Wimbledon Semifinals: Others and Sisters

(Photo by Hamish Blair/Getty Images)

The Sisters

Venus Williams

• Games lost at this Wimbledon: 19
• Best previous Wimbledon result: Winner (2000, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2008)

Venus hasn’t dropped a set at Wimbledon this year. In fact she hasn’t dropped a set here since her third-round match in 2007. She’s been in seven of the last nine finals, and she’s won five times, including the last two years. Not surprisingly, she’s considered the best grass court player on the women’s tour.

"Everybody wants to know the secret," Venus said. "There is no secret. Just hard work, doing the right thing at the right moment, and making it happen."

She granted that her style of play is suited for grass: "You're rewarded for playing aggressively, and that's definitely how I play—aggressively."

Grass courts seem to magnify Venus’s strengths, including her serve speed, her quick movement, and her large wingspan at the net, and they minimize her weaknesses, including a forehand that can go awry and a second serve that’s attackable (relatively).

Venus certainly looks good this year. As usual, she had the fastest serve on the women’s side (124 mph). In her quarterfinal match against Agnieszka Radwanska, Venus did little wrong. She was far more aggressive and naturally made more errors (18 to Radwanska’s 12). What’s important is that she hit significantly more winners (29 to Radwanska’s six).

Venus dictated play so much that it seemed her opponent could only get points when Venus made errors. If you thought it looked hopeless for Radwanksa, you’re not the only one.

"Her tennis is so powerful," Radwanska said. "It was very hard to do anything today."

If Venus’s semifinal opponent, Dinara Safina, is scared, she’s not showing it. "I have nothing to lose," she said. "I know her weapons. I have my weapons. So I just want to go out there, play my best, and let's see."

Serena Williams

• Games lost at this Wimbledon: 25
• Best previous Wimbledon result: Winner (2002, 2003)

When it comes to tennis, Serena at her best is better than anyone else at theirs. There’s no way to prove this, but most tennis watchers—Serena fans or not—will tell you it’s true. Add to that the fact that she’s the fiercest competitor out there, and what you have is a woman no one wants to see across the net.

Especially not at a Grand Slam tournament. Serena has 10 Grand Slam titles, which is more than anyone else on the tour. (Venus has the second most with seven.)

Since the start of the tournament, she’s been the favorite of oddsmakers, who give her a slight edge over Venus. In the past few rounds, though, Serena didn’t seem to be playing as well as Venus. She seemed less aggressive, making more unforced errors.

In her quarterfinal match, Serena picked it up against No. 8-ranked Victoria Azarenka. The Belarussian teenager, regarded by many as "the next big thing," is the only player who seemed to have a shot at stopping an all-Williams final.

Serena made beating the No. 8-ranked Azarenka, who had double-bageled an opponent a few rounds before, seem like just another day at the office.

She hit forehand and backhand winners with ease. She hit 26 winners (Azarenka hit seven). What’s more impressive is that she managed to do this while making only seven unforced errors (Azarenka made 13). She served with even more pace and precision than usual: She served nine aces and no double-faults. (Serena’s had the second most aces in the tournament.)

After the match, the sometimes bratty Azarenka was all praise for Serena.

"She's a real complete player," she said. "She has every shot. She's very strong mentally. She fights until the last moment. [That’s] what makes her a great champion."

Serena’s semifinal opponent, Elena Dementieva, used the same language to describe Serena. "She's a great champion," Dementieva said. "I just want to see how tough I can be out there against her."

The two played in the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2003. At that time, Serena beat Dementieva in two sets. That was then, this is now, and even champions have to prepare.

"I don't remember that [match]," Serena said. "I'm gonna YouTube it though."

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