July
Venus overwhelms Lee-Waters on Stanford return
By Matthew Cronin
STANFORD, California, July 14 (Reuters) - Top seed Venus Williams made an impressive return to the Bank of the West Classic by wiping out Lindsay Lee-Waters 6-1 6-1 in the second round on Wednesday.
The two-time Stanford champion was relentless from inside the baseline and served tremendously well, challenging her U.S. compatriot to hang in with her in brutal rallies.
Often, all Lee-Waters could do was watch balls whiz past her into the corners.
"Venus is great, but I never relaxed and played my game," Lee-Waters said.
"I let her dictate to me. I served poorly and played too many balls down the middle, but she's such a good player it's hard to play your game. It was a little overwhelming."
After she was shocked in the second round of Wimbledon by Croatian teenager Karolina Sprem, Williams returned to her Florida home and began serious off-court training, especially with her movement.
Lee-Waters immediately saw the results as Williams, four times a grand slam winner, sprinted side to side in the wink of an eye.
"She moved really well," Lee-Waters said. "Her on-the-run shots were the best I've seen."
Williams has won two titles this year but has been stymied at the grand slams. She blames much of that on a couple of ankle injuries, which have prevented her from practicing the amount she wants to.
But now she feel she is getting the technical glitches out of her game.
"I'm feeling a lot better," she said. "I wasn't winded due to all the training. The problem with me is sometimes I'm too hard on myself.
"I need to give it up and say I played a decent match. Maybe I'm a perfectionist and sometimes that holds me back because I'm always thinking of the things I've done wrong, rather than what I do well. But tonight was good."
|
||||||||||
June
Sparkling Venus hits the spot
By Bill Barclay
LONDON, June 21 (Reuters) - Venus Williams threw off the shackles and stormed into the second round of Wimbledon with a 6-3 6-0 victory over Switzerland's Marie-Gayanay Mikaelian on Monday.
The American third seed relished her return to grass 12 months after a painful defeat by younger sister Serena in last year's final when she was hindered by an abdominal injury.
"I'm always happy to be back," she said. "It's so nice. I can play as fast as I want to. Possibly I play even faster here. I don't even have to go for as much placement on my serve.
"I just hit it."
Venus slapped down seven aces in a dominant display of serving that left Mikaelian totally flummoxed, especially in the second set which the Swiss world number 106 lost in only 22 minutes.
Venus, who won the Wimbledon title in 2000 and 2001 but has been runner-up to her sister Serena in each of the last two finals, had to save break points before wrapping up the first set on serve.
But the 24-year-old American whizzed through the second set, wrapping up victory just before the drizzling rain forced another suspension.
Venus, sporting an elegant white outfit with a flowing hem that she later described as "more evening wear than tennis wear," looked thrilled by the warmth of the reception she was given by the court one crowd.
She admitted: "That was nice. When I kind of missed a shot, there was a collective sigh.
"I was like, 'Wait a minute, what's going on here?' I'm used to people being very nice but no so nice like that.
"I did have a chance to enjoy that moment."
ANKLE PROBLEMS
Despite enjoying her first outing Venus remains less than 100 percent fit, however.
The four-times grand slam winner missed the rest of last year with the abdominal strain that scuppered her hopes against Serena and this year she has struggled with ankle problems.
"My stomach's fine, hopefully a ghost, history. But my ankles, obviously I have to tape them. I'm a bit fragile in that area," she said.
Venus, who is in the same quarter of the draw as 47-year-old Martina Navratilova and fifth seed Lindsay Davenport, faces either Croatia's Karolina Sprem or fellow American Laura Granville in round two.
Myskina upsets Venus to reach semi-finals
By Simon Cambers
PARIS, June 1 (Reuters) - Russian Anastasia Myskina upset former world number one Venus Williams 6-3 6-4 to reach the semi-finals of the French Open on Tuesday.
Myskina, the sixth seed, took advantage of 43 unforced errors from fourth seed Williams to seal victory in one hour 12 minutes and reach her first grand slam semi-final.
"It's a dream for me for sure," Myskina said.
"She (Venus) is an unbelievable player and kept fighting so I knew I had to win this match and I am just so happy."
The 22-year-old Myskina will now play seventh seed Jennifer Capriati in the semi-finals after she beat Venus's younger sister and number two seed Serena Williams 6-3 2-6 6-3.
In damp, cool conditions, Williams, runner-up at Roland Garros in 2002, began slowly as Myskina, who had struggled past fellow Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in round four, raced to a 4-1 lead.
With Myskina's flat groundstrokes keeping Williams off balance, the American was forced into attempting winners from all areas of the court and another forehand error handed Myskina the opening set in 28 minutes.
Her confidence lifted, the Russian broke serve in the opening game of the second set only for Williams to break back immediately with one of only 12 winners to come from the American in the entire match.
The set remained on serve until the seventh game when, after slipping 0-40 down with yet more mistakes, Williams volleyed a ball over the baseline which had looked to be heading long, handing Myskina the vital break.
Williams held serve to force Myskina to serve out for the match and the Russian saved three break points -- each of them due to backhand errors from Williams -- to clinch her first win over the American in three attempts.
Venus shocked by Myskina
Tuesday,June 1
Fourth seed Venus Williams followed little sister Serena out of Roland Garros on Tuesday, falling in straight sets to Russian No9 seed Anastasia Myskina 3-6 4-6.
The tall American labored long on the slow, muddy Court Suzanne Lenglen, losing her patience with the extremely consistent Myskina, who chased down every ball and kept her unforced errors to a minimum.
Williams on the other hand splattered 43 unforced errors around the court and was unable to finish points off with her normal ferocity. The 2002 finalist managed just 12 winners during the one hour, 13 minute tussle.
The Russian No1 broke Williams' serve four times and hung tough in the long rallies, preferring to play percentage tennis than go for winners.
She moves into her first Grand Slam semi final where she meets American Jennifer Capriati, who ousted Serena Williams in a tight three set duel early Tuesday.
Venus, Myskina to meet in quarters
By Nyree Epplett
Sunday, May 30,
Fourth seeded Venus Williams overpowered Columbian Fabiola Zuluaga to set up a quarter final clash with dangerous Russian No6 seed Anastasia Myskina on Sunday.
Williams adapted well to the slower conditions on Court Suzanne Lenglen, and routed No23 seed Zuluaga 6-1 7-6(3) in one hour, 21 minutes.
“I’m definitely in a lot better form than I was last year,” said the former world No1 who has now reached the quarters here four times.
Despite a hiccup in the second set when she let her opponent scrape her way back into the match, Williams was largely untested. In the first set, the American dominated, changing the direction of the ball at will, and stepping up to the mid court to play a spate of drive volleys. She pounced on short balls, and played percentage tennis when it counted in the last few games of the second set. In the tiebreak, the American drew a wave of consecutive unforced errors from Zuluaga, who fell to pieces when it counted.
“Today I had the opportunity to close it out pretty quickly but missed a couple of shots,” said the 2002 finalist.
Williams was later coy about her chances on the red clay in the second week, despite playing her best tennis for quite some time.
“Well there’s only eight (players) left,” smiled the American. “What are the odds? Not sure. I know I’ve got a tough round next…It’s not a given.”
Myskina’s route to her first ever Roland Garros quarter final was anything but routine. The sixth seed had to stave off a match point before she overcame compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova in just under two hours 1-6 6-4 8-6 on Court One.
Myskina admitted she suffered from first set nerves during the match, but was not surprised by the tenacity of her teenage opponent. Kuznetsova had posted wins this year over world No1 Justine Henin-Hardenne and Venus Williams, and had almost beaten Myskina in their last encounter, in Doha in March. But today the youngster’s inconsistency cost her the match – she made 62 unforced errors, to Myskina’s 36.
“Yes I know her very well…the last time we played it was also 6-4 in the third, so I was expecting a very long and hard match for myself,” said the Russian No1.
“I was really nervous at the beginning not because it’s a Grand Slam but because of the Russian.
“I said to myself that I have to fight for every point...I think I played much better today than I did yesterday.”
Myskina joins talented compatriots Elena Dementieva (No9) and Maria Sharapova (No18) in the quarter final, marking the first time that three Russians have featured in the final eight here.
“I’m looking forward to playing Venus. For me it’s my first quarter final at the French Open. I’ll just do my best on the court and fight,” said the Russian, who had considered leaving the sport two years ago after surgery to her wrist.
Venus too strong for Tanasugarn
PARIS, May 25 (Reuters) - Fourth seed Venus Williams advanced to the second round of the French Open with a patchy 6-2 6-4 victory over Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old, who reached the final at Roland Garros in 2002, showed little sign of the ankle injury that had hampered her preparations for the tournament on Court Suzanne Lenglen but looked short of her best form.
Venus lost her opening service game but quickly recovered to claim the first set. After the American established a 4-0 lead in the second set she twice lost serve to love to let Tanasugarn back into the match before wrapping up victory in one hour 11 minutes.
Venus plays either Jelena Kostanic of Croatia or French wild card Camille Pin in the second round.
|
||||||||||
May
Williams makes quarterfinals at Berlin
5/5
By ROY KAMMERER
BERLIN (AP) - Venus Williams extended her winning streak to 12 matches by beating Eleni Danilidou 7-5, 6-3 Wednesday to reach the German Open quarterfinals.
Williams smacked a backhand volley into the open court to end the match after 80 minutes, but not everything came easily for the four-time major champion. She trailed 2-0 in the second set before raising her game.
``It was a good match,'' Williams said. ``I was a little off today, but I was able to raise my game at the right time. I think we both did good for the crowd.''
The third-seeded Williams is chasing her third straight title at the clay-court tuneup for the French Open.
``There was a point in the first set when I couldn't get a first serve over the net,'' she said. ``There's days like that, they're weird. But I got my notes, my checklist of what I got to do better.''
The American now faces eighth-seeded Ai Sugiyama, who ousted Elena Likhovtseva 6-1, 6-2.
Kim Clijsters also moved into the round of eight, overcoming a rocky comeback from a left wrist injury to get past qualifier Marta Marrero 6-3, 2-6, 6-4.
Clijsters trailed 3-2 in the final set and needed three match points before winning in two hours.
``I definitely didn't play the best tennis match of my career,'' Clijsters said, adding that her wrist isn't completely healed after a six-week layoff.
``Being on the court and not being able to hit the ball the way you like to is frustrating. But winning, no matter how, is satisfying. It's good to have a tough match like this,'' Clijsters said.
She wore a brace around her left wrist for tendinitis, which has sidelined her since pulling out at Indian Wells, Calif.
Second-seeded Amelie Mauresmo had an easier time reaching the quarterfinals, needing just 50 minutes to coast past Gisela Dulko 6-1, 6-2.
