Venus Williams broke down in tears during her post-match news conference at Wimbledon on Monday when asked about a recent motoring incident she was involved in, which led to the death of a 78-year-old Florida man.

Williams, who won her first-round match against Belgian Elise Mertens in straight sets, was asked about her feelings regarding the incident.

&quot;There are really no words to describe, like, how devastating and...yeah. I&#39;m completely speechless. It&#39;s just - yeah, I mean, I&#39;m just,&quot; said the American before breaking down in tears and leaving the room. The five-times Wimbledon champion returned shortly afterwards to finish off the compulsory media briefing.

News of the fatal incident near her home in Palm Beach Gardens surfaced on Thursday.

Palm Beach Gardens police released a preliminary report saying she was the driver at fault in a June 9 accident that left Jerome Barson, a passenger in the other car, with fatal injuries.

After the crash, Barson was taken to a Florida trauma centre where he died 13 days later, according to the Palm Beach county medical examiner.

The police report estimated Williams was travelling at about five&nbsp;miles per hour (eight&nbsp;kph) at the time of impact and was not distracted or suspected of any drug or alcohol use.

Before breaking down in the news conference, Williams had been asked several questions about her emotions in the past month but had avoided directly addressing the matter.

&quot;Life, you can&#39;t prepare for everything. I prepared for a lot of matches, tried to get ready for whatever my opponent will throw at you, but you can&#39;t prepare for everything,&quot; she said.

&quot;I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. That&#39;s all I can say about it. That&#39;s what I&#39;ve learned,&quot; she said to another question on how she was handling the situation.

Last week Williams released a statement on Facebook saying that she was &quot;heartbroken&quot; and &quot;devastated&quot; by the death of Barson. Williams also said she was missing her sister Serena who is on a break from the game while she is pregnant.

&quot;I miss her a lot. I think she misses me,&quot; she said.

The 37-year-old American faced a tenacious opponent as she began her bid for a sixth Wimbledon singles title with a 7-6(7) 6-4 victory.

While a nervous Mertens struggled early, going 3-0 down in the first set, the 21-year-old, ranked 54th in the world, battled back to force a tiebreak which Williams won 9-7.

Williams, who last won Wimbledon in 2008, was unable to convert two match points in the second set before a rain break, but she returned to serve out for victory.

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Five-times Wimbledon champions Venus Williams left a news conference in tears on Monday after she was asked questions about the fatal motoring accident she was involved in that led to the death of a 78-year-old man (WION)
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Williams tried to describe how she felt after being in a car accident that resulted in a man's death, then cried and left the room before soon returning

Venus Williams broke down in tears during her post-match news conference at Wimbledon on Monday when asked about a recent motoring incident she was involved in, which led to the death of a 78-year-old Florida man. Williams, who won her first-round match against Belgian Elise Mertens in straight sets, was asked about her feelings regarding the incident. "There are really no words to describe, like, how devastating and...yeah. I'm completely speechless. It's just - yeah, I mean, I'm just," said the American before breaking down in tears and leaving the room. The five-times Wimbledon champion returned shortly afterwards to finish off the compulsory media briefing. News of the fatal incident near her home in Palm Beach Gardens surfaced on Thursday. Palm Beach Gardens police released a preliminary report saying she was the driver at fault in a June 9 accident that left Jerome Barson, a passenger in the other car, with fatal injuries. After the crash, Barson was taken to a Florida trauma centre where he died 13 days later, according to the Palm Beach county medical examiner. The police report estimated Williams was travelling at about five miles per hour (eight kph) at the time of impact and was not distracted or suspected of any drug or alcohol use. Before breaking down in the news conference, Williams had been asked several questions about her emotions in the past month but had avoided directly addressing the matter. "Life, you can't prepare for everything. I prepared for a lot of matches, tried to get ready for whatever my opponent will throw at you, but you can't prepare for everything," she said. "I have no idea what tomorrow will bring. That's all I can say about it. That's what I've learned," she said to another question on how she was handling the situation. Last week Williams released a statement on Facebook saying that she was "heartbroken" and "devastated" by the death of Barson. Williams also said she was missing her sister Serena who is on a break from the game while she is pregnant. "I miss her a lot. I think she misses me," she said. The 37-year-old American faced a tenacious opponent as she began her bid for a sixth Wimbledon singles title with a 7-6(7) 6-4 victory. While a nervous Mertens struggled early, going 3-0 down in the first set, the 21-year-old, ranked 54th in the world, battled back to force a tiebreak which Williams won 9-7. Williams, who last won Wimbledon in 2008, was unable to convert two match points in the second set before a rain break, but she returned to serve out for victory. Five-times Wimbledon champions Venus Williams left a news conference in tears on Monday after she was asked questions about the fatal motoring accident she was involved in that led to the death of a 78-year-old man (WION) ×

Venus breaks down in tears after win over Mertens, discussing fatal car accident

Former world number one tennis player Venus Williams was involved in a two-car crash on June 9 at a Florida intersection that resulted in the death of a male passenger in the other vehicle, her attorney said on Thursday.

