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Kola
Moderator
Username: Kola
Post Number: 1880
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2005 - 12:39 am: | 
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THE QUEEN IS BACK!
BY PAM SHRIVER
I think Venus Williams is going to win her third singles title this afternoon. She arrived here with various question marks surrounding her game, particularly her forehand, but she has dealt with enough pressure so far - the second set against Mary Pierce and overcoming defending champion Maria Sharapova in the semi-finals - to suggest if her forehand was going to crack it would have done so by now.
I expect it is going to hold up against Lindsay Davenport and it is going to need to because Davenport is playing really great tennis at the moment. But then you would expect that from the world No 1.
For Venus to get this far, though, is outstanding. She has improved with every round and one major factor is that she is moving quickly around the court.
That has probably earned her a two-step advantage over her opponents, which is a lot of court. It is crucial when you play against Davenport that you need to be able to cover a lot of ground.
Venus's movement from the back of the court negates Davenport's strength in moving the ball from side to side.
Venus is capable of hanging in on those rallies - just as she did against Pierce and Sharapova. And I think Davenport will get a little frustrated if the unforced errors made by her opponents in her past four matches are not repeated by Venus.
There were two moments when the tournament turned for Venus. Firstly, raising her game in the third round after a poor performance in her previous match and, secondly, her sister losing at the same stage, meaning she did not have to meet her in the last 16.
While Venus was upset for Serena after her loss to Jill Craybas there had to be a part of her that was pleased, especially after Justine Henin-Hardenne had gone out in the first round. Two enormous obstacles had been removed from her path.
Even though Venus beat Serena in Miami in March for the first time in a long while, just think about the bruising she has taken in major finals against her sister. Not having to face that trauma was huge for her.
While Venus has had help along the way to the final, Davenport has had to do it the hard way.
She had that massive match against Kim Clijsters in the fourth round and this will be her fourth top-10 opponent in succession, if you include Clijsters who is ranked lower but regarded by everybody to be one of the world's top five players.
She has had to take on Clijsters, Svetlana Kuznetsova and Amelie Mauresmo before facing Venus in what is a rematch of the final of five years ago.
Has she been drained mentally after playing these top players one after another? We will find out this afternoon.
But Davenport's technique is so sound it holds up to pressure. Serving out to love in a grand slam semi-final after an overnight stoppage is almost as much pressure as you can have. Only a stoppage in the final can be more stressful.
The big plus for Davenport is their recent head-to-head record - four wins in 12 months without a loss.
They have gone back and forth in their records against each other over the years. Davenport won eight of their first nine meetings, but then Venus won nine out of 10 between 2000 and 2004.
Davenport ended a long losing streak against the Williams sisters last summer and that is important in assessing her prospects here.
Obviously going into a final you do not want to be carrying the baggage of a long sequence of losses. Without that turning of the tide, Venus would be the overwhelming favourite, but now I am looking at it as 55 per cent to 45 per cent in her favour.
Davenport's big weakness is her frame of mind which is sometimes suspect.
It was in her last grand slam final in Australia in January when she lost her concentration against Serena and just could not snap out of it.
Providing Davenport can avoid a repeat of that attitude problem and Venus's forehand does not break down, this has the potential to be a tremendous final.
MY PREDICTION: VENUS GONE WHOOP ASS!
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Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 3755
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2005 - 12:56 am: |
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Kola,
I have a theory that part of the source of Serena and Venus recent tennis problems is they've struggling with competing against each other.
It was clear a couple years ago they were the best 2 players, thus, would, baring injury, would be CONSTANTLY playing each other in championship matches in all the major tennis tournaments.
Serena's a superior athlete and all things being equal, she beats Venus. And both of them struggle emotionally with that.
Of course Venus doesn't want to loose to anyone, especially her younger sister. But she can't really root AGAINST her baby sister.
And of course Serena wants to win but she regrets besting her older sister.