Also, Elena Dementieva edged Stephanie Cohen-Aloro 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
The brace hampered Clijsters' two-handed backhand, which she was unable to practice during her layoff.
At one point in the second set against the 81st-ranked Marrero, Clijsters dropped five straight points, all on backhands. After losing the set, the Belgian smashed a ball against a wall.
``She was definitely putting pressure on my backhand,'' Clijsters said. ``I'm not consistent, but I will try to work myself back to where I am consistent.''
She now faces Karolina Sprem, who eliminated Meghann Shaughnessy 6-2, 7-6 (3).
Venus wins J&S Cup tennis title
05/02
WARSAW, Poland (Ticker) - Venus Williams conquered the tournament that spoiled her 2003 season.
Williams won her second straight title Sunday with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over fourth-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia at the $585,000 J&S Cup claycourt tennis event.
The second-seeded American won the first set in last year's final against Amelie Mauresmo but dropped nine consecutive games before retiring in the third set with an abdominal injury that cut short her 2003 season after Wimbledon.
But Williams roared through this year's event, dropping one set while extending her winning streak to 11 matches. She claimed her first title in more than a year two weeks ago at the Family Circle Cup and won a pair of Fed Cup singles matches last weekend. Earlier this year, she started her comeback by going just 4-3 in her first three tournaments.
The four-time Grand Slam champion, who is on her longest unbeaten stretch since she won 19 straight matches in 2002, earned $93,000 for her 31st career title. With the victory, she will rise from No. 13 in the world to No. 11.
Williams, 23, avenged a loss to Kuznetsova in the quarterfinals at Dubai in February and took a 2-1 edge in their rivalry.
Kuznetsova, who has not won a tournament since taking her first two at Helsinki and Bali in 2002, fell to 0-3 in finals this year. She also was runner-up at Dubai and Doha.
After Williams cruised through the first set, Kuznetsova called for the trainer and had the upper half of her left leg wrapped. Williams, who squandered an early break in the second set, broke at 5-4 to end the match.
Venus cruises into Warsaw final
05/01
WARSAW, May 1 (Reuters) - Venus Williams crushed Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-3 6-2 on Saturday to reach the final of the $585,000 Warsaw Cup WTA tournament.
The American number two seed, whose world ranking plunged to 16th last season because of injuries, won six straight games to take the first set.
"I think this has been my best match (this week), where I've been able to move my best," Williams told Reuters.
"I've had so many frustrations, injuries and breaks, and it proved that hard work and a little hope are worth it.
"In the rallies I always felt I was in control, even when I was on the defence. I was definitely able to attack her serve."
In Sunday's final, Williams faces Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova, the number four seed, who beat Italy's Francesca Schiavone 6-3 6-2.
Schiavone had knocked out number one seed and defending champion Amelie Mauresmo of France.
|
||||||||||
Venus Williams reaches quarterfinals at Warsaw
4/28
WARSAW, Poland (AP) - Venus Williams recovered from a sluggish start to beat Fabiola Zuluaga 4-6, 6-2, 6-0 Wednesday and reach the quarterfinals of the J&S Cup.
Williams strained a stomach muscle during last year's final at the clay-court tournament and had to quit.
On Wednesday, she struggled to get first serves in against Zuluaga, an Australian Open semifinalist, and dropped the first set despite leading 2-0.
``She was returning my serve well, even when I was getting some good first serves in,'' Williams said. ``I didn't get as many service winners or easy points off my serve as normal, but my first serve was more consistent in the second and third sets.''
Williams responded well in the second set, dropping just three points in the first three games.
``It was a really good match for me, although I was very disappointed I lost the first set,'' Williams said. ``At 5-2 in the second I was thinking if I had just won that set then this would be almost over. But I just had to forget that and move on and win the third.''
Eighth-seeded Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi of Israel also made it to the quarterfinals, topping Daniela Hantuchova 6-4, 7-5.
Three seeded players won to get to the second round: No. 6 Silvia Farina Elia, No. 7 Patty Schnyder, and No. 9 Francesca Schiavone.
In other first-round matches, Eleni Daniilidou set up a match against defending champion Amelie Mauresmo by beating Gisela Dulko6-2, 6-2, and Magdalena Maleeva defeated Elena Likhovtseva 6-3, 6-1.
Venus Williams leads U.S. into Fed Cup quarterfinals
By NESHA STARCEVIC
.c The Associated Press
PORTOROZ, Slovenia (AP) - Venus Williams and Lisa Raymond won singles matches Sunday to give the United States an insurmountable 3-1 lead over Slovenia and a berth in the Fed Cup quarterfinals.
After Williams beat Tina Pisnik 6-3, 6-1 to give the Americans a 2-1 edge, Raymond clinched victory in the best-of-five series by rallying to defeat Katarina Srebotnik 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.
In the July 10-11 quarterfinals, first-year captain Zina Garrison and the United States will play Austria, which eliminated Slovakia.
Williams won only one point in the first two games Sunday and appeared bothered by the swirling wind on a sunny day. But once she found her range, Williams was relentless.
``She began in a different rhythm, using a lot of variety, slicing, and maybe I wasn't so focused at the start,'' Williams said.The United States has won the Fed Cup 17 times, more than any other nation in the event's 40-year history. Last year, the Americans lost the final 4-1 to France. The most recent U.S. Fed Cup title came in 2000.
On Saturday, Williams put the U.S. team back into the match by beating Srebotnik 6-1, 6-2, after Pisnik upset Raymond 7-5, 7-5.Unlike Saturday, the conditions were dry this time. But the wind made serving tricky. Pisnik changed pace frequently, trying to take away some of the power from Williams' game with drop shots and lobs. The strategy worked early, but Williams reached a drop shot and put away a winner to break serve and tie it 2-2.
Two straight breaks of serve followed. Williams then took advantage of a double-fault by Pisnik and put away another drop shot by the Slovenian to win the game at love on Pisnik's serve for a 5-3 lead. Williams ended the set with a service winner, capturing 15 of the last 16 points.
Williams fired a forehand winner to break serve again for a 2-1 lead in the second set and broke at love for a 4-1 lead. Pisnik then asked for a trainer and went to the locker room to treat a neck problem.
The break didn't bother Williams. Two more double-faults by Pisnik helped Williams set up a match point, and when the Slovenian hit a forehand long, the United States led the first-round series 2-1.
``I didn't get discouraged,'' Williams said. ``I had to settle in and get increasingly my power in. I also started coming to the net more.''
Venus earns U.S. split vs. Slovenia in Fed Cup
PORTOROZ, Slovenia (Ticker) - Tina Pisnik got her wish, but Katarina Srebotnik got Venus Williams.
Williams earned a split for the United States on Saturday in a first-round match against Slovenia in the Fed Cup, cruising past Srebotnik in straight sets.
Pisnik was thrilled to see the draw Friday, which pitted her against Lisa Raymond in the first singles match of the international event. The Slovenians' best chance appears to be to defeat Raymond three times.
So far, so good as Pisnik outlasted Raymond, 7-5, 7-5, to give the Slovenians a leg up.
Williams responded in her usualy dominating fashion, pounding Srebotnik, 6-1, 6-2.
Reverse singles are Sunday, with Williams facing Pisnik and Raymond taking on Srebotnik. The match could be deciced in doubles, where Raymond and Martina Navritilova would meet Srebotnik and Tina Krizan.
The United States has won a record 16 Fed Cups since the tournament debuted in 1963.
Also Saturday, Austria took a 2-0 lead against Slovakia; Russia did the same vs. Australia; Argentina swept singles from Japan; Italy went up, 2-0, against the Czech Republic; and France earned a 2-0 advantage over Germany.
Spain and Switzerland split Saturday's singles matches, as did Belgium with Croatia.
Welcome back to the top
BY JAMES BECK
Monday, April 19
Yes, make no mistake about it. Venus Williams is back, and ready to rule this game of women's tennis.
The early prognosis was that Venus wasn't ready. She played awfully in her opening three-set match against journeyman Samantha Reeves, some observers said. Yes, she did play dreadfully at times. But it was difficult not to recognize the greatness and depth of her game, one that few, if any, players in the history of the women's game could emulate.
It was that first match for Venus in this Family Circle Cup that set the stage for her to win the tournament in her first try. She showed things in the first match that only a great champion could. She played a horrible first set late Tuesday afternoon, but she was vintage Venus in the last two sets.
It wasn't that Venus beat a great player. It was just the way she beat Reeves; the greatness was so obvious in Venus' game. She showed the type of strokes, serves and court coverage that only she among WTA Tour players has. Yes, she was a better tennis player than her younger sister, Serena, even at Serena's peak. That was obvious early in this tournament.
In Sunday afternoon's final, Venus took her game back to her first set of the tournament. She was almost that bad in the first set of her 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Conchita Martinez. Martinez played well, but did nothing special in the first set. Venus just hadn't arrived yet.
Once again, the last two sets were vintage Venus. She completely overwhelmed a great clay-court player.
She waited for her shots. She crushed backhands. She was devastating at the net. Her big serve started to come in consistently at 110 and above.
Venus demonstrated that she is more than just a great player. She is a great clay-court champion, a great grass-court champion, a great hard-court champion. She is the ultimate tennis player.
By midway through the second set, she was ripping unbelievably accurate and powerful backhands down the line that Martinez could only stab at, off both Conchita's groundstrokes and serves. When Martinez did get one of them back, Venus was all over the net ready to smash a volley. She hit classic clay-court topspins so hard and so well when drop shots came her way that Martinez was left flat-footed in the middle of the baseline.
The last two sets were a tennis clinic. ESPN could market the tapes from the match for instructional purposes.
A GOLDEN MOMENT
This was a tournament that had so many things go wrong. Rain, wind and cold made the first three days miserable. And the top three seeds all withdrew. But the ending was a true golden moment for the Family Circle Cup.
Venus Williams' success should take this tournament to new heights, with new respect in Charleston, and not just in the tennis community.
A poster of Venus in Family Circle Magazine Stadium should become a Charleston landmark.
Venus Named WTATour.com Player of the Week
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Venus Williams would much rather forget 2004 B.C. - before Charleston. After a shaky start to the season that has been plagued by injuries and upsets, the former World No.1 finally landed on the launchpad last week at the Family Circle Cup - snapping a 14-month title drought by defeating Conchita Martinez in her first appearance at Charleston.
Williams' title at the Tier I event - the 30th title of her career - was good enough to grab this week's WTATour.com Player of the Week.
A nagging abdominal muscle forced Williams to miss the final five months of the 2003 season and landed her outside of the Top 10 in the year-end rankings for the first time since 1997. Williams made her return to the WTA Tour at the Australian Open, where she had her earliest departure ever at the event with a third round loss to Lisa Raymond.
