[TSequoia01]

2002 will be the year that has been predicted probably since 1998. Venus and Serena will dominate the big tournaments. They will dominate the Australian Open. They will do surprisingly well at the French. (I know many donot believe this) Venus will 3-peat at Wimbledon and U.S. Open. Serena will win at least one Slam and many tier I's, and II's. Yes, they will increase their tourney participation, barring injury.

 

[QUEENLINDSAY]

Its comes from your mouth, this has been predicted since 1998 and nothing happened yet.<br />Lets just wait, dont expect too much or you might get disapointed.

Anyway, GO VENUS, GO SERENA

<marquee color=red fontsize=6>GO LINDSAY!!!

 

[Martian KC]

Let's see if they can do well on other surfaces besides hardcourt and grass, before you make a bold statement like that. <img src="rolleyes.gif" border="0">

 

[Deira]

<img src="graemlins/bounce.gif" border="0" alt="[Bounce]" /> Preach Tsequoia, preach on. Barring injury, I agree with your pronostications 100%. The handwriting is on the wall for all to see, just as it was for Hingis' eminent fall from #1 <img src="graemlins/bounce.gif" border="0" alt="[Bounce]" />

[ November 05, 2001: Message edited by: Deira ]</p>

 

[Guest]

<img src="graemlins/firey.gif" border="0" alt="[Fiery]" /> <img src="graemlins/firey.gif" border="0" alt="[Fiery]" /> I can't wait until the sistas finish all of this other stuff, and get down and dirty, the fight for No.1 must begin.

It appears that Serena is more open with her determination than Venus. But I can't wait until they find their way,

shut all of you naysayers up.

They are gonna take control of the tour, like no one has ever seen! <img src="mad.gif" border="0">

 

[TSequoia01]

Venus has been playing dominating tennis for 2 years, now little Sis has joined the fray. Deira you got your finger on the button, a stampede is about to happen. All of their opponents had better bring their "A" games or they might get steamrolled.<br /> <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="tongue.gif" border="0"> <img src="graemlins/bounce.gif" border="0" alt="[Bounce]" />

 

[saki]

Venus, Serena, & Lindsay between them will dominate at the Oz Open and on hardcourts.

Venus, Serena, Henin, Clijsters between them will dominate the grasscourt events.

Henin, Clijsters, Seles will dominate the clay season.

Hingis will do fairly well on all surfaces but not dominate on any as will Dokic, Dementieva and Kournikova.

Venus and Serena are two of the top players in the world and will continue to be so next season. But they aren't the _only_ top players and they certainly aren't top players on clay.

 

[moon]

I agree with the topic of this thread 100%.

I especially can't wait for the clay season. Venus and Serena are particularly underated on clay, but I think this year ALOT of people will be surprised. Venus has won clay tourneys before, and Serena made it to the quarters of RG with no pre-tourney warm-up. Things can only get better next year. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

The girls will show up in 2002 clay season, with something to prove. And when that happens, WATCH OUT!

 

[Infiniti2001]

Why are Venus and Serena so underrated on clay??? <br />Granted their grass and hard court records over -shadow every other surface, but from 1994- 2001 Venus is 36-12 on clay.<br />1994 0-0<br />1995 0-0<br />1996 0-0<br />1997 2-2<br />1998 9-2<br />1999 14-2<br />2000 6-3<br />2001 5-2

Rena 17-7<br />1997 0-0<br />1998 6-2<br />1999 7-3<br />2000 0-1<br />2001 4-1

To me , the sisters records reflect their lack of clay play rather than sucking on it (like someone says) .... Never bet against a Williams ESPECIALLY Venus .... Time and time again she's proven many wrong <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

[ November 06, 2001: Message edited by: Infiniti2001 ]</p>

 

[gentenaire]

The sisters are capable of dominating the tour, but they need to play more!

 

[Williams Rulez]

I agree with tine... they can dominate... probably will. But I hope to see them play more... esp during the clay and indoor season!

 

[Larrybid]

I personaly hope the sisters never buy into the WTA system. The tennis season is TOO LONG. I persaonlly think that 15-16 events, assuming they are the top events, is enough.

