Venus chasing hat-trick of titles
June 21st 2009 10:38
VENUS Williams and Wimbledon are almost synonymous with one another.
The American has held the All England Club trophy aloft five times, including the last two, and enters this year’s tournament as one of the favourites again despite patchy form.
The Williams sisters are always different players at the grand slams and an early round exit at Roland Garros is nothing new for Venus.
She’s my tip to be the last woman standing in two weeks’ time.
But Venus will receive stiff resistance from her sister, Serena, who the bookies have installed as the 2009 favourite.
Venus defeated Serena in last year’s Wimbledon decider, denying her younger sibling a third crown at the event.
The sisters have met in three All England Club finals – Serena leads 2-1 – with Venus also winning their other clash there in the semi-finals in 2000.
There is little between them – as their 10-9 head-to-head standings (in favour of Serena) suggests – but Venus’ five Wimbledon titles give her the edge.
They are on opposite sides of the draw and an all Williams final would surprise no-one.
But their competitors will be lining up to prevent that from happening.
Dinara Safina is still the world’s No.1 player and will surely win a grand slam before all is said and done.
It won’t happen here, but her power-packed game should ensure a decent result.
Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo won the title in 2006 and has rarely been the same player since, but is one of the few female players capable of mixing it with the Williams sisters on grass.
Safina would be her most likely fourth-round opponent and then consistent Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals, both of which loom as winnable but extremely difficult match-ups.
Eighteen-year-old Dane Caroline Wozniacki and Russian former world No.5 Anna Chakvetadze will also cause some problems in that section of the draw.
Venus headlines the second quarter of the draw.
She casts a huge shadow over a strong group of players including former world No.1s Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, Polish youngster Agnieszka Radwanska and Australia’s big hope Sam Stosur.
Stosur is in great form, having reached her first grand slam semi-final at the recent French Open, but will find Venus a handful if she reaches the fourth round.
Radwanska is a big show to upset Jankovic en route to a quarter-final finish, but she, too, will struggle to contain Venus.
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are the top chances in the bottom half of the draw.
Both are former Wimbledon champions and are likely to cross paths at the quarter-final stage.
Sharapova, the 2004 winner, is a star on all surfaces, particularly grass, but will have to overcome a dismal record against Serena to advance.
She is also only recently back from a long-term shoulder injury.
Belarus sensation Victoria Azarenka is their big danger.
Azarenka is quickly establishing herself as one of the stars of the women’s tour and reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
Her fate is likely to be decided in the fourth round against Sharapova and a quarter-final finish appears her best scenario.
Fourth seed Elena Dementieva is as good a stroke-maker as any woman on the circuit, but her serve, particularly her second, lets her down on grass – although she did make the semi-finals in 2008.
Dementieva is the consummate professional, but heavy hitters surround her in her section of the draw and a hot day from one of them could bid her farewell.
Among them are seventh seed Vera Zvonareva, 2007 Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli and 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova.
But the winner is likely to come from the Williams sisters and Sharapova – anyone outside of that trio would be labelled a significant surprise or major breakthrough.
>>> Read the Wimbledon men's preview below
The American has held the All England Club trophy aloft five times, including the last two, and enters this year’s tournament as one of the favourites again despite patchy form.
The Williams sisters are always different players at the grand slams and an early round exit at Roland Garros is nothing new for Venus.
She’s my tip to be the last woman standing in two weeks’ time.
But Venus will receive stiff resistance from her sister, Serena, who the bookies have installed as the 2009 favourite.
Venus defeated Serena in last year’s Wimbledon decider, denying her younger sibling a third crown at the event.
The sisters have met in three All England Club finals – Serena leads 2-1 – with Venus also winning their other clash there in the semi-finals in 2000.
There is little between them – as their 10-9 head-to-head standings (in favour of Serena) suggests – but Venus’ five Wimbledon titles give her the edge.
They are on opposite sides of the draw and an all Williams final would surprise no-one.
But their competitors will be lining up to prevent that from happening.
Dinara Safina is still the world’s No.1 player and will surely win a grand slam before all is said and done.
It won’t happen here, but her power-packed game should ensure a decent result.
Frenchwoman Amelie Mauresmo won the title in 2006 and has rarely been the same player since, but is one of the few female players capable of mixing it with the Williams sisters on grass.
Safina would be her most likely fourth-round opponent and then consistent Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova in the quarter-finals, both of which loom as winnable but extremely difficult match-ups.
Eighteen-year-old Dane Caroline Wozniacki and Russian former world No.5 Anna Chakvetadze will also cause some problems in that section of the draw.
Venus headlines the second quarter of the draw.
She casts a huge shadow over a strong group of players including former world No.1s Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, Polish youngster Agnieszka Radwanska and Australia’s big hope Sam Stosur.
Stosur is in great form, having reached her first grand slam semi-final at the recent French Open, but will find Venus a handful if she reaches the fourth round.
Radwanska is a big show to upset Jankovic en route to a quarter-final finish, but she, too, will struggle to contain Venus.
Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova are the top chances in the bottom half of the draw.
Both are former Wimbledon champions and are likely to cross paths at the quarter-final stage.
Sharapova, the 2004 winner, is a star on all surfaces, particularly grass, but will have to overcome a dismal record against Serena to advance.
She is also only recently back from a long-term shoulder injury.
Belarus sensation Victoria Azarenka is their big danger.
Azarenka is quickly establishing herself as one of the stars of the women’s tour and reached the quarter-finals at Roland Garros.
Her fate is likely to be decided in the fourth round against Sharapova and a quarter-final finish appears her best scenario.
Fourth seed Elena Dementieva is as good a stroke-maker as any woman on the circuit, but her serve, particularly her second, lets her down on grass – although she did make the semi-finals in 2008.
Dementieva is the consummate professional, but heavy hitters surround her in her section of the draw and a hot day from one of them could bid her farewell.
Among them are seventh seed Vera Zvonareva, 2007 Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli and 27th seed Alisa Kleybanova.
But the winner is likely to come from the Williams sisters and Sharapova – anyone outside of that trio would be labelled a significant surprise or major breakthrough.
>>> Read the Wimbledon men's preview below
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