A right lower leg muscle strain forced her to withdraw prior to her quarterfinal match with Chanda Rubin in Tokyo and also forced her to miss a scheduled stop in Antwerp. She then fell to Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarters at Dubai and to Elena Dementieva in the same round at Miami.
With the clay court season on deck, Williams made her first voyage to Charleston, an event where sister Serena Williams finished as runner-up last year and a very popular Tier I stop for many players.
But her stop in South Carolina didn't look like it would last long in the early stages of her second round match with lucky loser Samantha Reeves. Reeves, would has struggled to win matches in WTA Tour events this year, got off to a strong start - winning the first set and was up a break in the second before Williams marched back to avoid the upset.
From there, Williams surged into the finals with relative ease with wins against Marie-Gayanay Mikaelian, Vera Zvonareva and Jelena Kostanic. And after a few adjustments following her first set loss to Martinez, Williams swept through the second and third sets to win the Charleston title.
"It's nice because it's been really difficult for me and challenging, and even this week with injuries, and it's just been really rewarding to have this title under my belt," said Williams of winning her first title since capturing Antwerp in February of 2003.
With her first title of the year, Williams became only the 13th player in the Open Era to win 30 career titles and tied Tracy Austin for 11th place on the Career Titles list. Martinez is 10th on that list with 32 career titles.
Williams also became only the third player in the last 10 years to win a Tier I event in her debut appearance. The only players to achieve this feat in the last 10 years are Justine Henin-Hardenne at last year’s Family Circle Cup and Martina Hingis at 1998 Indian Wells.
Venus Williams wins first title in 14 months
By PAGE IVEY
.c The Associated Press
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Venus Williams spun around, waved and touched her heart, mouthing ``I love you'' to the crowd.
After waiting 14 months for a tournament title, she had her celebration down pat.
No longer injured or tentative, Williams breezed through two wonderful sets and ended her drought by coming back to beat Conchita Martinez 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 Sunday at the Family Circle Cup.
``I just wanted to start this year from here,'' said Williams, a four-time Grand Slam tournament champion.
By winning on clay, she showed that she could be a factor at the French Open, which starts May 24.
And her postmatch pirouette and special salute to the fans showed how thrilled she was to be a winner again - for the 30th time in her career. That ties Williams with Tracy Austin for 12th in WTA Tour history.
``I've never played in front of a crowd that was so supportive of me. A lot of times, I can be playing somewhere, and it's right in the United States, and I can be playing someone who I don't even know how to pronounce her name, and the crowd is very much rooting for the other player,'' Williams said.
``So for me it's very unusual to come to a place and really everyone is just showing a lot of support.''
She didn't put on much of a show during the first set, when she lost her serve twice and had just 10 winners to 16 unforced errors.
But everything changed in the last two sets. Williams had 27 winners and 19 unforced errors during that portion of the match, while 1994 Wimbledon champion Martinez had seven winners and 28 unforced errors.
Williams last won a tournament in February 2003, when she beat Kim Clijsters in the final at Antwerp, Belgium. Shortly after, Williams strained an abdominal muscle, an injury that hampered her until she cut last season short in July.
She looked comfortable on court Sunday, particularly over the last two sets, handling Martinez's changing speeds well and volleying with confidence.
``The first set, I wasn't moving forward enough, and I just really was making too many mistakes,'' Williams said.
Later, Williams added, she ``wanted to turn it around, and I really just started moving in and coming to the net. And, actually, when I was coming in, I felt really good up there, so I didn't stop.''
Overall, she went to net 49 times, winning 35 points there.
Martinez, a two-time champion here, was in her first final in four years. The Spaniard dropped to 0-5 in three-set matches this season. Her first service game in the second set was listless and she was broken at love - her first break of the match.
``I think I stopped doing whatever I was doing in the first set,'' Martinez said. ``It's sort of tough to play against her. The ball comes differently.''
Martinez won few points after the first set with the drop shots and short balls that were effective early. She occasionally was drawn into - and, for the most part, lost - hard-hitting rallies with Williams.
``The first couple games, I started really strong and hitting my forehand,'' Martinez said. Williams ``obviously started playing a little better, too, not making many mistakes, but I definitely stopped doing what I needed to do.''
Williams' serve also got better as the match went on. She hit 60 percent of her first serves in the second set and an ace in the third set was clocked at 113 mph.
In the doubles final, the top-seeded team of Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paulo Suarez beat Martin Navratilova and Lisa Raymond 6-4, 6-1. It was the 47-year-old Navratilova's last appearance at the Family Circle Cup, where she won five doubles titles and four singles titles.
Williams reaches Family Circle final
04/17
By PAGE IVEY
CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) - Venus Williams beat Jelena Kostanic of Croatia 6-4, 6-1 Saturday at the Family Circle Cup, capitalizing on a strong serve to reach her first final of the year.
She will next play Spain's Conchita Martinez, who defeated Switzerland's Patty Schnyder 6-4, 6-3 in the other semifinal. The players at times taunted each other across the net, and Schnyder refused to shake her opponent's hand afterward. Martinez, seeded 16th, won this tournament in 1995 and 1994.
Williams was playing in her first semifinal of the season and first clay-court event. She struggled with unforced errors in the first set but had no trouble in the second. Kostanic left the court with a trainer at the end of the first set to treat a cramp in her hip.
``It wasn't that painful,'' she said. ``You know it's there and it made me scared a little.''
The fourth-seeded Williams is the highest seed left after the top three seeds, including sister Serena, withdrew with lingering injuries and illnesses.
Williams said her goal entering the tournament was simply to stay healthy.
``I don't feel any pressure,'' she said. ``I just want to play better with each match.''
She wasn't at her best Saturday, with 34 unforced errors and five double faults. But she hit 65 percent of her first serves, which were consistently more than 100 mph. She won almost 80 percent of the points off her first serve and only 26 percent off her second.
This was Kostanic's first semifinal in a Tier I event.
``My concentration was going up and down,'' she said. ``Experience was key in this match.''
Kostanic tried to mix her shots against Williams, including several drop shots.
``When I'm playing good, my drop shots are really ... pretty good and a lot of people struggle with them,'' she said.
Williams seemed a little perturbed at having to chase down so many balls at the net. After Kostanic lobbed over Williams following a drop shot, Williams responded with a 111 mph ace and a 110 mph serve that Kostanic couldn't return, making it 4-1 in the second set. She won the next two games easily to end the match.
The other semifinal was far more contentious. The 11th-seeded Schnyder took exception to Martinez's habit of looking for a winning ball to use for her next serve. Schnyder tucked one ball in her tennis skirt to keep it from Martinez.
After the match, Schnyder would not shake Martinez's hand at the net and again as the two were walking off the court.
Venus Beats Vera To Reach First Semi Of Season In Charleston
By Brad Falkner
04/17
The short, speedy steps left a series of footprints on the clay court as Venus Williams bounced in place while waiting for Vera Zvonareva to serve. The fast footwork was revealing: even between points Williams looked like a player intent on going places today.
Hobbled for much of the season on a sprained ankle, Williams finally found her footing to move into her first semifinal of the season with today's 6-3, 6-4 victory at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston.
The fourth-seeded Williams will face either Petra Mandula or Jelena Kostanic in Saturday's semifinals as she continues her quest for her first tournament title since capturing the Proximus Diamond Games championship in Antwerp 14 months ago.
"I've had a few (injury) issues this year," said Williams, who was 0-3 in quarterfinal matches this season until today. "It's been a tough year. I've been pretty much injured all year and I've just been trying to deal with it the best I can, I guess."
The former No. 1 played perhaps her best set of the season in the first set today. After a slow start that saw Williams miss several first serves and misfire on her forehand to fall behind 0-2, she won six of the next seven games by attacking every short ball with a vengeance.
The 19-year-old Zvonareva carried the confidence of a player who had beaten Williams in their last clay-court clash — in the fourth round of the 2003 French Open. In that match, a visibly-tight Venus disintegrated in the dirt at Roland Garros, flailing forehands into the net and failing to put much sting on her second serve.
In an effort to duplicate her success, Zvonareva tried to direct her attack at the Williams forehand, but this time the former No. 1 found the range on that sometimes shaky stroke starting in the third game of the match. Williams has a tendency of letting the ball get too close to her body on her forehand and she sometimes strikes that the stroke a little late in an effort to hit it down the line. After missing a few forehands wide at the outset, Williams moved up to the ball much more quickly and put herself in position to crack flatter forehands. A forehand winner down the line gave Williams a break point and consecutive double faults from Zvonareva gave Williams a service break in the third game.
Memories of her last clay-court loss to Zvonareva may have influenced Williams' game-plan today. Actively seeking to avoid getting locked into long rallies with the quick Russian, Williams constantly seeking to move forward in the court throughout the first set today. The aggressiveness was evident in the fifth game as Williams stepped in and slapped a forehand winner down the line to reach break point before blasting a backhand return winner down the line to secure her second service break for a 3-2 lead.
Astutely alternating a wide slice serve with an intimidating flat serve into the body that jammed Zvonareva, Williams surrendered only two points in her next two service games to stretch the lead to 5-3.
With Zvonareva serving to stay in the set, Williams surged forward and slammed an overhead winner to reach set point. When Zvonareva's second serve tripped on top of the tape she threw her racquet to the ground in disgust after handing Williams the first set, 6-3.
A technically sound player, who sets up for her shots well and stays low throughout contact, Zvonareva won four of the next six games, lashing a forehand winner crosscourt to take a 4-2 second-set lead.
It was the last game she would win.
After a period of passive play, Williams went back to attack mode to dig out of a 5-30 deficit with an ace down the middle, forehand winner down the line and a nice forehand drop volley winner to close to 3-4.
The pivotal point in the match came at 30-40 in the next game. Zvonareva hit one of her hardest serves of the match that a lunging Williams somehow managed to get back with a full-stretch forehand return that barely cleared the net. Sprinting to the front court, Zvonareva caught up to the ball about two feet in front of the net near the sideline then set up for what seemed to be an inevitable winner. But by the time Zvonareva slapped a forehand crosscourt, Williams was already waiting in the deuce corner of the court and she pushed a forehand winner down the line to break for 4-4.
The feisty Russian is sometimes prone to fits of frustration on the court and she slammed her racquet to the ground in disgust. Williams held at love to in the next game and Zvonareva's sixth double fault gave her a match point.
Opening up the court with a flat forehand down the line, Williams raced forward, stopped and belted an inside-out backhand winner to seal an impressive victory.
Venus rolls into quarters as top remaining seed
4/16
BY PHILIP M. BOWMAN
Of The Post and Courier Staff
Venus Williams was in a hurry during Thursday night's third-round Family Circle Cup match. After all, "The Apprentice" was on television and Williams couldn't miss the hit series. So she disposed of Marie-Gayanay Mikaelian in 55 minutes, posting a 6-4, 6-1 victory in front of 7,417 fans at stadium court.
