 2. At least on paper.
“Serena Williams I think has, in my mind, always been the best tennis player. It’s lack of results. But in my mind, I’ve always felt that I’ve been No. 1,” Serena said.
She’d practiced with her sister Friday and again Saturday just hours before the match. Once it started, she tried to put out of her mind who was on the other side of the net.
“I think the point in the match you forget is when you first walk out there,” Serena said.
“This is a Grand Slam final and it’s been a while since I won a Grand Slam,” said Serena, who was the first Williams to take a Grand Slam by claiming the 1999 U.S. Open.



“I didn’t want to be a one-hit wonder,” Serena said.
During the trophy presentation, Serena thanked Venus “for just being the best sister in the whole world.”
Venus, meanwhile, took her mother’s camera and snapped off pictures of Serena during the postmatch ceremony where both sisters spoke briefly in broken French.
Venus had nine double faults and 47 unforced errors, while hitting just one forehand winner and none from the backhand. Serena double faulted five times and made 54 unforced errors, 36 in the opening set.
“I think that both of us wanted to win so much we were a little tight out there,” Venus said.

“I’m happy for Serena because she hasn’t won a Slam in a while. So there’s a lot of ways to look at it. But Serena won, so I can kind of like live through her and say that I won the French, too.”
Serena broke to take a 6-5 lead in the first set when Venus missed a swinging forehand volley at the net. Serena fought off two break points in the 12th game, finally capturing the first set with a strong serve and then forehand putaway.
“If I had not held my serve there, it would have been a tough tiebreaker,” Serena said.
The first set took 63 minutes, the second 28 minutes.
Serena Williams returns a backhand to her sister Venus during their final match at the French Open on Saturday. Serena, who will become No. 2 in the world behind her sister, won 7-5, 6-3.
“It was a tough match and I think the best player won. I did my best,” said Venus, the winner of the last two Wimbeldons and U.S. Opens.
Venus leads the overall series 5-3, but Serena has won the last two.
Their match at the U.S. Open nine months ago was the first Grand Slam final meeting of siblings since Maud Watson beat sister Lillian at Wimbledon in 1884.
Their father, Richard, who taught them the game, wasn’t at Roland Garros. Their mother, Oracene, displayed little emotion, briefly clapping on occasion and trying to stay impartial.
“It’s hard to describe feelings when you are neutral,” Oracene said.
“I’m happy they both got to the finals, I think they played pretty good and I’m happy Serena was able to beat Venus.”

Serena captures Grand Slam title number two
Matthew Cronin
Saturday, June 8, 2002

Making good on her promise to climb up the ladder to the upper echelons of the sport, Serena Williams upended her older sister Venus 7-5 6-3 and won her first Roland Garros title on Saturday.

"Serena wanted it a little more," said her mother, Oracene. "It's been almost three years since she won one and she has to be relieved."

In the first sister-sister final in Roland Garros history, Serena fought like mad, was the far more creative, consistent and powerful, and broke a winless streak against her beloved elder sibling at the Grand Slams.

"I'm very, very happy to win another Grand Slam because I was fighting for so long," said Serena, who's only other Slam title came at the 1999 U.S. Open. "At one point, I wouldn't get past the quarters, then I go to a final, maybe a semi. It was discouraging. I didn't want to be a one hit wonder. I had to get one again."

For her part, Venus had possibly her worst serving day at a Grand Slam final ever, unable to unleash the first serve bombs that she is famous for, constantly double faulting and becoming so unhinged with her second serve that she was forced to spin them down the middle in the 75 mph range. The world's fastest serve didn't power in one ace, or service winner, and clunked nine double faults.

Venus came into the match with a 5-2 record against Serena, but was unable to produce the smart, authoritative tennis that has made her the more successful sibling. In their prior Grand Slam meetings, Serena had never been able to get it out of her mind that it was her older sister and caretaker across the net and had collapsed psychologically. But on Saturday, her newfound mental strength became apparent as the match wore on.

"Once you're on court, you're fighting and only thinking about winning the tournament," Serena said. "I just had to stay calm because this was a big event and big atmosphere for me."

With both women playing nervously, Serena broke Venus in the opening game when Venus double faulted. Serena mixed in a clever serve-and-volley to hold in the next game, and pushed Venus up against the wall at 2-0, when she held another break point. But Venus cracked a big serve and stepped gamefully into the court, taking Serena's return and powering it down the line for a winner. Venus had her teeth into the match and held to 1-2 and in the next game, broke Serena to 2-2 when her sister double-faulted.

The 6-foot-2 four-time Grand Slam champion Venus survived a strenuous six deuce game and then she broke a frustrated Serena with a sharp forehand crosscourt to jump ahead 4-2, but couldn't hold the fort when she played a sloppy service game and was broken when Serena blasted an inside-out backhand winner to climb back to 4-3.

But Serena didn't take advantage of the opening, playing a lackadaisical, confused game and was broken at love when she framed a forehand. However, Venus mimicked her sister's poor play in attempting to serve out the set at 5-3 when she was broken at love after Serena whipped a forehand return that she couldn't handle and plunked long.

Serena knew she had clawed her way into the contest and began to play at a much higher level, holding serve to 5-5 after out muscling Venus is a long rally and then breaking her sister at love when an out-of-synch Venus whacked a sitter swing volley wide.

Venus held two break points in the next game, but she missed a backhand return and then Serena smoked a service winner. After Venus netted an easy forehand volley, Serena won the set with a huge forehand crosscourt winner.

"It's about taking opportunities and I don't think I did," Venus said. "They don't come often in a Grand Slam final against a player like Serena. I realize that I was getting a lot of chances that I don't take. Normally I do better. But you have these days."