Williams&#39;s attorney Malcolm Cunningham denied the player was at fault in the accident after media outlets, citing a police report, said she had run a red light.

&quot;Ms. Williams entered the intersection on a green light,&quot; Cunningham said in a statement about the accident, which happened near Williams&#39; home in Palm Beach Gardens. &nbsp;

&quot;The police report estimates that Ms&nbsp;Williams was travelling at 5 miles per hour when Mrs. Barson crashed into her. Authorities did not issue Ms&nbsp;Williams with any citations or traffic violations,&quot; he said.

He expressed condolences to the man&#39;s family and said he had no reason to believe the accident would impact 37-year-old Williams&#39; plans to compete in Wimbledon, which begins next week in England.

&quot;This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one.&quot;

&quot;I don&#39;t have any information that indicates she is not playing Wimbledon,&quot; he said.

TMZ Sports, which first reported on the accident, said the police report claims Williams was at fault and identifies the deceased as 78-year-old Jerome Barson, who died 14 days after the accident from his injuries.

The Palm Beach County medical examiner&#39;s website shows that a Jerome Barson died on June 22.

An attorney for the Barson family did not return a call for comment.

Williams is currently ranked number 11 in the world and seeded 10th at the Wimbledon, which she has won five times.

The two-car collision on June 9 at a Florida intersection resulted in the death of a male passenger in the other vehicle

Former world number one tennis player Venus Williams was involved in a two-car crash on June 9 at a Florida intersection that resulted in the death of a male passenger in the other vehicle, her attorney said on Thursday. Williams's attorney Malcolm Cunningham denied the player was at fault in the accident after media outlets, citing a police report, said she had run a red light. "Ms. Williams entered the intersection on a green light," Cunningham said in a statement about the accident, which happened near Williams' home in Palm Beach Gardens. "The police report estimates that Ms Williams was travelling at 5 miles per hour when Mrs. Barson crashed into her. Authorities did not issue Ms Williams with any citations or traffic violations," he said. He expressed condolences to the man's family and said he had no reason to believe the accident would impact 37-year-old Williams' plans to compete in Wimbledon, which begins next week in England. "This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one." "I don't have any information that indicates she is not playing Wimbledon," he said. TMZ Sports, which first reported on the accident, said the police report claims Williams was at fault and identifies the deceased as 78-year-old Jerome Barson, who died 14 days after the accident from his injuries. The Palm Beach County medical examiner's website shows that a Jerome Barson died on June 22. An attorney for the Barson family did not return a call for comment. Williams is currently ranked number 11 in the world and seeded 10th at the Wimbledon, which she has won five times.

Venus Williams involved in fatal car crash

The family of a man who died in a car crash involving Venus Williams plan to sue the tennis superstar, a lawyer said Friday.

Attorney Michael Steinger told ABC television&#39;s &quot;Good Morning America&quot; that the family of Jerome Barson would file a wrongful death suit against Williams following the June 9 crash in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Barson, who suffered head injuries in the accident, died two weeks later on June 22.

&quot;At this point we are attempting to both preserve the evidence and gain access to evidence,&quot; Steinger told the program.&nbsp;

&quot;There were video cameras placed at guard houses where Ms. Williams lives, police have refused after multiple requests to turn those over to us, and we would like to see visual portrayal of the accident on those videos,&quot; he added.

According to details of a Palm Beach Gardens police report, Williams&#39; 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV was in collision with a 2016 Hyundai Accent driven by Barson&#39;s wife, Linda Barson.

The police report described Williams as being &quot;at fault&quot; in the incident. The accident remains under investigation and she has not been charged with an offence.

