Venus Williams to make Hopman Cup debut

Updated September 19, 2012 15:17:14

Venus Williams will make her Hopman Cup debut in Perth later this year, partnering John Isner to represent the United States in the mixed international tournament.

Seven-times grand slam champion Williams will have a chance to match her sister Serena, who won the tournament in 2008 with Mardy Fish and five years earlier with James Blake.

"I've never been to Perth - I've never played the Hopman Cup, so for me it's going to be a wonderful experience," Williams said in a media release.

"I've watched it literally every year on TV so now I get to play, I'm very excited."

World number 10 Isner won the title in 2011 with Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who stands at 1.68m tall to his 2.06m and Williams' 1.85m.

"My previous two partners have been very, very small," said Isner.

"But Venus is a little bit taller so I'm not going to look like such a giant out there. She's obviously one of the greatest players ever so I think our team has a good shot to do well."

Novak Djokovic and Ana Ivanovic have already been confirmed as the Serbia pairing for the event, which will take place from December 29 to January 5 at the new Perth Arena.

Reuters

Tags: tennis, sport, perth-6000, wa, australia

First posted September 19, 2012 15:17:14

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Stosur sinks Venus, Serena up next

Updated April 07, 2012 14:13:23

Australia's Samantha Stosur booked her semi-final spot at the WTA Charleston clay court event with a pair of three-set wins Friday, ruining the prospect of an all-Williams clash.

Stosur, who turned 28 last Friday, ousted world number 87 Venus Williams with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-3 win in the quarter-finals to set up a semi-final showdown against Serena Williams.

Stosur was leading Galina Voskoboeva 4-2 in the first set Thursday when the match was halted because of rain. First up Friday on center court, number two seed Stosur finished off Voskoboeva with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 third-round win. She was back on court less than two hours later to face Venus.

"I don't think it was the end of the world to get out there and play this morning," Stosur said. "Today was very different than what we've been playing in, so it was good to get used to the conditions. I would have preferred not to play two three set matches, but nevertheless, I'm happy to be through."

Serena reached the semi-finals on Friday when injury-cursed Sabine Lisicki quit their last-eight clash in floods of tears.

The American fifth seed was 5-1 ahead in the first set when Lisicki -- whose career went into a tailspin in 2010 when an injury left her barely able to walk -- retired after falling and hurting her ankle.

Stosur posted her first career win over Venus after losing four straight -- all in straight sets, including three on clay.

Stosur hammered four aces, won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and saved eight-of-12 break point opportunities.

"It's only one win compared to I don't know how many times she's beaten me, five or six, but of course I'm very, very happy to have beaten Venus now," Stosur said. "It's always a good challenge coming up against the players you've never beaten, and I've always struggled against her game, but thankfully I was able to turn it around."

Seven-time Grand Slam winner Venus, who was playing on a wild card invitation, made five double faults and won just 42 per cent of her second-serve points. The 31-year-old Venus is trying to rebuild a ranking dented by a lengthy injury and illness lay-off.

It has only happened eight times that a WTA player has defeated both Williams at the same tournament: 1998 Sydney (Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario), 1999 Sydney (Steffi Graf), 2001 Australian Open (Martina Hingis), 2002 WTA Championships (Kim Clijsters), 2004 Los Angeles (Lindsay Davenport), 2007 US Open (Justine Henin), 2009 US Open (Clijsters) and 2010 Rome on clay (Jelena Jankovic).

Serena won warm applause from the crowd as she tried to console the stricken Lisicki.

"I totally get it," said Williams, who has endured her own battles with injury and illness, when asked if she sympathised with the German.

"I just told her it would be all right. I'm in an emotional time in my life, so I told her, 'Don't cry, because you're going to make me cry,' and I was like, my eyes are getting watery.

"I'm always crying. But it's not the French Open now. At least it happened earlier and you can recover. It's okay. I've been through those injuries, and it sucks. It really, really sucks."

Serena posted her second career win over Lisicki, following a 6-1, 6-2 rout last year in the semis of the Stanford event.

In the other quarter-final contest, Czech ninth seed Lucie Safarova surprised fourth seeded Vera Zvonareva of Russia 6-3, 6-3 in an 85-minute match.

Zvonareva, a two-time finalist here in 2010 and 2008, also won their only previous match.

In the night match, 14th seeded Polona Hercog easily defeated number 13 Nadia Petrova of Russia 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the semis where she will face Safarova on Saturday.

AFP

Tags: tennis, sport, united-states

First posted April 07, 2012 10:13:03

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Venus Williams withdraws from Australian Open

Updated January 10, 2012 08:00:28

Seven-time grand slam winner Venus Williams is out of the Australian Open.

