Williams Sisters: Much More Than Just Power

My admiration for the Williams sisters has grown over the years. Be it due to their domination over my favorite Martina Hingis, or due to my perception that Williams are all about power, I never fully managed to appreciate their play—especially when players like Clijsters and Henin were around.

I started admiring Venus after her domination at Wimbledon began, as I realized that her game was much more than power. Serena, though, never stuck in.

Today I had a chance to watch my first—yes, first—doubles match of the Williams sisters, against two formidable young opponents in Wozniacki and Cirstea. The match has only increased my admiration for Venus, while I have started appreciating Serena as well.

Serena is so dominant in her singles matches, that her full repertoire of skills never come into picture. Her game may be built around power, but has good degree of finesse as well.

Particularly impressive were her top spin lobs, which she hits with such ease and accuracy that the Wozniacki/Cirstea pair were happy to stay at the back for most of their play, despite Wozniacki being a decent player at the net.

It is amazing how much angle does Serena manage to produce on her forehand side, which was more visible in the presence of the full doubles court. Her volleying skills may not be as good as her elder sister, but she is no slouch either, as she converted most of the opportunities presented to her. In addition, her overhead smash is very clean.

However, their doubles team is more about the elder sis.

The mental strength of these players is already known, but it was today when Venus showed showed her toughness. She had just lost a heartbreaking encounter against Clijsters and there she comes in full flow an hour later. Her composure on court—and her conversations with Serena—leaked no clue that she had just been knocked out of the singles draw!

Venus' serve was much more efficient in doubles than in her previous singles match and I was amazed at how efficient she is at the net, both on forehand and backhand wings.

Her anticipation is noteworthy, and so are her reflexes. There was a point on which Wozniacki hit straight to her body, and she still managed to put that away. In another point, Venus single handedly dealt against both her opponent girls. She dispatched eight consecutive volleys during a rally, lunging from her forehand to backhand side and finally completing the overhead with panache.

The most important aspect about the doubles team is how well the sisters complement each other. Serena is a heavy force at the baseline while Venus is a wall at the net. They know their strengths and weaknesses and adjust their game accordingly. It is fascinating to watch the sisters move fluently on the court taking their respective positions at the baseline and the net and gaining control on the point.

They comfortably won against the pair in straight sets, 6-4 6-2, in little over an hour.

No wonder they have won nine Grand Slams as a team. They may be seeded fourth in the rankings, but having won two majors already in the year, they are certainly the favorite to win the final major of the year.