"As a kid -- she was probably 8 or 9 -- she told me she wanted to win Wimbledon," Williams said. "She knew it even then."
Not only did Venus Ebony Starr Williams win Wimbledon, she's hoisted the sterling silver Venus Rosewater Dish four times in the past eight years -- if it hadn't been created 122 years ago, it might have been named for her. When you factor in Venus' two other appearances in the final (losses to little sister Serena), she's played in six of the past eight championship matches.
Those numbers will be a remarkable seven of nine if the defending champion defeats Elena Dementieva in a semifinal match on Friday. Serena meets Zheng Jie in the other semifinal. The Williams sisters are overwhelming favorites to reach their first Grand Slam final in five years.
Venus' body of work on grass -- quality far outdistances quantity -- places her high among the all-time greats. She has won 60 of her 66 matches on grass for a terrific winning percentage of .869. This is surpassed only by Martina Navratilova (.888) and Chris Evert (.882).
Navratilova leads the Open era with nine titles at the All England Club, followed by Steffi Graf (seven). Billie Jean King won six titles here between 1966 and '75 and Venus is next in line. That would make her the finest grass player of her generation.
[...]
What, specifically, makes Venus such a fabulously effective creature on grass?
For starters, there is her size. She stands 6-foot-1 and, as they say in the NBA, plays much, much bigger and longer.
"I think I have a lot of power," Venus said, laughing. "Definitely, the power helps. My serve is very difficult to return on this surface."
If it's returned at all. While Serena ranks No. 1 among all women with 34 aces through five matches, Venus is second at 30. But when it comes to pure speed, no one is even close. Venus hit one serve 127 mph, a Wimbledon record. Second place? Serena and Samantha Stosur at 120 mph.
On Tuesday, when Serena was asked which characteristic of Venus' she coveted most she said, "Wow. I would have her legs. She has the sexiest legs."
Not only did Venus Ebony Starr Williams win Wimbledon, she's hoisted the sterling silver Venus Rosewater Dish four times in the past eight years -- if it hadn't been created 122 years ago, it might have been named for her. When you factor in Venus' two other appearances in the final (losses to little sister Serena), she's played in six of the past eight championship matches.
Those numbers will be a remarkable seven of nine if the defending champion defeats Elena Dementieva in a semifinal match on Friday. Serena meets Zheng Jie in the other semifinal. The Williams sisters are overwhelming favorites to reach their first Grand Slam final in five years.
Venus' body of work on grass -- quality far outdistances quantity -- places her high among the all-time greats. She has won 60 of her 66 matches on grass for a terrific winning percentage of .869. This is surpassed only by Martina Navratilova (.888) and Chris Evert (.882).
Navratilova leads the Open era with nine titles at the All England Club, followed by Steffi Graf (seven). Billie Jean King won six titles here between 1966 and '75 and Venus is next in line. That would make her the finest grass player of her generation.
[...]
What, specifically, makes Venus such a fabulously effective creature on grass?
For starters, there is her size. She stands 6-foot-1 and, as they say in the NBA, plays much, much bigger and longer.
"I think I have a lot of power," Venus said, laughing. "Definitely, the power helps. My serve is very difficult to return on this surface."
If it's returned at all. While Serena ranks No. 1 among all women with 34 aces through five matches, Venus is second at 30. But when it comes to pure speed, no one is even close. Venus hit one serve 127 mph, a Wimbledon record. Second place? Serena and Samantha Stosur at 120 mph.
On Tuesday, when Serena was asked which characteristic of Venus' she coveted most she said, "Wow. I would have her legs. She has the sexiest legs."
I think the record/stats speak for themselves - IMO, shes clearly the most dominant player since Steffi Graf at Wimbledon. She won in 2000, 2001, 2005, 2007 and in 2002, 2003 - she lost to her younger sister in the finals.
