[Jeff]

Post 2010 articles and news for Serena here

[Craigy]

'Meeka' shall inherit the earth; or else!
January 9, 2010
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/tennis/m...0108-lyuf.html


''The general consensus was that I was a big, fat cow. That's what I kept hearing. My best days on the tour were behind me. They said I was a lost soul who'd been away from the game for too long to get back to the top. My first thought was, 'Moo'.''

Serena Williams arrives in Sydney today. Baby got backbone. She will strut off a United Airlines flight, strut through the airport at Mascot, strut through the Sydney International and then strut through her defence of the Australian Open. A giant of world sport is among us.

Sydney is where it all began for Williams, 12 long years ago when a sassy 16-year-old offered the first sign of becoming more than some soulless diva and/or glamazon of the WTA Tour. Sydney was where a remarkable character first became the ultimate warrior of women's tennis; it was where she pulled out the first jaw-dropping upset of her career, toppling Lindsay Davenport while unveiling the one weapon she has since relied on more than any other while amassing 11 major championships, two Olympic doubles gold medals, the most prizemoney of any female athlete in sports history at $US28.5 million and an ongoing hold on the world No.1 ranking. Sydney was where she first revealed the backbone.

It was January 1998. It was the good old NSW Open at White City. Davenport was the world No.3. Williams was barely inside the top 100. She lost the first set 6-1. She trailed 5-2 in the second. The commentators, sitting in a booth now occupied by hobos, started packing up when she lagged 40-15 on Davenport's serve. ''She came back and won,'' sister Venus recalled more than a decade later. ''It was so intense. We saved the newspaper article. It was called 'White City's Great Escape'. We'd read it over and over again, about how she overcame all the odds and won that match. That's classic Serena Williams.''

Classic Serena Williams has since involved constant repeats of White City's Great Escape. She storms through deficits like some kind of human force of nature, clawing her way back from the impossibilities of set and match points down, screaming like a banshee, staring at the Kim Clijsters, Maria Sharapovas and Nadia Petrovas on the end of her revivals with a look that says more than a thousand insulting words ever could.

She was the self-described runt of the Williams litter, the smallest and feistiest of five sisters, and therein lies the origins of the backbone. Somehow, she had to match the more statuesque, the more talented, the more beautiful, the more perfect elder sister, Venus. ''There was no living up to her,'' Serena wrote in her biography, Queen of the Court. ''She was taller, prettier, quicker, more athletic. And she was certainly NICER.'' Her father, Richard, let the cat out of the bag in the biggest hint of all that Serena would end up BETTER: ''Serena is the meaner of the two.''

She was thought to be a big, fat cow before the Australian Open of 2007. Her world ranking had ballooned to No.81, only one place worse than when she was 16 and forging her identity against Davenport. Two barren years had passed since her last meaningful tournament win. Empowered by what she called the ''silent fuel'' of criticism, Williams went on a near-violent rampage in Melbourne, tearing apart six seeded players and mauling the top seed Sharapova 6-1, 6-2 in the final. The ferocity of that performance, just the crazed desire to prove everyone wrong, was a demonstration of an almost feral determination. That wasn't a tennis match, it was a cage fight, and only one woman was prepared to go bare-knuckle.

In her most gruelling battles, when the thundering strokes are off kilter, she grunts like a wild boar in an attempt to intimidate. But against Sharapova, and in all her most dominant victories, an eerie calm falls upon her. Nothing is more scary than a whisper. She becomes untouchable in her quiet moods. Written notes are read at the change of ends: ''What would U do if U were not afraid?''

Williams grew backbone while dodging bullets growing up in the dirt at Compton in Los Angeles: ''If you can keep playing tennis when somebody is shooting a gun down the street, that's concentration.'' She used backbone while moving out of the shadow of an elder sister who was taller, prettier, quicker, more athletic and certainly nicer: ''One year, three months, nine days. That's the age difference. I wanted to do everything just like Venus. Whenever we went to a restaurant, my mom would make me order first, because if I didn't, I'd just order whatever Venus ordered.''

She needed backbone when her father let her and Venus play only against adults as a kid: ''Luck has nothing to do with it because I have spent many, many hours, countless hours, on the court working for my one moment in time, not knowing when it would come.''

And she still calls on the backbone required to prove her worth beside big sister: ''I can't become satisfied. The fact that I'm making history right now, it doesn't happen every day … but now people are really going to be fighting to beat me.''