Serena added, "Sometimes I have to get down to get up, I don't know why. Sometimes when I do get down I fight harder, start playing better."

The 20-year-old Serena really picked up her level in the beginning of the second set, jumping happily at every short ball, nailing aces and eating up her sister's lollipop second serves.

"She did that really well on the important points," Venus said.

Serena broke Venus twice to jump ahead 3-0. But even though Venus was playing no where near her best, she stuck in the contest, broke her sister twice with some fine ground stroking and finally held to 3-4.

But Serena closed out the match with the mental strength of all the great women who have triumphed on Court Central before her, slinging sharp crosscourt groundies past her sister, turning up the heat on her serve and not backing off any opportunities. Serena won the match in a spectacular side-to-side rally, which ended when Venus couldn't pick a sharp backhand crosscourt blast.

The sisters then warmly embraced at the net.

"Serena played tough and I couldn't make the shots," said Venus, who finished the match with 47 unforced errors to only 18 for her sister. "I'm always proud of her."

The victory gave the U.S. its ninth straight Grand Slam title. But for Venus, the moment was bittersweet. While she praised her sister for superior play, it was her worst performance in a Grand Slam final ever and arguably the poorest match she's played at a Slam since Barbara Schett bounced her out of the first round of 2001 Roland Garros.

"I'm happy for Serena because she hasn't won a Slam in a while," Venus said. "But then again, I have to look at areas where I can improve. I wasn't the best player today. I have had better appearances in Grand Slam finals. But it's impossible to win them all so I've got to go for the next one."

The Williams's have now won three out of the last four Grand Slams and six out of the last 11. Without question, they are the most fearsome family in the sport.

"It's been real nice, " Venus said. "I think everything we do on a tennis court we've done OK. We can't ask for too much more."

Serena, who is ranked No2 behind Venus, said she doesn't envision herself being a step behind anyone.

"In my mind I've always been the best tennis player," she said. "It was maybe a lack of results. But in my mind I've always been No1. But that's how you have to think in any sport if you will lack confidence. You need to have a lot of confidence.

Coming into 2002 Roland Garros, neither sister had progressed past the quarterfinals and were pretty embarrassed by their play here in previous years. They felt they had a lot to prove on the terre battue. They certainly made their marks during the last two weeks.

"People now realize that Serena and I play well on all surfaces," Venus said. "If they put us on clay, it doesn't mean that we aren't going to show up that day."

Friday, 7 June, 2002, 22:29 GMT 23:29 UK
Paris awaits all-Williams final


The Williams sisters met in last year's US Open final

Venus Williams v Serena Williams - Saturday 8 June, 1400 BST
Live on BBC Two and live game-by-game coverage on BBC Sport Online
Richard Williams' bold prediction came true on Thursday when his two daughters officially became the best two players in the world.

The most famous father in tennis once stated that one day Venus and Serena would together dominate the women's game.

Photo Gallery: Venus Williams v Fernandez

And Serena Williams' win over Jennifer Capriati in the first semi-final of the French Open means she will leapfrog her opponent in the world rankings into the number two spot.



Sure I thought he was right because I believe in my dad

Venus Williams
Venus, who beat Clarisa Fernandez in straight sets to secure an all-Williams final, is already number one in the world.

The French Open final will be the second time the two will have met in a Grand Slam final.

Serena sees off Capriati

They faced each other in the final of the US Open last year, with Venus emerging the winner.

In the past there have been suggestions that their father dictates who is going to win the game when the two play each other in competitive games.


Richard Williams has masterminded his daughters' success


But Serena dismissed any talk that that the two players will give anything less than their best in Saturday's final.

"I want to win," she said. "I want it so much, but I'm not saying too much because I don't want Venus reading my interview transcript and then going home to think about it.

"It's just another match for us. Just obviously a tougher opponent. But that's about it."

Who will win? Have your say.

Serena came from behind to beat Capriati and afterwards admitted she was pleased to have seen her father, who is not at Roland Garros, proved correct.

"I'm pretty happy right now," she added. "Our dad is a smart guy, he knows our abilities and he has worked with us so much over the years - he knows what we are capable of.

Venus sets up sisters' final

"When you're young you always dream of winning Grand Slams and being number one. I gotta say, I never dreamed of being number two though."


Venus was somewhat reluctant to make too much of her father's forecast, which was first made in Californian newspapers when the girls were in the early stages of their development.

"Sure I thought he was right because I believe in my dad and my mom," Venus said. "But I don't feel there was any ever stress."

Keeping focus

Venus leads the way with three Grand Slam singles titles to Serena's one, and the younger sister is keen to see that rectified.

"Neither of us has ever won at Roland Garros and I want it to be me this time, but I am sure she wants victory as much as me.

"My tennis is a lot better than last year, but we are both playing great on clay at the moment and we'll have to keep our focus."

While Serena was made to fight for her final place by Capriati, Venus saw off the threat of Fernandez in less than an hour.

Gamewatch: Williams v Fernandez

Despite the ease of her victory Venus was not at the top of her game and she said Serena's victory had effected her preparations.

"I was watching a little bit of Serena's match," she said. "It was hard to be calm in my match because I was so excited.

"It is nice to be number one and two - we were not especially aiming at that, we just wanted to do well. Now the final will be so much sweeter because of that.

"These rankings mean that we've reached the best of our profession and we take a lot of pride in what we do.

"I am glad to be number one and I would like to stay there as long as possible, but it would be nice to see Serena be on top too at some point.

"I'm not giving it up, but I'm sure she'll get there."