USA: VENUS WILLIAMS TALKS ABOUT HER REACTIONS ABOUT PLAYING AGAINST SISTER SERENA IN THE FINAL OF THE U.S OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT

Record ID: 648396

  • Title: USA: VENUS WILLIAMS TALKS ABOUT HER REACTIONS ABOUT PLAYING AGAINST SISTER SERENA IN THE FINAL OF THE U.S OPEN TENNIS TOURNAMENT
  • Date: 7th September 2001
  • Summary: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA (SEPTEMBER 7, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1 THE NEWS CONFERENCE 2. (SOUNDBITE) (English) VENUS WILLIAMS SAYING: "Basically it was my dad's dream, my mom's dream. They told us that we would be playing each other in a final and that's why we believed it. If they told us we would never make it playing tennis I don't think we'd be here today. It all started with my parents and the positive reinforcement." 3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERENA WILLIAMS SAYING: "There's really nothing to prove. People are going to believe what they want to beleive anyway but the bottom line is we're both competitors, we both want to be number one and we both want to the best that we can and we're both of age and no one makes decisions for us." 4. THE NEWS CONFERENCE 5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SERENA WILLIAMS SAYING: "Right now I just want to do good and I'm in the finals and I said in the beginning I just wanted to win 7 matches and now I just have one left." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 22nd September 2001 13:00
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  • Location: NEW YORK, NEW YORK, USA
  • City:
  • Country: USA
  • Reuters ID: LVA4XG8G5JHDRL9G4TB60ZJN2MGD
  • Story Text: Venus Williams and younger sister Serena refelected on
    their semifinal wins and their upcoming clash in Saturday's US
    Open women's final.



    The semifinals ensure the Williams family of a third
    successive Open title as Serena won the crown in 1999 before
    Venus raised the trophy in triumph in 2000.

    Williams pounded 21 winners in the match against Capriati,
    who only stroked four as she played a defensive game against
    the big-hitting American. After her match she credited her
    parents for Saturday's unique showdown.

    "Basically it was my dad's dream, my mom's dream. They
    told us that we would be playing each other in a final and
    that's why we believed it.If they told us we would never make
    it playing tennis I don't think we'd be here today. It all
    started with my parents and the positive reinforcement," older
    sister Venus said.

    Serena assured doubters that she would be able to summon up
    her most fierce intensity level against her sister and best
    friend, even though that has been something of a problem for
    her in the past, as in last year's Wimbledon semifinal when
    Serena played badly.

    "There is really nothing to prove people are going to
    believe what they want to believe, but the bottom line is
    we're both competitors, we both want to compete, we both want
    to be number one and we both want to do the best that we can,
    we're both of an age where no one makes decisions for us," she
    insisted.

    Serena was reminded that the last time she and Venus were
    set to play at the Indian Wells semifinals in March, Venus
    pulled out with an injury at the last minute.

    "Right now I just want to do good and I'm in the finals
    and I said in the beginning I just wanted to win 7 matches and
    now I just have one left."
    The withdrawal at Indian Wells sparked ugly rumours that
    it was engineered by their father and accusations that he
    predetermined the outcome of their matches against each other.



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