Her win-loss record against Venus Ebony Starr Williams is 13-10. Her sister has a mere seven major titles while Serena's double-digit haul trails only Margaret Court, Steffi Graf, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King. The consensus is Serena Jameka Williams is no longer a big, fat cow.

The family calls her Meeka but that's wrong, too. The meek don't come this far. She is unlikely to win in Sydney. Her record in non-majors is disproportionately poor, but she couldn't give a hoot. The 28-year-old is all about prime time, showtime, peaking at the right time for her tilt at a fifth Australian Open.

She huffed and puffed through a series of unconvincing wins at the Sydney International last year before Russia's Elena Dementieva bundled her out in a couple of underwhelming straight sets. Williams said she was still the best player in the world. Computer said no. Jelena Jankovic was ranked No.1. A fortnight later, a fourth Australian Open was stuffed in Williams's racquet bag and another Wimbledon victory was on its way. The bigger the occasion, and the more intense the criticisms and disparaging remarks, the more baby gets backbone and the more aggressively she begins to moo.

[VishaalMaria]

She was the self-described runt of the Williams litter, the smallest and feistiest of five sisters, and therein lies the origins of the backbone. Somehow, she had to match the more statuesque, the more talented, the more beautiful, the more perfect elder sister, Venus. ''There was no living up to her,'' Serena wrote in her biography, Queen of the Court. ''She was taller, prettier, quicker, more athletic. And she was certainly NICER.'' Her father, Richard, let the cat out of the bag in the biggest hint of all that Serena would end up BETTER: ''Serena is the meaner of the two.''

You can tell from the paragraph above that she's had to fight from a young age. And I'm glad she's grown into her own.

Reminds me of why I love Serena ever so much.

[MrSerenaWilliams]

I LOVE that article

[Vaidisova]

Serena Williams looking forward to challenge to facing Justine Henin again
By Andrew Webster
January 09, 2010

Serena Williams says arch-rival Justine Henin can again challenge her as the world's best female tennis player - and would relish a crack at her in the Medibank International.

Williams and Henin struck up one of the fiercest rivalries in the game before Henin's shock retirement in May 2008.

The Belgian's decision to return late last year has fans of the game salivating at the prospect of the pair resuming their hostilities.

Henin has been handed a wildcard for Sydney, and then the Australian Open in Melbourne, and there is a distinct possibility the pair will meet in both tournaments.

Asked if she would enjoy a showdown with her former nemesis in Sydney, Williams said: "That'd be awesome. You know me? I don't really care who I play - as long as I win. But she's a great player and I definitely think she can get back to where she was. She left at the top of her game and she's a great player still."

The pair's duels over the years - both on the court and then in the press conferences that followed - are the stuff of legend.

And bitter acrimony, not least after Henin defeated Williams in the quarter-finals at both the French and US opens in 2007.

"I really am not surprised by anything on this tour any longer," Williams said when asked if she was shocked by Henin's decision to play again. "I mean, I was really shocked when Michael Jackson died. That surprised me. Not much surprises me outside of that."

http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...018900,00.html

[nadlinds]

Fans Return Federer to Top; Serena Gains First TR Player Award

Still Hot: Ivanovic & Safin Sexiest for 5th Straight Year; Wozniacki, Del Potro, Stosur, Soderling Among Other Winners

After a standout 2009 that included his first Roland Garros title and his record breaking 15th Grand Slam crown at Wimbledon, Switzerland’s Roger Federer was named the male Player of the Year in the annual ******************** 2009 readers poll. American Serena Williams, who grabbed her 10th and 11th major titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon and also took the year end Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Championships, was named the women’s’ player of the year.

In the most popular part of the poll, Serbia’s Ana Ivanovic and Russia’s Marat Safin won the Sexiest Players of the Year for the fifth year running.

Ivanovic more than doubled the votes of her closest competitor, Russia’s Maria Kirilenko, while Safin did the same to Spain’s Fernando Verdasco. Coming in third place in the men’s Sexiest category was Spaniard Rafael Nadal, while Russian’s Maria Sharapova placed third in the women’s category.

"It's very flattering,” Ivanovic said. “All women like to receive compliments for their looks and I am no different. But I don't take this kind of thing too seriously. The best thing about it is that it means that people are watching my tennis."

US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro easily won the Youngster of the Year category on the men’s side, while Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki, a finalist at the 2009 US Open, scooped up the Teenager of the Year award on the women's side.