As a fan hoping they enjoy a long healthy career, I would not be crushed if they continued to bag the indoor season, except for the WTA championship because the European events are poorly covered by US TV anyway, so I wouldn't get to see them anyway. The added events should mostly be during the clay court season, on the theory that it would put less wear on their bodies.

Look, the sisters already dominate the tour. Look at the 2001 earnings list, with Venus #1 and Serena #3, even though they play so-called "lite" schedules. ( incidentally, when is the last time anyone other than Venus beat Serena?) They frankly only play the top tourneys with the top competition, whom they regularly beat. <br />Playing lesser tournements wouldn't prove anything worth the additional chance of injury. The WTA ranking is meaningless, I hope the girls continue to ignore it.

 

[Dawn Marie]

Infiniti bring on those stats girl! I love it when you do that. <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> Also you make valid points in your statement about Venus 's record shows that she DOESN'T PLAY on clay not that she CAN'T PLAY on clay. lol

Larry LOVE.. err Bird.. your reply is RIGHT ON THE MONEY! I agree with everything you stated <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> Welcome to the board <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

 

[saki]

It's not so much that Venus & Serena have really bad clay records, as that their clay records do not make them by any stretch of the imagination "dominant" players on clay. Compare their records to those of Seles, Henin, Clijsters, ASV, Martinez and other top clay players & you'll see what I mean.

Of course you don't have to be dominant players on clay to be a top player - Venus, Serena, and Lindsay prove that already - but to claim that Venus & Serena will dominate the clay season is laughable. I think they'll do better on clay than they have done, Serena especially I think could in time become good on clay, but looking at the competition they won't dominate on the surface.

 

[thefreedesigner]

As for the slams... I really do believe that we're gonna see 4 different winners next year.

Let's take this year, in the 4 slam sf, out of a possible 16 players we only had six different ones; Martina, Lindsay, Jennifer, Justine, Kim, Venus, Serena.

Lindsay and Kim only appear once.

Next year I think is going to be even more open than that. Lindsay didn't get to one slam final last year (only one semi), can you really see that happening next year?

US hardcourts is the only place where I can see both Williams dominating (not that they won't do well elsewhere). Kim surely will not be too far behind them on that surface either. Potentially you're also looking at Dementieva possibly having the game to at least trouble them there (not to mention Monica, and of course Jennifer).

I think Serena will do really well at RG, but I don't think that anyone will dominate slams.

Looking to the rest of the season I just think that there are too many players now who, on any given day, can give anyone in the world trouble, to think that they (or anyone else) can dominate.

That's not of course to say they won't wind up with their fair (or even more than fair) share of trophies.

 

[Volcana]

If Venus and Serena both play 18 events, they'l wind up ranked #1 and #2. Neither Venus nor Serena has ever gone through a WTA season without injury. They might manage #1 and #2 playing only 14 events a piece, but I very much doubt that will happen.

Serena wins OZ.<br />Venus wins a GS.<br />A Belgian wins a GS.

 

[Williams Rulez]

thefreedesigner I really do not agree with you.

Firstly the younger generation do not yet have the ability to challenge Davenport, Serena, Venus or Monica. Just look at how Clijsters, Dokic, Dementieva and Henin have fell against them. Davenport and Venus are the only ones to have been beaten, but only once in several meetings. The reason being they do not have the ability to match the serves of Lindsay, Venus or Serena. In fact they have horrible serves. And against Monica, they are just overpowered, somehow. So no, next year the field isn't going to deepen much, I just cannot see the winners being as diversified as you think it'll be.

Venus and Serena can dominate on hardcourt and GRASS.... with a serve like theirs, it is difficult to beat them on grass if they serve well. Monica can do well at the French Open if she keeps up her great form. The Austrialian Open is where Lindsay and Hingis do best. So I think the winners of the various slams are rather limited.

Kim wouldn't trouble Venus or Serena on hardcourts. She was defeated 6-3 6-1 by Venus and 6-2 6-0 by Serena in their last meetings. So you saying that Kim is not very far behind them on hardcourts is very wrong.