A statement from Williams&#39; attorney Malcolm Cunningham on Thursday said the incident was an &quot;unfortunate accident.&quot;

&quot;Ms. Williams entered the intersection on a green light,&quot; Cunningham said.&nbsp;

&quot;The police report estimates that Ms. Williams was traveling at 5 mph when Mrs. Barson crashed into her. Authorities did not issue Ms. Williams with any citations or traffic violations. This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one.&quot;

Cunningham said Williams entered an intersection on a green light that turned red during her turn but became stuck in the intersection because of traffic.

The police report said Williams was deemed at fault for blocking the right of way of the other vehicle.

The family of the deceased -- Jerome Barson -- would file a wrongful death suit against the tennis player for the June 9 crash in Florida

The family of a man who died in a car crash involving Venus Williams plan to sue the tennis superstar, a lawyer said Friday. Attorney Michael Steinger told ABC television's "Good Morning America" that the family of Jerome Barson would file a wrongful death suit against Williams following the June 9 crash in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Barson, who suffered head injuries in the accident, died two weeks later on June 22. "At this point we are attempting to both preserve the evidence and gain access to evidence," Steinger told the program. "There were video cameras placed at guard houses where Ms. Williams lives, police have refused after multiple requests to turn those over to us, and we would like to see visual portrayal of the accident on those videos," he added. According to details of a Palm Beach Gardens police report, Williams' 2010 Toyota Sequoia SUV was in collision with a 2016 Hyundai Accent driven by Barson's wife, Linda Barson. The police report described Williams as being "at fault" in the incident. The accident remains under investigation and she has not been charged with an offence. A statement from Williams' attorney Malcolm Cunningham on Thursday said the incident was an "unfortunate accident." "Ms. Williams entered the intersection on a green light," Cunningham said. "The police report estimates that Ms. Williams was traveling at 5 mph when Mrs. Barson crashed into her. Authorities did not issue Ms. Williams with any citations or traffic violations. This is an unfortunate accident and Venus expresses her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one." Cunningham said Williams entered an intersection on a green light that turned red during her turn but became stuck in the intersection because of traffic. The police report said Williams was deemed at fault for blocking the right of way of the other vehicle.

Venus Williams may face lawsuit over fatal car accident

Serena Williams will be the mother of a baby girl, if sister Venus is to be believed after she appeared to let the secret slip on Wednesday.

Venus, playing at the French Open in Paris, told a TV interviewer: &quot;She&#39;s going to call me her favourite aunt.&quot;

&quot;We all like &#39;baby V, baby Lyn, baby Isha&#39;. We all want the baby to be named after us,&quot; the 36-year-old told Eurosport.

Serena, who revealed she was pregnant in April, has refused to discuss the sex of the baby she is expecting with fiance, Alex Ohanian, the founder of Reddit.

She was at Roland Garros on Wednesday watching her older sister defeat Kurumi Nara in the second round on the showpiece Philippe Chatrier court.

(AFP)

Serena Williams has refused to discuss the sex of the baby she is expecting with fiance, Alex Ohanian, the founder of Reddit

Serena Williams will be the mother of a baby girl, if sister Venus is to be believed after she appeared to let the secret slip on Wednesday. Venus, playing at the French Open in Paris, told a TV interviewer: "She's going to call me her favourite aunt." "We all like 'baby V, baby Lyn, baby Isha'. We all want the baby to be named after us," the 36-year-old told Eurosport. Serena, who revealed she was pregnant in April, has refused to discuss the sex of the baby she is expecting with fiance, Alex Ohanian, the founder of Reddit. She was at Roland Garros on Wednesday watching her older sister defeat Kurumi Nara in the second round on the showpiece Philippe Chatrier court. (AFP)

Serena Williams to have baby girl, says Venus

Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta beat Venus Williams 6-4, 7-5 in a grueling battle Thursday to reach the WTA Miami Open final, where she will face Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark.

The Australian-born 25-year-old broke Williams in the first game and played aggressively throughout the opening set.

Williams fought back strongly in the second set, breaking to go up 3-1. But Konta broke back immediately and again for a 5-4 lead that allowed her to serve for the match.

The American took advantage of some nervy play from the 10th-seed to break back, but Williams was unable to hold serve and that gave Konta a second chance to wrap up the contest, which she did after more than two hours.

Konta said she expects a big challenge ahead in order to capture her second title of the year after a Sydney crown.

&quot;I am going to have a tough battle on my hands,&quot; Konta said. &quot;Caroline makes you work.&quot;

Wozniacki booked her place in the final after rallying to defeat Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova 5-7, 6-1, 6-1.