"Yeah, 'The Apprentice' is on at 9 (p.m.), and Serena told me (I) had to be there," said Williams, referring to her younger sister, who withdrew from the tournament earlier in the day. "My physio wrote me a note saying, 'I have a family emergency. I must leave at 8.' "
Williams' victory brought a sense of calmness to the tournament, which had a rocky start Thursday morning. First, Serena withdrew, saying her knee didn't feel right. Then, No. 7 seed Jennifer Capriati lost to Petra Mandula. But normalcy returned later in the day, when most of the remaining top seeds won.
No. 9 Vera Zvonareva topped No. 13 Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi; No. 8 Nadia Petrova pounded lucky loser Alina Jidkova; No. 5 Lindsay Davenport breezed past Nicole Pratt; and Williams rolled after a close first set. No. 6 Elena Dementieva was the exception, losing to No. 11 Patty Schnyder.
The score was tied 4-4 in the first set when Williams began to make Mikaelian look like an apprentice. Williams, at No. 4 the highest remaining seed, called herself "the lone warrior" now that her sister is out of the tournament. She received some encouragement from Serena before the match.
"She said, 'You're the best and no one can beat you.' Quote, unquote," said Williams, who plays Zvonareva at 2 p.m. today.
Davenport is seeking her second consecutive clay-court championship after winning at Amelia Island last week. She was very efficient in her win over Pratt, needing just 54 minutes to claim victory after struggling in a win over Jelena Jankovic on Wednesday night.
"I was trying to play patient and aggressive tennis today. I know she's more of a retriever, and probably, it's going to be far behind the baseline just trying to get balls back and just trying to play a nice, solid match," Davenport said. "I'm happy that it was a lot easier than last night. Last night, I think was a difficult match, and so I'm happy to be able to go through a little bit quicker today."
Schnyder, who lost to Iva Majoli in the 2002 championship and lost in the first round last year, was 7 of 8 on break-point conversions and took advantage of Dementieva's 41 unforced errors to advance to today's match against Davenport.
"I love coming back here, and now that the weather's dry you have to play on those courts and they're fast and that suits my game," said Schnyder, who uses a wicked spin to move opponents all over the court.
"Now that the weather's nice, I think I can play some really good tennis."
Venus eases into last eight, Serena withdraws
NEW YORK, April 15 (Reuters) - Venus Williams advanced to the quarter-finals of the Family Circle Cup Tennis Tournament in Charleston, South Carolina on Thursday with a routine 6-4 6-1 win over Switzerland's Marie-Gayanay Mikaelian.
The fourth-seeded Williams, the highest ranked player left in the tournament after the withdrawal of the top three seeds, wasted little time asserting her authority against the world number 84 to set up a last-eight clash against Vera Zvonereva.
Earlier, Second seed Serena Williams became the latest addition to the casualty list when she was forced to pull out of her match against Spain's Conchita Martinez due to a sore left knee, the same knee she had surgery on in August.
She joined defending champion Justine Henin-Hardenne of Belgium and third-ranked Amelie Mauresmo of France, who pulled out of the event before playing a match, citing injuries and ill health.
Serena's absence was a blow for her sister.
"I love having her here," Venus said. "But in the end, I'm out on the court on my own and she's out there on her own."
It was also a bad day for 2001 champion Jennifer Capriati of the United States after the seventh seed was ousted by Petra Mandula of Hungary 7-6 3-6 7-5.
Mandula moves on to a quarter-final showdown against Jelena Kostanic of Croatia, who defeated Dally Randriantefy of Madagascar 6-3 6-1
Fifth seeded American Lindsay Davenport continued her run of good form to cruise past Nicole Pratt of Australia 6-1 6-1.
Davenport won last week's event at Amelia Island and will now face Patty Schnyder of Switzerland in the last eight.
Seeded 11, Schnyder upset Russian sixth seed Elena Dementieva 6-3 6-1.
In other matches, eighth-seeded Russian Nadia Petrova defeated countrywoman Alina Jidkova 6-1 6-1 while their ninth seeded compatriot Zvonareva defeated Anna Smashnova-Pistolesi of Israel 6-4 6-0.
The State
By PATRICK OBLEY
Staff Writer
4/13
CHARLESTON — Earlier this year, Richard Williams suggested one of his daughters ought to consider retiring from tennis.
For the record, neither Serena nor Venus Williams has any idea what their dad is talking about. Both are in the field at this week’s Family Circle Cup. It’s a rare circumstance that finds the two sisters in the same non-Grand Slam field.
That said, Venus Williams’ absence from the court until last month’s Nasdaq-100 Open was noticeable.
In fact, the 23-year-old seems to have slipped into the large shadow cast by her younger sister during a lengthy, injury-imposed exile. But there’s something else at work, something other than injuries, playing a larger role in her fade from public view.
Serena Williams makes television appearances and designs clothes in her time away from the court. When Venus aggravated an abdominal muscle injury during last year’s Wimbledon final against Serena, she missed the remainder of the season and withdrew.
With days no longer centered around tennis, she reveled in life’s smaller details. She dove into her poetry and concentrated on guitar lessons. She took delight in the most mundane tasks, such as getting the mail.
She played in five tournaments in the past year, dropping her from the top five in the WTA rankings to No. 17 overall. It’s her lowest ranking since her first full year on the tour in 1997.
If there was ever a time to quietly step away from the game, that time would appear to have been 2004.
Yet ...
“I just love playing, love competing, whether it’s as a top-ranked player or a lower-ranked player,” she said. “I still love being out there.”
Her most recent comeback began in earnest at last month’s Nasdaq-100 Open. She reached the quarterfinals before losing to fifth-ranked Elena Dementieva.
“It was a good tournament for me. I got to play a lot of matches,” she said. “I had a bad match toward the end, but that was fine because I still did well in the tournament.”
That rather simple statement sums up Venus Williams’ approach to life. She makes a point of looking at the silver linings, rather than the gray clouds.
“I try to find the positive in things,” she said. “I’m not really looking at the disadvantages this year with my injuries.”
While another player would be concerned about slipping out of the top 10, Venus delights in the fact she is still in the top 20.
“Really, think about it. How often do you have only five tournaments and are still in the top 20?” she said. “I played about five events, won one, and three were finals. That’s good, I think.”
It would appear that retirement truly isn’t on her calendar.
“I’m just about doing my personal best,” she said. “If I get to a point where I can’t do that, then that’s when I will need to let it go.”
Those guitar lessons will just have to wait.
|
||||||||||
March
3/31
Injury-hit Venus loses to Russia's Dementieva in Miami
By Eleanor Preston
MIAMI, Florida, March 31 (Reuters) - Second-seeded Venus Williams was knocked out of the Nasdaq-100 Open 6-3 5-7 7-6 by Russia's Elena Dementieva in the quarter-finals on Wednesday as the American battled to shake off a foot injury.
Dementieva, the fifth seed, got off to the more consistent start and could have won in straight sets but failed to close out when serving for the match at 5-4 in the second.
Williams was hindered by a foot injury two games later at 6-5 and 30-30 when she landed awkwardly after a forehand.
The American was forced to take a three-minute injury time-out while she received treatment and had the foot heavily strapped by WTA trainer Lisa Heller.
Despite the injury, Williams got to set point in the next game and levelled the match when Dementieva's forehand was long.
"After the medical break I was thinking she was a good actress because she was moving so much better than before," said Dementieva.
The Russian's concentration faltered as Williams broke again at the start of the third set and while Dementieva retrieved the break Williams had a chance to serve out the match at 5-3.
Four double faults in that game let Dementieva back in and the Russian finally sealed victory in the tiebreaker, taking her first match point when a Williams's forehand sank into the net.
The Nasdaq-100 Open is Williams's fourth tournament of the season and she has yet to get past the quarter-final stage after missing the second half of last year with abdominal injuries.
Dementieva will play either compatriot Nadia Petrova, seeded eight, or Frenchwoman Nathalie Dechy in Friday's semi-finals.
3/28
Three-time champion and Second seed Venus Williams struggled early but played a flawless tiebreaker and beat No. 27 Daniela Hantuchova of Slovakia 7-6 (0), 6-2.
Like her younger sister, Venus did not play since reaching the Wimbledon final due to an abdominal strain. She returned with a third-round loss at the Australian Open and had not won two consecutive matches until Sunday.
Fit-again Venus sets her sights on success in Miami
By Eleanor Preston
MIAMI, Florida, March 27 (Reuters) - With little sister Serena grabbing all the attention at the Nasdaq-100 Open this week it is easy to forget that Venus Williams is still in the early throes of her own comeback.
The elder Williams, who won four grand slams and was world number one in her heyday, missed six months of last year with an abdominal strain and did not play between Wimbledon in July and the Australian Open in January.
She is playing only her fourth tournament of the season and her 6-4 6-4 second round win over China's Jie Zheng in the second round of the Nasdaq-100 in Miami was only her fifth victory since she returned to competitive play.
"I feel like the same person, the same player. I just think it will only be a matter of time before I get the same results," she said. "That time could be this week."
Williams's lack of match practice and tour victories -- she has not won a title since Antwerp last February -- has done little to dent her self-confidence.
"Maybe it's my disposition but I feel like (I'm) still the best player. That's how I think. That's how I was taught to think. Hey, that's how I am."
Despite the fact she has been give second seeding in Miami, Williams has dropped to 17 in the world and last year was the first time since 1997 she finished a season outside the top 10. She has not won a grand slam title since the 2001 U.S. Open.
GOOD RANKING
"I didn't even know I was 17," said Williams with a smile. "I thought I was outside the top 20, so when they said that, I was like 'yes!'. I've a pretty good ranking for the number of tournaments I have on my record so it's not so bad.
"When I first started out I really paid a lot of attention to the rankings -- I was counting points -- but after a while it was more or less about my performance in the tournament and, hopefully, getting a victory."
Williams has completely recovered from the abdominal injury that sidelined her for so much of 2003, though she admitted it had been on her mind at the Australian Open where lost to doubles specialist Lisa Raymond in the third round.
"I'd like to think it's behind me," she said. "When I'm out there, I'm not thinking about my stomach injuries or pulls or strains, so that's good.
"Earlier in the year that was an issue, having to play and also thinking about what I've been through in the past. Now it's not even on my mind."
Williams won the Miami title in 1998, 1999 and 2001 and was clear about her intentions. "I'm really interested in winning the whole thing," she said. "That's always where I set my goal. I've been through some losses and now I'm ready for some wins."
|
||||||||||
February
Venus Williams comeback suffers another blow in Dubai
DUBAI, Feb 26 (Reuters) - Venus Williams continued her disappointing start to the year when she suffered a 6-2 6-3 defeat by Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals of the Dubai Open on Thursday.
