- Title: UK: WILLIAMS SISTERS PREPARE TO FACE EACH OTHER IN WIMBLEDON FINAL.
- Date: 18th July 2003
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 18, 2003) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SERENA WILLIAMS, HER FATHER RICHARD AND COACHES HEAD TO PRACTICE COURT 2. VENUS WILLIAMS WALKS TO COURT 3. SERENA AND VENUS STRETCHING 4. VENUS RUNNING ON COURT, STOPS AT NET, HER AND SERENA STRETCHING 5. SPECTATORS 6. SERENA PRACTICING 7. RICHARD WILLIAMS OVERLOOKING TRAINING 8. VENUS HITTING BALL 9. SPECTATOR 10. SERENA AND COACH AT ONE SIDE, VENUS AT THE OTHER, PLAYING GOOD RALLY 11. RICHARD WILLIAMS WALKS ALONGSIDE NET 12. SPECTATORS TAKING PICTURES 13. VENUS PRACTICING BACKHAND 14. WIDE OF COURT 15. SERENA PRACTICING 16. VENUS MISHITS Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 2nd August 2003 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
- City:
- Country: United Kingdom
- Reuters ID: LVABB0GDXHVK6R3KJ7QLZOS0BI8U
- Story Text: The Williams sisters will face each other for the 12th
time at the Wimbledon final and this time the older Venus
hopes to teach defending champion Serena a lesson, in a repeat
of last year's final.
A few jokes over breakfast, a light warm-up, then in
the afternoon another grand slam final. Be it New York,
London, Paris or London it's all becoming something of a
family ritual for Venus and Serena Williams.
Saturday's Wimbledon women's singles final is incredibly
the sixth time the two sisters have met head on for a grand
slam crown since Venus beat Serena at Flushing Meadows in
2001.
That victory for 23-year-old Venus marked a turning point,
however. Up to that day Venus held the bragging rights over
her younger sister, winning five of the seven matches between
them.
She always said, however, that Serena would one day be
better than her, and those sentiments have come home to roost.
Serena has now triumphed five times in a row, completing
her "Serena Slam" against Venus at the Australian Open in
January -- the only major final between them to go to three
sets -- having beaten her comfortably in the U.S. Open,
Wimbledon and French finals last year.
Such was Serena's dominance that even father Richard
suggested that Venus had lost her younger sister's appetite
for a scrap -- Venus it seemed possibly had her mind on other
things, namely the fashion industry.
Anybody watching her gutsy semi-final victory over Kim
Clijsters, however, would have seen that the competitive
instincts burn as brightly as ever.
Doubled up at times with a stomach injury, Venus refused
to roll over and by the end of the encounter was playing with
the aggression that has bagged her four grand slam titles.
Whatever Venus's physical state, she said she will
definitely play on Saturday. How Serena would react knowing
her sister was playing in pain, is the topic of many
conversations, but Venus is expecting no favours.
Serena, fresh from winning her grudge match with Justine
Henin-Hardenne, is clearly delighted to have her sister for
company again in a final, but determined to stay on top.
With four of the last five grand slam titles in her
locker, the world number one spot safe and her sister
suffering with an injury, one might think Serena could spare
the odd defeat.
However that would be underestimating her fierce desire to
beat everything in front of her to oblivion, even if it is her
own flesh and blood.
The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) has warmly welcomed a
cash boost from a sports bra manufacturer that will mean the
women's Wimbledon champion receives the same prize money as
the men's champion this year.
The company, Shock Absorber, said it would plug the 40,000
pounds ($66,750 US dollars) gap between the men's 575,000
cheque and the 535,000 offered to the winner of the women's
singles.
Shock Absorber's initiative is supported by American
tennis great Billie Jean King, a long-time campaigner for
equal prize money.
Following are short biographies of the players in the
Wimbledon women's singles final (prefix number denotes
seeding):
1-Serena Williams (U.S.)