Pliskova, who won titles this year at Doha and Brisbane, also fell in the semi-final stage at Indian Wells two weeks ago.

The Czech broke Wozniacki in the first game of the match but the Dane fought back and at 5-4 had three set points, which Pliskova manage to deny her.

Wozniacki then double faulted to give the Czech a break point, which she took before serving out for the set.

But former world number one Wozniacki, wearing down Pliskova with her solid defense, ran out a comfortable winner in the following two sets to earn a third final appearance of the year.

&quot;I&#39;m not sure how I managed to do that,&quot; Wozniacki said. &quot;It is tough when you lose that first set -- especially having set points, it hits you a little bit. But I got a good start to the second set and that got me going, got me grinding.&quot;

In her two finals this year, both in February, Wozniacki was beaten by Pliskova at Doha and by Ukrainian Elina Svitolina at Dubai.

Pliskova, who began the year with a title at Brisbane, was philosophical about her second semi-final loss of the month.

&quot;I&#39;m definitely positive,&quot; she said. &quot;I&#39;ve won a lot of matches this year. I can&#39;t be too disappointed but obviously I am disappointed to lose two semi-finals especially when I think I could have won both matches.

&quot;Obviously I think I could have done a bit more this year but then again I have never had a start to a season like this.&quot;

(AFP)

The Australian-born 25-year-old broke Williams in the first game, and played aggressively throughout the opening set

Britain's Johanna Konta beat Venus Williams 6-4, 7-5 in a grueling battle Thursday to reach the WTA Miami Open final, where she will face Caroline Wozniacki of Denmark. The Australian-born 25-year-old broke Williams in the first game and played aggressively throughout the opening set. Williams fought back strongly in the second set, breaking to go up 3-1. But Konta broke back immediately and again for a 5-4 lead that allowed her to serve for the match. The American took advantage of some nervy play from the 10th-seed to break back, but Williams was unable to hold serve and that gave Konta a second chance to wrap up the contest, which she did after more than two hours. Konta said she expects a big challenge ahead in order to capture her second title of the year after a Sydney crown. "I am going to have a tough battle on my hands," Konta said. "Caroline makes you work." Wozniacki booked her place in the final after rallying to defeat Czech second seed Karolina Pliskova 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. Pliskova, who won titles this year at Doha and Brisbane, also fell in the semi-final stage at Indian Wells two weeks ago. The Czech broke Wozniacki in the first game of the match but the Dane fought back and at 5-4 had three set points, which Pliskova manage to deny her. Wozniacki then double faulted to give the Czech a break point, which she took before serving out for the set. But former world number one Wozniacki, wearing down Pliskova with her solid defense, ran out a comfortable winner in the following two sets to earn a third final appearance of the year. "I'm not sure how I managed to do that," Wozniacki said. "It is tough when you lose that first set -- especially having set points, it hits you a little bit. But I got a good start to the second set and that got me going, got me grinding." In her two finals this year, both in February, Wozniacki was beaten by Pliskova at Doha and by Ukrainian Elina Svitolina at Dubai. Pliskova, who began the year with a title at Brisbane, was philosophical about her second semi-final loss of the month. "I'm definitely positive," she said. "I've won a lot of matches this year. I can't be too disappointed but obviously I am disappointed to lose two semi-finals especially when I think I could have won both matches. "Obviously I think I could have done a bit more this year but then again I have never had a start to a season like this." (AFP)

Tennis: Britain's Konta downs Venus Williams to reach Miami final

Venus Williams beat top seed Angelique Kerber on Wednesday to advance to a Miami Open semi-final against Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta.

American 11th seed Williams, who is seeking her fourth Miami title, survived a long first set before she completed a 7-5 6-3 victory over Germany`s Kerber on a calm evening in south Florida.

Konta, the 10th seed, had earlier recovered from the brink of defeat to edge third seed Simona Halep in a three-set encounter that lasted two hours, 30 minutes.

Halep was only two points from victory in the second set, but could not put away her opponent, who pounced on the Romanian&#39;s evident emotional fragility to prevail 3-6 7-6(7) 6-2.

Williams, 36, whose previous Miami titles came in 1998, 1999 and 2001, will meet Konta in the semi-final, while Czech second seek Karolina Pliskova faces Danish 12th seed Carolina Wozniacki.

Williams, playing in front of a crowd that included her popcorn-munching father Richard, took nearly an hour to take the first set from Kerber, but made quicker work of the second.