World number one Justine Henin-Hardenne took just 48 minutes to sweep aside an ailing Conchita Martinez 6-1 6-0.
Second seed Williams was absent from the tour after Wimbledon because of injury and has struggled since returning at the Australian Open.
She lost there to compatriot Lisa Raymond in the third round, and then won just one match in Tokyo before defaulting her quarter-final because of a knee injury.
Kuznetsova, 18, used a big forehand, solid serve and strong groundstrokes to keep the American under pressure, and after dropping her serve in the opening game looked the more solid player.
Williams showed a few glimpses of her ferocious groundstrokes, notably when she held serve to love after falling behind a set and 3-0.
The American briefly threatened a comeback, pulling back to 2-3, but made far too many unforced errors and three more consecutive breaks of serve left Kuznetsova serving for the biggest victory of her young career.
"I played great today. I was relaxed and tried to play my game," she said. "I really enjoyed it today."
"She's not at the top of her level now, but when you play against these top players you still have to play so good to beat them," said Kuznetsova, who trains at the Emilio Sanchez academy in Spain.
Williams has won just four matches in three tournaments this year.
Henin-Hardenne found little resistance from Martinez, who was suffering from a neck strain.
The eighth-seeded Spaniard looked lethargic and was slow to go for the wide ball, and at the end of the first set received lengthy treatment. It proved to be ineffective and she barely competed in the second set.
"It's never easy to play against somebody who is injured and is not moving that well," said Henin-Hardenne, "and Conchita is always a problem for a lot of players.
"She doesn't give any rhythm, and I just tried to stay focused on every ball and that worked pretty good."
Venus back on track with Dubai win
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- Venus Williams re-booted her 2004 season with a straight sets win over Australian No 1 Alicia Molik in the Dubai Open on Wednesday.
Former world number one Williams, the second seed, beat 23-year-old Molik 6-3 6-4, returning to action after yet another injury sustained in Tokyo three weeks ago.
She had only returned to action in the Australian Open last month after a six-month layoff caused by an abdominal injury picked up at Wimbledon.
Williams now meets the winner of the clash between Russian teenager Svetlana Kuznetsova and Germany's Anca Barna.
"I haven't had to have surgery, so in a way I'm fortunate. But I have had injuries that are hard to heal," said Williams, who surprisingly lost to Lisa Raymond in the third round at the Australian Open.
"I think it's possibly good to have some time off. I think having time off and returning to some kind of normality will lengthen my career.
"I got to wake up late, which was an extremely new experience. That was nice. I did my physiotherapy, of course, and did what training I could."
The 23-year-old said she had also been spending a lot of time at her interior design business in Florida.
Venus could not shed much light on her sister Serena who has not played since beating her in the Wimbledon final last July.
Serena is due to make her comeback in Doha, Qatar next week after undergoing knee surgery.
"From what I heard, she's going to be there," Venus said.
During their absence, the Williams sisters, both former world No 1s, have been supplanted by Belgians Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters.
Serena is currently ranked No 6 and Venus, a two-time Wimbledon and US Open champion, is No 18.
|
||||||||||
January
2/6
Venus withdraws from Pan Pacific Open
TOKYO (Ticker) - Rounding into shape is proving difficult for Venus Williams.
The top-seeded Williams was forced to withdraw from her quarterfinal matchup with fellow American Chanda Rubin at the $1.3 million Pan Pacific Open due to yet another injury.
Williams breezed past Japan's Saori Obata on Thursday but was hampered by a right lower leg muscle strain prior to her match with Rubin and had to withdraw.
Williams missed the final five months of 2003 with an abdominal injury that she suffered last April in Warsaw and aggravated at Wimbledon. Williams returned to tournament play at the Australian Open, where she was bounced in the third round.
"I originally had the problem during the Australian Open," said Williams. "I consulted with the doctor and there is nothing I can do. I wish things could be different, but they aren't.
"In practice today, it was hard to move. The pain is in the lower right leg, below the knee."
Venus cruises into Pan Pacific Open quarter-finals
By Alastair Himmer
TOKYO, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Venus Williams breezed past Japan's Saori Obata 6-3 6-4 to reach the quarter-finals of the $1.3 million Pan Pacific Open on Thursday.
The top seed, in her second tournament since a six-month injury layoff, played well within herself but still had too much power for Obata, taking 66 minutes to win her first match in Tokyo.
Williams struggled with her serve but otherwise showed no sign of the abdominal injury that sidelined her after she lost to younger sister Serena in last year's Wimbledon final.
However, Venus bristled when asked if she had "gone easy" on Obata in front of her home crowd.
"Wow, loaded question!" snapped Venus, who was upset in the third round of the Australian Open in her comeback last month.
On a more conciliatory note, she paid tribute to the "respectful" Japanese gallery.
"I don't always feel I'm appreciated for what I do. I don't expect to be everyone's hero but I do expect respect...so it was a refreshing change. You don't get that total respect anywhere else in the world."
The former world number one will face fellow American Chanda Rubin in Friday's quarter-finals.
Grimacing with pain, fifth seed Rubin battled through a knee injury to beat Japan's Akiko Morigami 7-5 6-7 6-3.
POOR START
Meanwhile, Russian Elena Dementieva's poor start to 2004 continued as she was beaten 7-6 6-3 by compatriot Tatiana Panova.
Third seed Dementieva, who crashed out in the first round of the Australian Open after complaining of a fever, fell apart after losing the first-set tiebreak 7-5 and failed to push Panova in the second.
"I was playing bad today. I couldn't focus at all and found it difficult to find a rhythm," said Dementieva.
"Hopefully, I am just having a few bad days. I'm confident I'll start playing well again."
Panova next plays seventh seed Jelena Dokic, who overcame Slovakia's Janette Husarova 7-6 6-7 6-1.
Fourth seed Ai Sugiyama comfortably beat Belgian Els Callens 6-3 6-3.
The Japanese number one will play Magdalena Maleeva next after the Bulgarian thrashed American Laura Granville 6-1 6-3.
Meanwhile, Pan Pacific Open organisers were left red-faced after a female spectator fell four metres after slipping through a loose floorboard in a temporary stand and had to be taken to hospital with minor injuries.
"Hardcore" Venus looking to rise again
By Alastair Himmer
TOKYO, Feb 4 (Reuters) - Her ego bruised but not deflated, Venus Williams believes she will return stronger than ever after an injury-wrecked 2003 -- with a little help from sister Serena.
Still smarting after her comeback was derailed at the Australian Open this month, Venus said her rivalry with her younger sister drove her to keep striving to be the best.
"I don't think in any way Serena and I are what you would call normal," Venus told Reuters in an interview.
"Well, maybe we are normal. Maybe it's the other people who aren't normal -- who want to argue with their sisters and brothers...who have differences or who have issues."
Venus, in Tokyo to play at this week's Pan Pacific Open, added: "I'm hardcore. I was always convinced that I was the best and I guess in a way of course I still am.
"I think in the end, Serena and I are competitive, we both want to win. But we realise there's a bigger picture and there's no need to have issues because it's emotionally draining and it's stupid."
Venus lost 6-4 7-6 to fellow American Lisa Raymond in the Australian Open third round in her first tournament since being sidelined for six months with an abdominal injury.
Defeat in Melbourne was more painful than usual due to the absence of Serena, who had withdrawn with a knee injury.
"We have a saying: 'If you can't do it for yourself, do it for me.' Obviously, I didn't do it for Serena in Australia," said Venus, looking relaxed in a black tracksuit and dangly pagoda-design earrings.
"There's no such thing as a one-woman army. It just does not work."
BARREN SPELL
Venus has won four grand slam singles crowns, at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2000 and 2001, but she has endured a barren spell since.
She famously lost in four consecutive finals to her sister, culminating in last year's Australian Open when Serena became only the fifth woman to hold all four grand slam titles simultaneously.
Venus has not forgotten that chastening experience and is already making plans to put the record straight.
"I'm planning a long career," she smiled.
"My parents always told me 'You'll be number one, you'll win Wimbledon.' So immediately, I had this idea in my head that made me believe things larger than life."
Despite the fierce support of coaching parents Richard and Oracene, both Venus and Serena have been overtaken in the world rankings by Belgians Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters.
Henin-Hardenne beat Clijsters in the Australian Open final at the weekend but, despite ill feeling between Henin-Hardenne and Serena, Venus believes the Belgian deserved her success.
Tennis legend Martina Navratilova had argued that the result should be marked with an asterisk since Serena could not defend her title, Venus was rusty and former champion Jennifer Capriati was also injured.
"I refuse to take anything away from anyone who has done well, whether I've been there or haven't been there," shrugged a wiser, less brash Venus.
ON MERIT
"I don't think that's fair at all. I think any achievement that anyone achieves in tennis or life or what have you, is only on merit... and because it was deserved."
Venus, who has won 29 singles titles and amassed over $13 million in prize money, is still hungry to leave her mark on the women's game.
"I was really so excited to be able to pick up the racket and be able to swing it without any major issues," said Venus.
"I think it's important to get out there and get used to competing again. It's a double-edged sword. I think that's the toughest part, possibly.
"But any pressure that I have is not from anyone else except myself and I expect probably a whole lot more from myself than what anyone would demand of me anyway."
Venus Williams loses to Raymond at Australian Open
By PAUL ALEXANDER
.c The Associated Press
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Venus Williams received a jolt in her comeback at the Australian Open.
Williams breezed through the first two rounds with straight-set victories in her first tournament since being sidelined for more than six months with an abdominal injury. But on Saturday she was stunned by fellow American Lisa Raymond, losing 6-4, 7-6 (5).
``I'm pretty much in shock,'' Williams said. ``I definitely had some high hopes to win here.''
The 25th-seeded Raymond, better known for doubles, played one of the best matches of her career while the third-seeded Williams was undone by plenty of errors.
Raymond - who beat then-No. 1 Martina Hingis in 1997 - heeded the advice she was given in a cell phone text message from doubles partner Martina Navratilova before the match: ``Just be brave.''
Raymond and Navratilova, seeded second in doubles, later lost to Lindsay Davenport and Corina Morariu 6-3, 6-0.
In singles, Raymond next meets Russian-born French teenager Tatiana Golovin, a wild-card entry who will celebrate her 16th birthday Sunday after beating 23rd-seeded Lina Krasnoroutskaya.
This was the first time Williams hasn't reached the quarterfinals in six trips to the Australian Open, and the first time since a first-round loss at the French Open in 2001 that she didn't make at least the fourth round of a Grand Slam. She lost last year's Australian final to sister Serena.