This theory seems supported via the championship matches they've had. ALL of them sucked bigtime! And it seem largely because (it was so glaringly obvious that) both young ladies were an emotion wreck while playing each other.
You're a fan of theirs and appear tangentally connected to them. You think there's something to my 'theory'? |
Kola
Moderator
Username: Kola
Post Number: 1882
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2005 - 01:15 am: |
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ABM,
I think you're 100% right. In fact, Venus's sudden REBIRTH after Serena got knocked out of contention proves it.
I wish someone would write an article about it.
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Kola
Moderator
Username: Kola
Post Number: 1888
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2005 - 03:14 am: |
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WOW!! CHECK THIS!
WIMBLEDON, England (AP) - Richard Williams says 'MEDIA NOT INTERESTED IN BLACK GIRLS'.
They've struggled, he says, because of criticism from fans and the media, who grew tired of watching them play in Grand Slam finals - and think they've made tennis "boring."
"When it was Steffi Graf or Chris Evert that won, or Monica Seles - but when those two black girls came and beat up everyone, tennis was 'not exciting,"' he told The Associated Press on Thursday after watching Venus beat Maria Sharapova in the Wimbledon semifinals.
"I bet you they wouldn't say that if Sharapova won all the time, or Lindsay (Davenport) won all the time. So who would want to play under those conditions?"
The sisters played each other in six of eight Grand Slam finals from the U.S. Open in 2001 to Wimbledon in 2003.
Because of that, their father said, "Every reporter, every TV station and ... near every fan" thought "tennis is not exciting anymore. It's boring."
Williams, who taught his daughters how to play tennis, has never been shy about expressing his opinions. Long before Venus and Serena were stars, he predicted they would dominate the game.
Venus' latest victory put her in a major final for the first time in two years.
"I think her confidence is just rolling now and her confidence had been down," her dad said. "When your techniques are better, you can execute the way you should, and that's what brings about confidence in anything that you're doing."
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Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 3764
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2005 - 03:25 am: |
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Kola,
I'll agree with Richard there more than just a few tennis foks who're PROFOUNDLY happy the Williams sisters have not run roughshod over tennis like they could(/should) have. I don't think this sentiment has been the primary cause of their struggles (though they may have grown tired living in the ivy bubble of tennis).
As I said before, I believe their struggles are more the product of their having difficulty reconciling their individual and familial desires/obligations. |
Kola
Moderator
Username: Kola
Post Number: 1893
Registered: 02-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2005 - 01:17 pm: |
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VENUS WON WEMBLEDON!!!!
Hip, hip HOOOOORAY
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Nadine Holden
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2005 - 01:44 pm: |
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Great game.
Congratulations Venus.
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Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 3772
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, July 02, 2005 - 02:16 pm: |
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INDEED! HURRAY FOR VENUS!!!
That is GREAT news. I am so happy and proud of Venus.
I've always felt a bit more empathetic of Venus because for a while it seemed foks were unfairly looking past her in favor of Serena.
Let's hope this is just the beginning of the rebirth of the Williams sisters great careers and let's root for the next US Open and/or Australian Open to feature Venus and Serena in their Championship matches!
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Cynnique
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, July 25, 2005 - 12:10 pm: |
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Like the Williams sisters would ever consider coming within 10 feet of anybody who smelled like a wet hound dog who just came from hunting possum with his the father who is also his brother. Jeeze. You are so pathetic. |
Brother_rustam
First Time Poster
Username: Brother_rustam
Post Number: 1
Registered: 12-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 06, 2005 - 04:52 pm: |
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Venus is starting to look better and better as she gets older.
Infact, she's starting to look better than her sister. |
Cynnique
Unregistered guest
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 07, 2005 - 10:43 am: |
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At least Venus is slim and lithe. Serena looks like a damn female wrestler! Or maybe even a boxer with those huge hands of hers! And her long blond weave just makes matters worse. |
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