"I regret to announce that I am withdrawing from the Australian Open. Thanks for your love and support!," the star announced on Tuesday via her Twitter account.

The former world number one has been receiving treatment for the immune system disease Sjogren's syndrome and also withdrew from last week's Auckland Classic.

On her website she said she was not quite ready to return to tennis.

"After several months of training and treatment, I am making steady progress to top competitive form," she said.

"My diet and fitness regimen have allowed me to make great strides in terms of my health and I am very close to being ready to return to WTA competition.

"I have every intention to return to the circuit in February."

AAP

Tags: sport, tennis, melbourne-3000, vic, australia

First posted January 10, 2012 07:58:03

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AEDT = Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time which is 11 hours ahead of UTC (Greenwich Mean Time)

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Venus, Date-Krumm defy age to progress

Posted June 21, 2011 06:00:00

Five-time champion Venus Williams and 40-year-old Kimiko Date-Krumm reached the Wimbledon second round Monday, striking a blow for the tour's senior citizens at the 125th Championships before the rains came down.

Williams, 31, was untroubled in disposing of Uzbekistan's Akgul Amanmuradova 6-3, 6-1, showing no signs of the hip injury which kept her off the tour for five months until her Eastbourne return last week.

The American, whose choice of a loose-fitting, zipped-up, baggy outfit caused as much conversation as her free-flowing tennis on Court Two, fired 23 winners past the Uzbek.

"Coming into any major there is a bit of tension and because I haven't played a lot I think that adds a little pressure on me," Venus said.

"But it's always great to be back. I think playing a few matches at Eastbourne helped me feel comfortable here.

"I was happy to be playing at all after missing so much of the year. That was a big plus for me today."

Williams now takes on Date-Krumm who became the second oldest winner of a singles match at Wimbledon with her 6-0, 7-5 demolition of British wildcard Katie O'Brien.

Date-Krumm, a semi-finalist at the All England Club in 1996 having made her debut in 1989, had the honour of playing the first match on the new Court Three which has replaced the old Court Two, the former Graveyard of the Champions.

"I remember 1996 on the Centre Court. I played against Steffi Graf and it was in darkness," recalled the Japanese of the year she last won a Wimbledon match.

"We played over two days. It was a big memory for me. Then after 15 years I win in the first round and it's already a miracle."

Last year's beaten finalist Vera Zvonareva made a winning return as the Russian second seed defeated America's Alison Riske 6-0, 3-6, 6-3.

Zvonareva's last match at the All England Club 12 months ago ended painfully as she lost in straight sets against Serena Williams in her first Grand Slam final appearance.

The 26-year-old, who was also beaten by Kim Clijsters in the US Open final, was pushed hard by world number 118 Riske, but eventually prevailed to set up a second round match against compatriot Elena Vesnina.

"She played some good tennis but I tried to stay focused. I had some ups and downs but I'm really happy I was able to pull it off in the end," Zvonareva said.

"I lost my concentration for a bit but I always fight for every point and I was able to pick it up in the third set."

Former French and US Open winner Svetlana Kuznetsova, the Russian 12th seed, came back to beat China's Zhang Shuai 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

But there were three seeded casualties with Estonia's Kaia Kanepi, Israel's Shahar Peer and Ekaterina Makarova of Russia all going out.

Former French Open champion Francesa Schiavone survived a stern test from a rejuvenated Jelena Dokic.

Australian number three Dokic, who reached the semi-finals here in 2000, is rebuilding her troubled career and had the world number seven reeling in the second set before a rain break interrupted her flow.

Schiavone came back to win 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 under the Centre Court roof which motored into action once heavy rain washed away over half the women's program in the early evening.

- AFP

Tags: sport, tennis, england

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Venus pulls out of French Open

Posted May 14, 2011 23:38:00

Williams has joined Sister Serena in withdrawing from the French Open because of injury, the WTA said on Saturday.

The world number 19 has not played since retiring from the Australian Open in January with an abdominal injury and she has failed to recover sufficiently, the WTA added.

With Serena also absent, this year's French Open from May 22 to June 5 will be the first grand slam event without a Williams sister since the 2003 US Open.

Serena is recovering from a pulmonary embolism and foot injury.

A number of high profile names have recently pulled out of the claycourt grand slam as former world number one Dinara Safina is taking an indefinite break while Kim Clijsters is also a doubt after injuring herself at her cousin's wedding.

Venus, 30, pulled out of the Brussels Open warmup event earlier this week.

She has played at the French Open every year since 1998, reaching one final in 2002, when she lost to Serena.

- Reuters

Tags: sport, tennis, france

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