Though her eyes were downcast as she packed up, Williams managed a quick smile and a wave to the crowd as she walked off court.
Williams, winner of four Grand Slam titles, was returning to tournament play for the first time since losing the Wimbledon final to Serena in July. She played two exhibition matches in Hong Kong before coming to Melbourne.
Asked if she were 100 percent physically, Williams said: ``Everybody has their issues. I don't want to get into it.''
Williams had trouble keeping the ball in play from the start. She found herself down 3-0 after getting broken in her first two service games with four double-faults and failing to get a ball back in Raymond's first service game.
The crowd sat in silence as Williams pounded serve after serve into the net. Raymond didn't need to do much, with only one winner in the first three games.
The service breaks continued to pile up in the second set as Raymond went ahead 3-1 only to see Williams pull even when she finally found her serve. Williams had 12 of her 14 aces in the set, three in one game, and her serve was clocked as high as 120 mph. The last ace evened the tiebreaker at 4-4.
A backhand by Williams into the net and a return that sailed long gave Raymond double match point at 6-4. Williams fended off one with a good backhand crosscourt pass, then hit a backhand wide on the next point for her 44th unforced error.
``In the tiebreak I probably went for too much, too soon,'' Williams said. ``I guess I'll have a lot of time to think about it now.''
Williams eases into third round
MELBOURNE, Jan 22 (Reuters)
Venus Williams successfully continued her return to tennis with an untroubled second round defeat of Russian Vera Douchevina at the Australian Open on Thursday.
Williams cruised to a 6-4 6-2 victory in just 56 minutes to advance to a third-round meeting with either fellow American Lisa Raymond or Germany's Anca Barna.
Williams is playing her first tournament since she was struck down by injury after losing last year's Wimbledon final to younger sister Serena six months ago.
But Williams, who also finished runner-up to Serena in last year's Melbourne final, is already in ominous form and is looming as one of the favourites to win the title.
Venus makes light work of Harkleroad
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) - Venus Williams showed no ill effects from her extended layoff, returning at the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-1 victory Tuesday over American teenager Ashley Harkleroad.
Sidelined for almost six months last season because of an abdominal injury, the third-seeded Williams won in her first major since losing the Wimbledon final to sister Serena last July.
Williams served at speeds up to 119 mph and won 75 percent of points on her first serve. She didn't waste any time, between points or on them, producing 27 winners against Harkleroad, ranked No. 51 last season.
Williams closed in 51 minutes, approaching the net and opting not to jump for Harkleroad's desperate lob on match point. She smiled as she watched it drop behind the baseline.
``It's been a long, long time,'' Williams said.
Her last match at Melbourne Park was a loss in last year's final to Serena, who withdrew from this tournament because she hadn't recovered from a knee operation.
``I wanted to do well, do what my coach said - which is my mom, so I had to,'' said Williams.
Her mother, Oracene Price, exchanged text messages with Serena during the match. Venus said she was missing having her sister around.
``It's just not the same. We're always together - it's like a piece of the link is missing,'' she said.
After losing five Grand Slam finals to her younger sister, Venus should be grateful Serena didn't travel.
Top-ranked Justine Henin-Hardenne is one player who has a better chance without one of the Williams in the draw. She didn't lose a game advancing to the second round, while No. 4 Amelie Mauresmo and No. 5 Lindsay Davenport also advanced. Second-seeded Kim Clijsters was opening later Tuesday.
VENUS BACK WITH A BANG
www.sportinglife.com
January 20, 2004
Venus Williams returned to the Grand Slam arena looking sprightly and enthusiastic, if a touch rusty, as she breezed through to the second round of the Australian Open in straight sets.
The number three seed suffered an abdominal strain at Wimbledon last year, had not played a competitive match since and also suffered the personal heart-ache of losing her half-sister who was shot in Los Angeles.
But she won the Hong Kong invitational, earned a promotion from her world ranking of 11 to enter as third seed and proved why with a comprehensive victory over Ashley Harkleroad 6-2 6-1.
"I was real excited to be out there today," she said.
"I was pretty satisfied with the match. It was a little sentimental, but at the time I was focused in on my performance.
"Afterwards it was really just a breath of fresh air, just like 'Oh yes, I'm back now. I'm doing good."
Williams suffered a slight ankle injury, but has no major concerns about it affecting her during the rest of this fortnight.
"I was going for a swing volley and I twisted my right ankle, so I will just monitor it and see how it goes.
"I am not anticipating it will be so bad."
Williams, Hewitt begin the long climb back
By Richard Hinds, Australian Associated Press
January 21,
Oscar Wilde wasn't much of a tennis man, so it must have been Fred Stolle who coined the phrase. But on centre court at Melbourne Park yesterday, the words held special significance: "The only thing harder than being the world No. 1 is becoming world No. 1 again."
For Venus Williams and Lleyton Hewitt, this Australian Open provides an even greater challenge than usual. By winning the title for the first time, both can reassert themselves on the game itself and prove the setbacks that helped swell their rankings to unsightly double figures last year were temporary aberrations.
As it turned out, the only temporary aberrations on the Rod Laver Arena yesterday were their overwhelmed opponents Cecil Mamiit and Ashley Harkleroad. Should either or both the former No. 1s lift the trophy, it can truly be said that their triumphs sprang from humble beginnings.
Given this was Williams's first real match since the Wimbledon final in July, her 6-2, 6-1 victory over the supposedly promising Harkleroad was remarkably one-sided. Of course, the gap between the best women players and the pack is measured in light years. But either Williams is much better prepared than many had expected or Harkleroad is not quite the talent some believe.
Harkleroad suffered the disadvantage of watching her fiance Alex Bogomolov jnr mesmerised by Roger Federer on centre court immediately before walking out for her own match.
But the best-not-to-mention difference between the two Americans was their fitness. Despite her long absence, Williams looked in great shape. With her stomach protruding from an unflatteringly tight pink outfit, Harkleroad more resembled what other females like to call "a real woman".
Which is not to say she needs to subscribe to the Daniela Hantuchova low-calorie oxygen diet, merely that nature may have handed the 18-year-old Harkleroad a tough battle to stay in the shape required to play her exhausting back-court game, particularly against a hitting machine such as Williams.
While Harkleroad ran up and down the baseline doggedly, Williams had one of those days when, in cricket terms, it is almost impossible to set a field for her. Either the ball whizzed by for a winner or ballooned over the baseline. Williams in top form is very much the mistress of her own destiny.
Despite a scare when she turned an ankle in the first set, Williams clearly has a significant chance to win her first grand slam title since the 2001 US Open, especially with sister Serena at home.
Given she has lost five of the past eight grand slam finals to Serena, you could not blame Venus for being glad about that. But, apparently, that is not the case.
"Not the same, not the same," said Williams about Serena's absence. "I'm alone in the room. The phone's not ringing because her phone is always ringing non-stop."
As usual, the Williams inquisition turned to more important matters such as what she was wearing. The rock on her finger wasn't an engagement ring, she said, but because the finger was swollen she couldn't get it off.
And the big diamond earrings? "Accessorise, accessorise, accessorise," she said. "I'm just a regular girl, I really am."
Venus Wins Easily in Australia
By JOHN PYE, AP Sports Writer
January 20
MELBOURNE, Australia -- Venus Williams is ready to make up for lost time.
Showing no ill effects from an extended layoff, Williams returned at the Australian Open with a 6-2, 6-1 victory Tuesday over American teenager Ashley Harkleroad.
Sidelined for almost six months last season because of an abdominal injury, the third-seeded Williams won in her first major since losing the Wimbledon final to sister Serena last July.
"I was real excited out there today," said Williams. Before the match, she was feeling "a little sentimental."
Afterward, "it was just like a breath of fresh air," she said.
Williams' only slips were a twisted ankle in the fourth game and one dropped service game, in the fifth game of the second set.
"I was going for my swing volley and twisted my right ankle," she said. "I'll monitor it, see how it goes -- I'm not expecting it'll cause any problems."
She served at speeds up to 119 mph and won 75 percent of points on her first serve. She didn't waste any time, between points or on them, producing 27 winners against Harkleroad, ranked No. 51 last season.
Williams closed in 51 minutes, approaching the net and opting not to jump for Harkleroad's desperate lob on match point. She smiled as she watched it drop behind the baseline.
"It's been a long, long time," the four-time Grand Slam winner said.
Williams was given the No. 3 seeding here, despite her ranking dropping to No. 11 at the end of last season. The WTA Tour made the recommendation based on Williams' "protected ranking."
"I'm really grateful, I suppose, for the seeding ... I think it's pretty consistent with the WTA rules," she said.
Her last match at Melbourne Park was a loss in last year's final to Serena, who withdrew from this tournament because she hadn't recovered from a knee operation.
"I wanted to do well, do what my coach said -- which is my mom, so I had to," said Williams.
Her mother, Oracene Price, exchanged text messages with Serena during the match. Venus said she was missing having her sister around.
"It's just not the same. We're always together -- it's like a piece of the link is missing," she said.
After losing five Grand Slam finals to her younger sister, Venus should be grateful Serena didn't travel.
Venus All Smiles
Tue January 20,
By Ossian Shine
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Venus Williams made a triumphant return to tennis at the Australian Open Tuesday.
Third seed Williams was all smiles at Melbourne Park.
Despite not having played a tournament since losing the Wimbledon final to sister Serena last July, the former world number one looked as sharp as ever as she thumped fellow American Ashley Harkleroad 6-2, 6-1 in the first round.
"Oh, yes, I'm back now," she giggled, before saying she was missing the absent Serena, who also beat her in the final here last year.
"It's not the same without her," she smiled, "we are like bread and butter."
Venus Makes Winning Return
www.wtatour.com
January 20, 2004
MELBOURNE, Australia - Six months of sitting on the sidelines was long enough for Venus Williams.
The former world No.1 made a successful return to the court on Tuesday in first round action at the Australian Open, defeating American compatriot Ashley Harkleroad, 62 61.
Williams, the No.3 seed this year, had been hampered by an abdominal injury since Wimbledon and didn't fully return to practicing until December. Runner-up in Melbourne last year to sister Serena, Williams was very happy to be back in action.
"I guess it's a little bit sentimental," Williams said of her return to the court. "But at the time I was really very focused in on really my performance. Afterwards, it was really just a breath of fresh air, just like, 'Oh, yes, I'm back now. I'm doing good.'"
The 23-year-old Williams admitted to a little trepidation about playing her first match back after so long away.
"I suppose maybe in a way, but I think that more than anything I just wanted to play consistently because I feel I can hit lots of great shots," said Williams. "But it's not about one or two great shots; it's about playing consistently and playing the point correctly. I think I did okay at that today."
Williams displayed a more attacking game than normal, venturing to the net on several occasions.