“ I'm really happy to win this award,” Wozniacki said. “It means a lot to me and I feel like the last season was a great one for me, so it is really nice that people start knowing my game and like watching me play.”

The most improved players were French Open finalist Robin Soderling of Sweden and Australian Samantha Stosur, who won her first singles title in 2009 and had her first top 20 finish at No.13. Soderling finished ahead of Del Potro, while Stosur edged Germany’s Sabine Lisicki.

Russian Nikolay Davydenko, who won the year-end ATP World Finals, and his countrywomen Elena Dementieva, who reached the Wimbledon semis, were named Veterans of the Year, with Dementieva edging Italy’s Flavia Pennetta by less than two percentage points.

Federer’s epic five-set win over Andy Roddick in the Wimbledon final was named Men’s Match of the Year, while Serena’s three-set classic over Dementieva in the Wimbledon semis took the prize in the women’s category.

Young Latvian Ernests Gulbis, who went from the top 40 in 2008 to out of the top 100 for a period in 2009, was named the Bust of the Year in the men’s category, while Czech Nicole Vaidisova of the Republic, who has fallen from a ranking of No. 7 in 2007 to No. 175, earned that distinction on the women’s side.

“I wasn’t particularity shocked by the results this year, but I was a bit surprised that Nadal finished behind Del Potro in the player of the year awards, that Kim Clijsters came so close to Serena and that despite the serious competition, that Ivanovic and Safin continue to win the sexiest category year after year,” said Tennisreporters’ co-owner Matt Cronin. “Safin has retired, so some other guy will win it in 2010, but we may have to give Ivanovic a Lifetime Achievement Award in order to give other players a real chance.”

TR.net co-owner Ron Cioffi added,, "The biggest surprise for me was not that Serena won player of the year, but this is the first time she's received this honor from our readers. Del Potro's strong showing as he placed first or second in three categories -- Player of the Year, Youngster of the Year and Most Improved Player -- shows the great impact he had on the sport."

[nadlinds]

Serena arrives in Sydney

Serena Williams was on her best behaviour when she arrived in Sydney on Saturday to put the finishing touches to her preparations for the Australian Open.

The American was all smiles as she turned on the charm offensive for the media scrum that greeted her in the arrivals hall at Sydney airport.

The world number one excitedly talked up her chances of successfully defending her title in Melbourne but politely declined to discuss her foul-mouthed attack on a lineswoman at last year's US Open.

"I feel it's over. It was what it was," she said. "I think I've spoken enough about it."

Williams escaped a suspension after the Grand Slam Committee opted to slap her with a fine and a two-year probation, allowing her to compete in the Australian Open, starting in Melbourne on January 18.

She has already won the title four times, in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009, and is looking forward to chasing a fifth title later this month.

"It's all about doing the best that I can," she said. "Obviously I love playing well in all the Grand Slams and I hate to lose, regardless of where it is.

"Whenever I play, I give 200 per cent and whether that's becoming number one as a result or becoming number 50, it doesn't matter as long as you enjoy what you do."

[nadlinds]

Williams Sisters Serve up Fashionable Snacking With Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs

Via National Contest, Eight People to Win Chance to Appear With Venus and Serena in National Magazine Advertising Spread

EAST HANOVER, N.J., Jan. 8 - It may be the season for New Year's resolutions, but the Williams sisters still enjoy their favorite snack-cessories. Fashion-minded tennis champions Venus Williams and Serena Williams are working with Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs to show people everywhere what it means to snack with style.

Together with the brand, Venus and Serena are launching a new "Diet Like A Diva" contest - a national search to find people who add fun and flair to their snacking routine. Maintaining a "Diet Like a Diva" is a way to enjoy your snacks, while still watching your portions.

With 16 varieties, the Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs line of portion-controlled snacks, including the new Yogurt Flavored Pretzels (on shelves this month), makes snacking fun and convenient.

"Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs make it a cinch to stay on track, whether I'm at home or on the road heading to a tournament," said Venus Williams. "And, enjoying the classic snacks we all know and love, like Oreo Mini Cakesters and Chips Ahoy Fudge Drizzle Cookies, is what living like a diva is all about."

The Champion of Snacking Ideas

Beginning today, savvy snackers can log on to DietLikeADiva.com to submit a video about how they add fun and flair to their sensible snacking routine. Eight winners will experience a glamorous fashion photo shoot with the tennis superstars this March, featuring the latest in fashion and snacking. The photos will be featured in a spread in several Conde Nast publications.