Age: 21
Lives: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Plays: Right-handed, double-handed backhand
Grand Slam titles: Five (Australian Open 2003; French Open
2002; Wimbledon 2002; U.S. Open 1999, 2002)
Record at Wimbledon: 2002-winner, 2001-quarter-finals,
2000-semi-finals, 1998-third round
Serena wants to restore her shattered pride after being
dethroned as French Open champion last month.
She gained her revenge on Justine Henin-Hardenne, who beat
her in the semi-finals at Roland Garros, in the last four at
Wimbledon and now takes on her sister for a second consecutive
singles' title at the All England Club.
Powerfully built with a serve to match, the world number
one
will be keen to continue the Williams domination of the event
for a fourth consecutive year.
- - - -
4-Venus Williams (U.S.)
Age: 23
Lives: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Plays: Right-handed, double-handed backhand
Grand Slam titles: Four (Wimbledon 2000, 2001, U.S. Open
2000, 2001)
Record at Wimbledon: 2002-runner-up, 2001-winner,
2000-winner, 1999-quarter-finals, 1998-quarter-finals,
1997-first round
Having successfully defended her Wimbledon and U.S. Open
crowns in 2001, Venus has had to play second fiddle to her
sister Serena over the past 12 months.
When in the right frame of mind, she can bludgeon her
hapless opponents with little effort.
But her confidence has been dealt a heavy blow recently
with a string of frustrating losses, including in the fourth round
of the French Open, while her thunderbolt serve has lost a bit of
its sting.
Venus came back from a set down and played through an
abdominal injury to beat Belgian Kim Clijsters to reach her
fourth consecutive Wimbledon final.
The injury may still be a factor when she takes on her
sister in an attempt to win her third Wimbledon title in four
years.
Road to the final in the women's singles at the Wimbledon
tennis championships (prefix denotes seeding):
1-SERENA WILLIAMS (U.S.)
Round one : beat Jill Craybas (U.S.) 6-3 6-3
Round two : beat Els Callens (Belgium) 6-4 6-4
Round three : beat Laura Granville (U.S.) 6-3 6-1
Round four : beat 15-Elena Dementieva (Russia) 6-2 6-2
Quarter-final: beat 8-Jennifer Capriati (U.S.) 2-6 6-2 6-3
Semi-final : beat 3-Justine Henin-Hardenne (Belgium) 6-3
6-2
4-Venus Williams (U.S.)
Round one : beat Stanislava Hrozenska (Slovakia) 6-2
6-2
Round two : beat Katarina Srebotnik (Slovenia) 6-4 6-1
Round three : beat Nadia Petrova (Russia) 6-1 6-2
Round four : beat 16-Vera Zvonareva (Russia) 6-1 6-3
Quarter-final: beat 5-Lindsay Davenport (U.S.) 6-2 2-6 6-1
Semi-final : beat 2-Kim Clijsters (Belgium) 4-6 6-3 6-1
Head-to-head record of first seed Serena Williams and fourth
seed Venus Williams (tabulate under year, tournament, stage,
surface, winner, score):
1998 Australian Open R64 Hard Venus Williams 7-6 (7-4)
6-1
1998 Italian Open QF Clay Venus Williams 6-4 6-2
1999 Miami F Hard Venus Williams 6-1 4-6 6-4
1999 Grand Slam Cup F Hard Serena Williams 6-1 3-6 6-3
2000 Wimbledon SF Grass Venus Williams 6-2 7-6
(7-3)
2001 Indian Wells SF Hard Serena Williams Walkover
2001 US Open F Hard Venus Williams 6-2 6-4
2002 Miami SF Hard Serena Williams 6-2 6-2
2002 French Open F Clay Serena Williams 7-5 6-3
2002 Wimbledon F Grass Serena Williams 7-6 (7-4)
6-3
2002 US Open F Hard Serena Williams 6-4 6-3
2003 Australian Open F Hard Serena Williams 7-6 (7-4)
3-6
6-4
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