Venus Williams does not have serve and volley locked into her psyche like former Wimbledon greats Martina Navratilova, Billie Jean King and Margaret Court did. She’s doesn’t have outright speed or ferocious forehand of a seven-time champ Steffi Graf.
But the five time-titlist has more than a enough fertilizer to make the even the brownest lawns spout green and when she retires, say four years from now, she will likely go down as one of the top five players in history.
Just why she has become nearly unbeatable on grass while being quite conquerable on other surfaces is somewhat confounding.
She’s won her last 27 sets and 23 matches at the AELTC, nothing to sneeze at, and although she’s aware that both Graf and Navratilova has put up better numbers, she’s more than secure in her place in history.
“Definitely winning this tournament so many times puts you in the stratosphere, just because of what this tournament means,” Venus said after besting Serena in classic 2008 final. “Had I had this achievement at any other tournament it would have been awesome, but not nearly the same meaning at Wimbledon.”
Yet still, why has Venus won three of her last 10 crowns on grass, and why has she been able to go on a three straight title run at Wimbledon, and has been unable to win another major since 2001?
It some what defies logic, given that she grew up on hardcourts. The reason could be put down to a simple, comfortable feeling when she arrives on the club’s lawns, that she’s more at ease with herself because she won so many hard-fought, dramatic matches in every which way possible: playing high octane offense; steely defense; choking a bit but the regaining control of a match; having foes zone on her but being more resourceful; out-steadying opponents or suffocating them at the net; serving so huge that she made their teeth rattle; returning ambitiously when called upon and merely being consistent at other times; cutting loose on her sweet two- handed backhand and also half volleying her more vulnerable forehand into the corners.
On grass, Venus’ game has continued to evolve, which hasn’t necessarily been the case on other surfaces. In her 6-3, 6-2 victory over Kateryna Bondarenko on Thursday, she took completely control of most points when she saw that the Ukrainian wasn’t going to force the issue. She enjoys being out there on her own, a true survivalist, making her own decisions, both good or bad.
“I think the best thing about this sport is you can choose your own destiny,” she said. And you can be as good as you want, or as bad. Not that you want to be bad. The success is your success. And then if you don’t, then you have to look to yourself.”
At the age of 29, where she has lost half a step of speed, she should be primarily a net rusher, but that never going to be the case, because she was brought up to be a power baseliner and prefers to pick her spots at the cords, rather than coming in and consistently daring her foes to pass her, like King and Navratilova once did against their foes.
Outside of her willingness to employ her gigantic wingspan on grass more than she does on hard courts, there are two primary reason why Venus is a grass court dominator: she seems to trust her movement more on turf, perhaps because its easier on her chronically sore legs (she’s wearing a wrap on her left leg during the fortnight) and she trusts her heater and slice serve more, especially with her second serve. Her elbow rarely gets tight on turf.
“In previous years I felt like I just willed it in,” said Venus, who could have a very tough tussle in the next round, when she confronts Carla Suarez Navarro, the same woman who took her down at the Aussie Open. “And this year I feel like technically I’m just a lot better, so it goes in easier.”
Venus hopes her road to her sixth title will be just as simple.
Ivanovic v. Stosur Ahead
Ana Ivanovic says she’s growing confident again, but she knows the world won’t believe she’s anywhere close to her former No. 1 form until she puts up a major result at a Slam again.
She was fairly impressive in her 7-5, 6-1 win over Sara Errani, but will have a much tougher task in the third round against 18-Samantha Stosur, who overcame Tatjana Malek 4-6, 7-6(6), 6-4.
“I find that it’s really important to just stay in the moment and realize that every day it’s different opponent and different match, and not every day you’ll feel good,” Ivanovic said. “Even if you feel great, just go back to basics and work hard for each point. And that’s what I was doing last couple of matches, and it makes me feel much better out there, much more comfortable.”
American teen Melanie Oudin continued to surprise, this time taking down Yaroslava Shvedova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4. The Georgia native reached the third round of Slam for the first time and will have to raise her level at least another two notches as she’ll play Jelena Jankovic, who beat Iveta Benesova 6-2, 6-4.
American Vania King wasn’t as fortunate as she fell to Flavia Pennetta 6-2, 6-2. The Italian will play former champ Amelie Mauresmo, who knocked off Kristina Kucova 6-3, 6-3. Dinara Safina hasn’t gone down yet, but was barely passable in outlasting Rossana De Los Rios 6-3, 7-5. Kirsten Flipkens, who battered Elena Baltacha 7-5, 6-1, could seriously test her.
Caroline Wozniacki looked terrific in defeating Maria Kirilenko 6-0, 6-4 and will face Anabel Medina Garrigues. Sabine Lisicki, who beat Patricia Mayr 6-2, 6-4, could trouble Svetlana Kuznetosova. Agnieszka Radwanska will play Li Na.
From TennisReporters.net