"I know there are women out there like me who are living life to the fullest and aren't interested in depriving themselves of tastes they enjoy," added Serena Williams. "I think it's going to be great to see who enters and I know Venus and I will have a blast with the divas in March!"

Game, Set, Match, Snack

The key to living sensibly within your diet, while making it fun, is to have snacking options that fit an on-the-go lifestyle. The Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs line of stylish snacks features 16 different varieties. From savory to sweet to a combination of both, there's something for everyone.

"Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs continue to be the trendsetter for sensible snacking," said Steve Siegal, senior brand manager for Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs. "Venus and Serena embody women who know what it's like to snack with flair, and with the contest, we look forward to learning how Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs enable others to do the same."

Those interested in knowing more about what it means to "Diet Like a Diva" and to enter the contest through Feb. 10, 2010, can visit www.DietLikeADiva.com. The new site is packed with tips, videos with the Williams sisters, a monthly sweepstakes and more. Become a fan of www.facebook.com/Nabisco100Cal.

About Kraft Foods

Kraft Foods (www.kraftfoodscompany.com) makes today delicious in 150 countries around the globe. Our 100,000 employees work tirelessly to make delicious foods consumers can feel good about. From American brand icons like Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings, Maxwell House coffees and Oscar Mayer meats, to global powerhouse brands like Oreo and LU biscuits, Philadelphia cream cheeses, Jacobs and Carte Noire coffees, Tang powdered beverages and Milka, Cote d'Or, Lacta and Toblerone chocolates, our brands deliver millions of smiles every day. Kraft Foods (NYSE: KFT) is the world's second largest food company with annual revenues of $42 billion. The company is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and the Ethibel Sustainability Index.

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-relea...-80995862.html

[nadlinds]

Serena Williams claims to have moved on from US Open foul-mouthed outburst

January 10, 2010

Sydney: American tennis star Serena Williams has said that she has moved on from her foul-mouthed outburst on a lineswoman at last September's US Open.

Serena was fined a record 82,500 dollars by the International Tennis Federation for abusing the Japanese official for foot-faulting her in the US Open semi-final against Kim Clijsters.

“I don't feel one way or the other about it now. It was what it was and I think I've spoken enough about it since. You guys know me, I feel like it's over,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted Serena, as saying.

Serena further said that she was confident of defending her Australian Open crown at Melbourne Park later this month.

“I'm feeling really good. It always takes a little while to get into a new season, it always takes a couple of matches, but regardless I'm going in with a positive attitude,” Serena said.

The 28-year-old also insisted that she isn’t under any pressure to retain her top ranking despite Belgians Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin coming back in the mix in 2010.

“I don't think about it a lot. I've got a lot on my plate. Everyone assumes that I'm No.1anyway. My main goals are always to stay healthy, and that's a huge goal for any athlete. For me, it's all about doing the best that I can,” Serena said.

“Obviously I love playing well in all the grand slams and I hate to lose, regardless of where it is. Whenever I play, I give 200 per cent and whether that's becoming No.1 as a result or becoming No.50, it doesn't matter as long as you enjoy what you do,” she added.

http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report...tburst_1333190

[nadlinds]

Serena Williams still a solid No. 1

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., Jan. 11 - American Serena Williams owns a substantial lead for the No. 1 spot in the women's world tennis rankings.

Williams will take the No. 1 ranking into the year's first major tournament, the Australian Open, which begins next week. Her ratings point total of 9,075 is 1,125 more than No. 2-ranked Dinara Safina.

Monday marked the final rankings release ahead of the pairings draw for the Australian Open. There were no changes among the first 14 places on the list but Belgian Kim Clijsters, who has been in just five tournaments since ending a two-year retirement, has jumped to 15th.

Svetlana Kuznetsova, like Safina a Russian, is ranked third with Danish player Carolina Wozniacki fourth and Russian Elena Dementieva rated fifth.

American Venus Williams is in sixth, with Belarusian Victoria Azarenka in seventh and, in order, Serbian Jelena Jankovic, Russian Vera Zvonareva and Pole Agnieszka Radwanska completing the Top 10.

[MrSerenaWilliams]

oh no!

[BlameSerena]

Thanks for posting this nadlinds.