 

[thefreedesigner]

Nothing like a good tussle Williams_Rulez! <img src="tongue.gif" border="0">

Firstly, Justine has beaten Venus. It was on Clay. Now, people say 'Clay isn't Venus' best surface', but then all Williams supporters just love to mention that Venus has won a Tier I clay event? Can you see the point I'm making? OK moving on, In 3 matches with Venus, Henin has won 4 sets, Venus has won 4 sets also. If that's not competitive, or giving someone trouble, then tell me what is?

Dokic has yet to find a way of getting into a match with Davenport, she's always on the back foot, but once she does find a way (and that has as much to do with coaching and tactics as anything else), she will be challenging Davenport. Dokic may yet be a year of more away from that, which kind of negates me the '2002' thing. But I didn't mention Dokic did I? But since you bring it up.... she's beaten Venus hasn't she? OK I don't think she would if they played tomorrow (even with that wrist injury) but she's done it. Elena Dementieva, now she's beaten Venus hasn't she?

Look I'm not saying these young players are the finished articles, but if they bring their best games (which is often a problem with Henin, Dementieva especially) they will be a match for anyone.

Now Kim's match with Venus at US Open this year was a farce, so I won't even mention it. But I think it's safe to say that you will not see Kim play a match like that should they meet again.

Venus and Serena may have nothing to fear from the younger generation, but they will certainly have to keep their eyes well and truly open.

 

[Williams Rulez]

Indeed! Nothing like a good tussle! <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

*Digging up stats....*

Well, Justine is probably challenging Venus. I agree with you on that, problem is I don't think she'll defeat Venus on any surface except on clay. Usually she takes a set off Venus because Venus is having a mental *walkabout*, like at New Haven for example where Venus suddenly lost her serve due to many DF while she was leading and to lose the set. At Wimbledon, Venus lost the set cause after the rain delay, she lost focus for 1 service game and was broken, hence allowing Justine to win the match. As for the lost to Justine on clay, I must say Justine deserves that win, and as I have said before, Venus is more vulnerable on clay than on any other surface, but that is 1 of 4 surfaces only.

And yes, Dokic has beaten Venus before but that was last year when Venus was just playing her 2nd tournament after a 6 month lay-off, so I guess that was understandable. Venus has defeated Dokic 6-2 6-3 in Miami and 6-3 6-1 at Hamburg this year, so I think Dokic is not a threat yet.

As for Venus' lost to Dementieva, that was in 1999, when Venus was a different player. And furthermore, Venus was trying a new tactic, hence lost. But that said, Venus has defeated Dementieva easily other times they met, 6-2 6-4 at the Olympics, 6-0 6-3 at Indian Wells this year, so Dementieva isn't a threat either!

As for Clijsters, I don't see how she can beat Venus. Her main weapon is her speed, and Venus is faster, so I think she can do nothing against Venus. That's why I think Venus has nothing to fear against the younger generation, except against Henin maybe.

 

[thefreedesigner]

Wiiliams_Rulez: I accept your stats, and admit that those Dokic and Dementieva victories over Venus are looking just a leetle rusty. They need to back this up next year for sure.

I also take your point about Venus (most notably at New Haven), allowing noticeable frailty on serve, to let Justine into a match she really didn't look like taking a set from. But can you imagine what those matches between Venus and Justine would be like if Justine had anything approaching a reliable serve? She's not too far away from having that, and when she does, opponents can kiss goodbye to those games where she's 40-0 up then loses the game (inexplicably). That and the mental stuff is the only thing that's going to stop her. Henin should now be 2-1 with Monica rather than 0-3. Admittedly that is just my opinion, but its primarily the mental thing that holding her back.

Where I disagree with you is where you say that these younger players don't have the talent: I believe they don't yet have the mental equipment to take the next step - the talent is there.

Kim and Justine are the closest to arriving at the top table. Of course Serena and Venus are already there.

Dementieva and Dokic (who whilst having a great year by all accounts needs to get her 'Seed Killer' mentality back again) are further behind I admit. Where I could - though wouldn't guarantee - either Kim or Justine winning a Slam next year, Dokic and Dementieva would be relegated to outside picks. And that's no bad place to be.