"I think my game lends itself for me to move in because my shots penetrate and I have the opportunity to move in and follow up after them, and my volleys aren't, like, that bad," added Williams.
Harkleroad, who was a surprise finalist two weeks ago in Auckland, wasn't able to pull off the upset in her first main draw appearance in Melbourne.
"I wasn't really as aggressive as I wish I could have been," Harkleroad said. "I let her pretty much take over the points."
Williams meets Russian teenager Vera Douchevina in the second round.
__________________
Nerves on edge as Venus lobs
Sunday Mail
By Paul Malone
18/01/04
They speak in quiet, respectful tones about what is awaiting them, but the women who have made hay while the Williams sisters have been on tennis furlough are in the same boat as the rest of us.
Top-10 players, including world No. 1 Justine Henin-Hardenne, do not know how big an impact Venus Williams will have
on the Australian Open.
Few are game to say the deposed Wimbledon champion cannot win a Grand Slam off a preposterously skinny preparation of two exhibition matches in almost seven months.
Now two full years into a Grand Slam title drought, Venus, controversially seeded third, will begin her sixth bid to win an Australian Open with younger sister Serena on a long and puzzling injury rehab.
Williams said yesterday that despite her arduous 2003 campaign she still had the required fire in the belly.
"I was totally on missions before and I suppose I need to be on a mission now," she said.
"I like that. I am always thinking of moving to the next level and winning the Grand Slams and winning all the tournaments I play. It is a competitive streak that you never lose . . . to be at the top of my field."
Williams doesn't believe the lay-off has hurt her game.
"I feel rested. I feel eager. Obviously I have not been in competition quite a few months, but I am very excited to be playing. I am bursting with energy."
She said in retrospect she should never have played in the French Open after pulling out of earlier tournaments with the nagging left abdominal strain.
Then she pulled rank over father Richard when he suggested she not play doubles at Wimbledon, which might have prevented a semi-final re-aggravation of the injury.
"I shouldn't have played doubles at Wimbledon. My dad told me not to. Hard-headed, I didn't listen.
"If I get crazy, I have warned my trainer, don't let me hit too many serves. If I need to hit 30, I will hit 200. If I need to hit one hour, I will hit three hours."
She will play at least 17 tournaments this year, and hopes to recapture the form which has seen her capture four singles and six doubles Grand Slam titles.
Much has happened since either of the Williams sisters last played a competitive match in the July 5 Wimbledon final won by Serena.
Venus has been reported in the US to be thinking of changing her name to one of African origin and Serena has turned to television drama acting and attending showbiz events, most notably one at Michael Jackson's Neverland ranch.
The wavering application the Williams sisters have had to the sport, which was responsible for Serena's new $US80 million ($105 million) clothing deal and $US33m in shared tournament prizemoney, will be under greater scrutiny in the wake of the murder of their half-sister Yetunde Price four months ago.
"She (Venus) has enough experience and a lot of motivation. I'm sure she's going to be in great shape and we'll have to be careful," Henin-Hardenne, who has assumed the top ranking since, said.
"Everybody's been talking about her because she's been off for a few months. It's good for everybody. We're very excited about it.
World No. 9 Chanda Rubin's guess is as good as most, as Rubin lost in straight sets to Venus in Hong Kong eight days ago in the first of two exhibition matches that constitute her matchplay preparation.
"I think Venus's game will be ready. She didn't play the most solid match, but it was the first match for her and I thought she made a big improvement in her second match (a straight-sets win over Russian Maria Sharapova)," Rubin said.
"That's a good sign for her. She moved well and she had pretty good anticipation."
After her Hong Kong tournament Williams told reporters she felt "like a Phoenix rising out of the flames".
__________________
Venus rises again
by Bren O'Brien
Saturday, January 17, 2004
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.
Williams will get a chance to end drought at Australian Open
By JOHN PYE
.c The Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) - Only one title. Zero Grand Slams. Several months on the sideline with an abdominal strain.
Those were just a few of the disappointments that plagued Venus Williams in 2003, a year in which she slid out of the top 10 rankings for the first time since 1997. She also lost her half-sister, who was shot to death in a Los Angeles suburb near where the Williams family once lived.
So it came as little surprise when, after arriving in Melbourne for the Australian Open, she went straight to the practice courts. There was no talking about fashion or complaining about overloaded tour schedules like she has before previous Australian Opens.
``When punches are thrown at you, you'll have to get up,'' said Williams, her resolve sure to be tested more than ever this season.
Things are looking up already. In an unusual move, Williams was seeded third for the Australian Open - eight spots higher than her current world ranking. The seeding took into account Williams' record before her injury.
With Williams' younger sister Serena still recovering from knee surgery and other former champions Jennifer Capriati, Mary Pierce and Monica Seles also sidelined with injuries, this could be Venus' best shot in Melbourne. There's also doubt over the fitness of No. 2 Kim Clijsters of Belgium and fifth-seeded Lindsay Davenport.
``I'm sure she's going to come back very strong and we'll have to be careful,'' Justine Henin-Hardenne, who finished 2003 ranked at No. 1 after capturing the French and U.S. Opens, said about Venus.
The men's draw is almost at full strength, and No. 1 Andy Roddick knows the competition is wide open.
Roddick, the U.S. Open champion, No. 2 Roger Federer (Wimbledon) and No. 3 Juan Carlos Ferrero (French Open) all won their first majors last season, the first time since 1977 that three male players earned their maiden Grand Slam titles in one season. Their average age is 22.
This will be the first time Roddick, 21, has entered a major with the top seeding.
``There's a bull's eye on my back every time I go out there now,'' he said. ``They'd all love to beat the guy who is ranked No. 1. ... It does make it harder. But I enjoy a challenge like that.''
Just before coming to Australia, Venus Williams won an exhibition tournament in Hong Kong. Still, she hasn't played a major tournament since July and hasn't won a Grand Slam title since the U.S. Open in 2001, when she completed a back-to-back Wimbledon-U.S. Open double with a 6-2, 6-4 win over Serena.
Serena has dominated their big encounters since then, winning the last five all-Williams finals at majors, including the 2003 Australian Open.
Venus has yet to conquer the Australian and French Opens. Serena has already won them all, her Australian Open victory last year completing a ``Serena Slam'' of all four majors.
The only one of the top five female contenders not carrying some kind of injury concerns into Melbourne is No. 4 Amelie Mauresmo, who lost the 1999 Australian Open final to Martina Hingis.
Clijsters, 20, hasn't played in almost two weeks since injuring her left ankle at the Hopman Cup and said she wouldn't risk her career if playing one tournament meant long-term damage.
Davenport, coming back from foot surgery last October, strained a chest muscle at the Adidas International. She didn't think it would hurt her chances next week.
Henin-Hardenne, 21, has developed her serve and forehand, and now thinks they're bigger weapons than her backhand. She's confident of adding to her two Grand Slam titles. The Belgian had a slight ankle sprain in Sydney and needed treatment for blisters, but doesn't believe it will trouble her in Melbourne.
``I always like to play a tournament before a Grand Slam because I need some rhythm,'' she said. ``I feel that my game right now is very good.''
On the men's side, defending champion Andre Agassi is more than capable of running his younger players out of the tournament. In May, at 33 years and 13 days, he became the oldest man to hold No. 1 in the ATP's entry rankings and remained there for 14 weeks.
Agassi hasn't lost a match at the Australian Open in this millennium, winning his second and third titles in 2000 and 2001, skipping 2002 with a wrist problem, and dropping just one set en route to his championship win over Rainer Schuettler in 2003.
He breezed into the final of this week's tuneup tournament at Kooyong for the fifth consecutive year and said his preparation for the Australian Open.
``I think it proves to me that the pieces are in place - this gives you the reassurance that you're ready to get the tournament started,'' he said. ``I feel like I can step on the court and do it from start to finish and make somebody play a good match to beat me, and that's what you need to feel out there.''
The only other former champion in the men's draw is Sweden's Thomas Johansson (2002), who was sidelined all last season with a left knee injury.
Former No. 1 Lleyton Hewitt and Wimbledon finalist Mark Philippoussis propelled Australia to a Davis Cup final triumph over Spain at Melbourne Park in December and are now striving to become the first local player to win the national title since Mark Edmonson in 1976.
Hewitt, a former U.S. Open and Wimbledon champion, plummeted from No. 1 to No. 17 in 2003 and is seeded 15th, but said he's hitting the ball better than ever and thinks his time has come to win a home championship.
Another Aussie with a realistic chance of being in the winning camp at Melbourne Park is Mark Hlawaty, a journeyman pro working as a hitting partner for Venus Williams. She fielded 100 mph-plus serves from Hlawaty this week and sent them sizzling back even faster.
She showed no lingering effects from the abdominal strain that kept her out from July to November. It was during that break that half-sister Yetunde Price was killed.
With more than $13 million in prize money, millions more from endorsements, two Olympic gold medals, four Grand Slam singles titles and an interior design company, others might contemplate quitting tennis. Not the 23-year-old Venus.
``So soon? I want to play. It's been too long, too long ... it's great to be back!'' she said. ``I'm always going to the next level - this year will be great.''
Aussie comes in as a Williams pinch hitter
Mark Robinson
15jan04
MYSTERY surrounding the form and fitness of 2003 sob story Venus Williams is unravelling by the day, according to her Australian practice partner Mark Hlawaty.
"Come competition time, she'll be ready to go," he said emphatically yesterday.
The former world No. 1 was grounded from July to November because of a chronic abdominal injury, prompting the theory that although mentally and physically sound, she might not have the tournament grind to outlast her opponents.
She is advantaged, however, by the dwindling talent in the women's field.
Hlawaty, the affable Victorian-born satellite player, believes Williams -- seeded No. 3 at the Open -- has shown this week the power and placement that has yielded four grand slam singles titles.
Without her injured sister Serena, Williams flew into Melbourne last Sunday morning and was on the court that afternoon with Hlawaty. Two-hour sessions each day have followed.
So, is she fit enough?
"She's fit enough, definitely," Hlawaty said. "She's put in the time back home in the States so she's definitely fit enough, it's just a matter of now getting the volume of balls being hit.
"I haven't seen the other girls practise, I just know she's barely making mistakes out here already, and it's still early and the more balls she hits the better she's going to get."
Hlawaty, 33, coaching in Perth, joined the Williams camp at the 2003 Hopman Cup, practising with Serena, and then joined the sisters in Melbourne for the Open.
Serena went on to beat Venus in the final. This time it's just Venus and Hlawaty's sole role is to belt as many balls as required over the net.
"Today she worked on moving forward and coming into the net. She tells me where to serve, if she wants it harder, faster, with more spin. I'm at her beck and call," he said.