[Olórin]

I think Serena should just skip the clay season and play at RG, it really doesn't seem to make any difference to her performance there

[nadlinds]

Where do tennis's biggest stars love to go in Melbourne? Shopping, partying, food and the casino are all high on the list of favourites.

SERENA AND VENUS WILLIAMS

The shopping-obsessed siblings flex their bottomless credit cards in Melbourne, and had a rumoured $30,000 private shopping spree at Versace at Crown three years ago, where they are regulars.

They also love to spend big along Chapel St, and in Greville St in Prahran.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/te...-1225818769989

[Bijoux0021]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/...ame=espntennis

Will New York meltdown weigh on Serena?

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Posted by Ravi Ubha, ESPN.com

If hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, Serena Williams should be pumped up, or more so than usual, when the Australian Open starts Monday, or Sunday, depending on where you live. Yes, tennis junkies in the U.S. and Europe are in for some crazy hours until the end of January. Let's hope the excitement comes close to matching the Packers-Cardinals thriller last weekend, making the long nights worthwhile.

Williams, of course, was involved in the single biggest incident at the U.S. Open, menacingly threatening a slender female line judge who called her for a foot fault, leading to a double fault, at a critical juncture of her semifinal against comeback queen and No. 1 Kim Clijsters. It set up a match point, and Williams was then penalized for her outburst, handing a stunned Clijsters the match.

There must have been something in the Flushing Meadows air that week, besides the smell of burgers and hot dogs, given Roger Federer's foul-mouthed tirade aimed in the direction of baby-faced chair ump Jake Garner in the men's final.

Williams avoided a suspension but got hit with a record $82,500 fine in November. More bad behavior from Williams, and the double-digit Grand Slam champ could be barred from the U.S. Open in the future.

The Williams camp released one of those tame, pre-prepared statements in the wake of the sanction, with the 28-year-old saying she wanted to put the incident behind her. No sign of anger.

Nearly two weeks later, though, Williams vented on a Web site, suggesting the fine was excessive and two former bad boys on the men's tour, John McEnroe and Jeff Tarango, got away lightly with previous indiscretions.

Williams landed in Australia this week, taking part in Sydney's Medibank International, and again insisted the case was closed.

Nah. She'll be thinking about it and using what she feels is harsh treatment as a little extra motivation.

"I think most athletes who ever feel wronged, for the best ones their aptitude is to come back faster, stronger, better," said Eurosport analyst David Felgate. "I'd be surprised if [the fine] had any negative effect on her."

Felgate, a soft-spoken and polite chap, used to coach Tim Henman, Nicole Vaidisova and Xavier Malisse, all of whom had a bit of a temper. Henman, we shouldn't forget, got disqualified from Wimbledon in 1995 when he fired a ball that (accidentally) struck a ball girl in the head during a doubles match. Ironically, Tarango was one of his opponents.

Williams got robbed by the chair ump in the U.S. Open quarterfinals six years ago and bounced back emphatically, winning the ensuing Australian Open. Williams saved three match points against Maria Sharapova in the semifinals and rallied against Lindsay Davenport in the final.

The entire Williams family feels aggrieved over what happened in Indian Wells, Calif., in 2001. Serena's dad, Richard, says he and Venus were racially abused in the stands.

Williams hasn't played the prestigious mixed event since, and as if to say, "Here's what your missing," she has won the next tournament on the calendar, Miami, the unofficial fifth Slam, five times. Playing near home doesn't hurt, mind you.

Williams might need that little extra push, since defending U.S. Open champ Clijsters and fellow Belgian Justine Henin, comeback queen No. 2, are in good form. They contested what'll go down as one of the matches of 2010 in the final of the Brisbane International, a classic won by Clijsters in a third-set tiebreaker.

Sharapova looked sharp in an exhibition in Hong Kong last week and is one of the few women's players who come close to matching Williams in mental toughness. In short, Williams will have to do more than just get by the likes of Russians Elena Dementieva and Dinara Safina, as she did en route to last year's Australian Open title. Logic dictates Dementieva won't do as well as last year on the circuit, and ditto for Safina.

Williams impressed in her first match of 2010, downing a familiar foe, tricky Spaniard Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, 6-1, 6-2 in the scorching Sydney heat.

"I feel like I have no pressure on myself," Williams told reporters in Sydney. "If I play the best I can play, I've always said I'm very difficult to beat."

Felgate wasn't about to disagree as he predicted a women's winner.

"If I had to, I'd pick Serena because at her very, very best, she is the best," he said.