He serves about 170-180km/h and "they come back at about 220, 250".
The hours of hitting, he said, don't replicate tournament matches, but they toughen the mind and body.
"They are finely tuned athletes, it's ingrained what they do, they have hit millions and trillions of balls in their lifetime, so it's a matter of getting the mindset ready for the competition and getting that toughness and focus," he said.
"If she can play the best she can, she will almost beat anyone in the world."
Being Williams' practice partner has it perks. In Melbourne, he's staying at Crown and the salary is better than anything else he'll get at this time of the year.
"It's rare in any field to spend any time with the elite of the elite, and to be with someone who's won grand slams can't but not help you -- just to see how they prepare themselves," he said.
"They also stay in bloody good hotels. I'm normally in dodgy ones. I've never had so many clean towels in my life."
And then there's the opportunity to meet Williams the person.
"Take away the tennis side of it, she is a normal human being; friendly, open, chat about anything," Hlawaty said.
Hlawaty, who is ranked somewhere in the 600s, will resume his futures and satellite tournament play after the Open, playing in NSW, Tasmania and Canberra before heading overseas.
Venus back in business after long layoff
By Paul Tait
SYDNEY, Jan 14 (Reuters)
Her psychedelic pink web page might have had more hits than her backhand over the past six months but Venus Williams is finally back after half a year out of the limelight.
Venus and younger sister Serena have dominated the women's game since the late 1990s but have both suffered through a dismal six-month period dominated by the tragic death of an elder sister and long periods off court with injuries.
But former world number one Venus boldly showed she is on her way back when she beat Russian teenager Maria Sharapova in the final of a Hong Kong exhibition tournament at the weekend before heading for Australia.
"That's what made me happy, to play well," Venus said after her 7-5 6-3 win over Sharapova.
"It's been too long, too long, but it's great to be back," the 23-year-old said.
Venus has not played in a WTA Tour event since she was beaten by Serena in the Wimbledon final last July, when she aggravated a stomach muscle injury, but is determined to put an unhappy six months behind her.
The Williams sisters had both planned to make their comebacks in Melbourne, which would have marked the first time they had both played a tournament since the Wimbledon final.
Serena, still recuperating from knee surgery, will not defend last year's Melbourne title which completed her "Serena Slam".
Venus has been overshadowed by her younger sister in recent years, losing four straight grand slam finals to Serena as well as the Wimbledon decider.
She now appears to have a great chance to claim a fifth grand slam title and her first since the 2001 U.S. Open.
She appears to mean business and put in a punishing but low-profile practice session on an outside court at Melbourne Park on Wednesday not long after she arrived in Australia.
ELEVATE VENUS
Injuries aside, the Williams family has been mourning the death of their sister Yetunde Price, who was shot dead in a Los Angeles suburb last September.
"Sometimes life throws you punches and you have to get up, because if you don't get up people will walk on you," Venus said in Hong Kong.
Venus is ranked outside the world's top 10 for the first time in six years and has never won the season-opening grand slam.
But 11th-ranked Williams managed to hit the headlines before even hitting a ball in Melbourne.
Australian Open organisers raised eyebrows when they decided to elevate Venus, who was beaten by Serena in last year's Open final, to third seed.
The decision to give Venus preferential seeding came just a day after Serena decided not to defend her Melbourne title because of complications in her recovery from her knee operation.
Venus is now seeded behind Belgians Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters, the top two players in the world, and ahead of former champion Lindsay Davenport despite her rankings slide.
Not everyone was happy with the decision, especially Amelie Mauresmo, the world number four who would have expected to be elevated after Serena's withdrawal.
"I feel like I'm being punished because she was injured, the muscular Frenchwoman told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
"It's a strange feeling and one I don't really understand. But it's something I have to deal with."
Venus has never been a shrinking violet and the seeding controversy is sure to keep the spotlight on the flashy American, as if another reason was ever needed for her to be the focus of attention.
Venus Williams primed for return performance
By Douglas Robson, special for USA TODAY
When Venus Williams takes her leggy, cocksure stride into the blazing summer sun next week at the Australian Open in Melbourne, it marks the first time in half a year that she has played a match that counts.
In the round-the-calendar sport of tennis, where wins and losses hinge on split-second timing and footwork, six months is a hiatus of major proportions.
But in addition to the usual questions surrounding her fitness level, match toughness and motivation after such a long layoff, Venus heads into the year's first major with more to prove than at any time in her career.
At 23, Venus is in her tennis sweet spot. But the four-time Grand Slam champ has gone more than two years without a major title. What's more, the first African-American in four decades to win Wimbledon has lost her last five Grand Slam finals to her younger sister, Serena. And her ranking has slipped outside the top 10 for the first time since 1997 after playing only six tournaments in 2003.
To Venus, who spoke about her comeback in late December before jetting off to Hong Kong for exhibition matches, that's a recipe for redemption.
"I'll be like a phoenix rising out of the flames," the devout Jehovah's Witness says of her return.
Others see this season as a crucible in her career.
"The year is more important for Venus than Serena because of the time since she's won a major," TV commentator Pam Shriver says. "It's a good time for Venus to re-establish herself."
Since playing second fiddle again to Serena in the Wimbledon final last July, Venus has been forced to navigate a labyrinth of physical, emotional and professional land mines. Among them: a debilitating abdominal strain, a demanding schedule of celebrity appearances and off-court endeavors and, most disturbingly, the shooting death of her older half-sister, Yetunde Price, in September. What effect, if any, these turbulent months have had on the former No. 1's psyche is difficult to gauge.
Venus is reluctant to speak about her sister's death. But she acknowledges that the last few months away from the sport have been difficult.
"It's hard to accept the fact that you can't compete in your matches," she says. "That's tough."
And she dismisses the notion that this is a make-or-break season for her. "It's important for me to do well every year," she insists.
But she's quick to add that the chance to win her first Australian Open title and reassert her place at the top is "extra motivation."
"Oh, my God, let me tell you this," she says excitedly. "I want an Australian Open title. That's what I want."
Sister Serena sitting out
The road to glory in Australia is one of less resistance. For one, Venus' nemesis, Serena, won't be around. The 22-year-old No. 3 pulled out of the Open because she is recovering from knee surgery Aug. 1.
Also, two-time Australian Open champion Jennifer Capriati, 27, withdrew from the Grand Slam tournament Tuesday because of a back injury.
Capriati is the third high-profile woman to withdraw, following Serena and Mary Pierce, the 1995 champion, who pulled out because of fitness concerns.
Venus, who was runner-up to Serena last year and now is ranked No. 11, received a "special seeding" of No. 3 from Australian Open officials, behind Belgians Justine Henin-Hardenne and Kim Clijsters.
History has shown that players who take extended breaks or who endure Slam droughts of two to three years rarely, if ever, win majors again in bunches.
However, success is not unprecedented. Steffi Graf won the 1999 French Open after months away, and Monica Seles captured the 1996 Australian Open after a more than two-year break following her stabbing in 1993.
Venus resumed full-time training in early December and says that her abdomen is 100% healed, her motivation is high and she's eager to try out a more aggressive, attacking game plan as she goes after more Grand Slam titles and the No. 1 ranking.
"I want both," she says with a laugh. "I'm a greedy girl."
If anyone can come back and pick up where they left off, it's the Williams sisters. After all, these are women who rose from the gang-plagued streets of Compton, Calif., with little formal training and limited junior tennis experience — and still became champions.
Neither sister has played a busy schedule of tournaments to begin with, entering 12-15 events while other players routinely play 20-25. And while some need tunnel vision, the sisters find a healthy dose of distraction the right formula for success.
Indeed, Venus showed little rust in her two exhibition matches in Hong Kong, defeating top-10 player Chanda Rubin of the USA and up-and-coming Russian Maria Sharapova.
Martina Navratilova, enjoying her own comeback in doubles, says she'd be "impressed" but not "surprised" if Venus won the Aussie crown.
Questions persist
Some wonder if Venus' lithe, 6-1 frame is starting to show wear and tear from 110-mph-plus serves and blistering ground strokes she has employed since her pro debut in 1994. Some wonder if the multitalented star, who helps design a line of goods for Wilsons Leather and has started an interior design business, is focused enough on tennis.
"The Yetunde murder has been the wild card for them," says Shriver, who lost her first husband to cancer in 1999. "From my own experience, after a few months the depression and fog of grief has lifted enough to feel more like yourself, but each grieving process is unique and there is no real pattern for recovery."
Some also suspect that rivals such as Henin-Hardenne, 21 — who won her first Grand Slam, the 2003 French Open, with both sisters in the draw — and compatriot Clijsters, 20, have closed the gap with the sisters.
"You can practice all you want and get in the best shape, but to come back and play competitively, there is nothing like the real thing," says No. 6 Jennifer Capriati, who took a 15-month leave from the tour in the mid-1990s and won her first major at the 2001 Australian Open.
Venus isn't concerned with her competition.
"I don't even see rivals," she says. "I see the ball. I don't become afraid just because someone else has improved their game."
New U.S. Fed Cup captain Zina Garrison thinks the key for Venus will be her first couple of matches in Melbourne as she deals with the pressure and nerves of being back on court.
"I don't care who you are," Garrison says. "You're going to feel it."
Venus has hinted that she wants to be seen as her own person, not as part of a sister act.
Whether it's a simple fact of two individuals who often have been lumped together growing up or a conscious strategy to ease some of the emotional tension when she faces off against her younger sibling is hard to discern.
The two share a home in South Florida, but Serena now spends most of her time at her place in Los Angeles, observers say. Venus says she and Serena remain very close but "we both do different things and have different obligations. Life keeps rolling whether you play tennis or not."
Rested, ready and with much to show the world, the tennis-playing phoenix takes flight next week in Australia. The journey is solo. The sky's the limit.
Venus Williams, Ferrero win at Hong Kong
HONG KONG (AP) - Venus Williams defeated Maria Sharapova 7-5, 6-3 Saturday to win the Champions Challenge exhibition, her first tournament in six months after last year's injury-ravaged season.
French Open champion Juan Carlos Ferrero won the men's final, beating Wimbledon champ Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4.
Williams, once ranked No. 1 but now No. 11, showed no ill effects from the abdominal injury that had sidelined her since July. She plans to play in the Australian Open, which begins Jan. 19.
Williams fell behind the 16-year-old Russian 5-1 in the first set before finding her rhythm and running off six straight games.
``Maria played so well and I had to find some answers out there, but more than anything I was trying to enjoy playing,'' Williams said. ``It's been too long, too long. ... It's great to be back.''
Williams advanced to the final by beating Chanda Rubin on Friday. Sharapova downed Elena Dementieva in the semifinals.
Ferrero will next play at the Adidas International in Sydney, Australia, a warmup for the Australian Open.
|