Halep, meanwhile, got down on herself after losing the second set tiebreak to Konta.

&quot;It was a really tough match, very high level,&quot; Halep told the WTA. &quot;I was so close to winning, I was two points away in the tiebreak, but she played very strong and deserved to win.&quot;

Despite the result, Halep took comfort from a solid tournament as she works her way back from a knee injury.

&quot;I&#39;m happy to be here after the break that I had. I`m just disappointed I lost a match I had in my hands. But my confidence is there, the game is there, I just need to play matches.&quot;

Her post-match comments were more positive than her negative remarks to coach Darren Cahill after the second set.

&quot;This is my character,&quot; Halep grumbled to her coach. &quot;Two double faults at the end of the tiebreak and I miss all the balls.&quot;

Cahill told a sullen Halep she was a better athlete than Konta, imploring her to make her opponent run in the third set.

&quot;You can write yourself off but I`m not writing you off,&quot; Cahill said. &quot;It`s up to you. It comes from within ... be brave in the big moments.&quot;&nbsp;

But Halep was completely outplayed in the final set, and she said afterwards her exchange with Cahill was nothing out of the ordinary.

&quot;It`s just my personality to be hard on myself. I want to change that in the future. I can say that I`m better than before, and I&#39;m working on it.&quot;

(Reuters)

Venus faces Britain's Johanna Konta in the semis

Venus Williams beat top seed Angelique Kerber on Wednesday to advance to a Miami Open semi-final against Britain's Johanna Konta. American 11th seed Williams, who is seeking her fourth Miami title, survived a long first set before she completed a 7-5 6-3 victory over Germany`s Kerber on a calm evening in south Florida. Konta, the 10th seed, had earlier recovered from the brink of defeat to edge third seed Simona Halep in a three-set encounter that lasted two hours, 30 minutes. Halep was only two points from victory in the second set, but could not put away her opponent, who pounced on the Romanian's evident emotional fragility to prevail 3-6 7-6(7) 6-2. Williams, 36, whose previous Miami titles came in 1998, 1999 and 2001, will meet Konta in the semi-final, while Czech second seek Karolina Pliskova faces Danish 12th seed Carolina Wozniacki. Williams, playing in front of a crowd that included her popcorn-munching father Richard, took nearly an hour to take the first set from Kerber, but made quicker work of the second. Halep, meanwhile, got down on herself after losing the second set tiebreak to Konta. "It was a really tough match, very high level," Halep told the WTA. "I was so close to winning, I was two points away in the tiebreak, but she played very strong and deserved to win." Despite the result, Halep took comfort from a solid tournament as she works her way back from a knee injury. "I'm happy to be here after the break that I had. I`m just disappointed I lost a match I had in my hands. But my confidence is there, the game is there, I just need to play matches." Her post-match comments were more positive than her negative remarks to coach Darren Cahill after the second set. "This is my character," Halep grumbled to her coach. "Two double faults at the end of the tiebreak and I miss all the balls." Cahill told a sullen Halep she was a better athlete than Konta, imploring her to make her opponent run in the third set. "You can write yourself off but I`m not writing you off," Cahill said. "It`s up to you. It comes from within ... be brave in the big moments." But Halep was completely outplayed in the final set, and she said afterwards her exchange with Cahill was nothing out of the ordinary. "It`s just my personality to be hard on myself. I want to change that in the future. I can say that I`m better than before, and I'm working on it." (Reuters)

Venus Williams beats top seed Angelique Kerber in Miami Open quarters

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams battled back from a break down in the final set to beat Chinese qualifier Peng Shuai and reach the quarter-finals at Indian Wells on Tuesday.

Williams advanced 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 and could next face Angelique Kerber -- the woman who will supplant Serena Williams atop the world rankings next Monday.

Second-seeded Kerber, the top player in the draw after Serena Williams&#39;s injury withdrawal, faced Russian Elena Vesnina for a place in the last eight later Tuesday.

Eighth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova sped past Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-4 to lead the way into the quarters.

Kuznetsova is in the last eight in the California desert for the first time since reaching back-to-back finals in 2007 and 2008.

The 31-year-old Russian, owner of two Grand Slam singles titles, enjoyed a resurgence in 2016, winning two titles and upsetting world number one Serena Williams in Miami as she returned to the top 10 in the world for the first time since 2010.

&quot;I just fell in love with the game again,&quot; said Kuznetsova, who next faces compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who toppled fifth-seeded Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

Kuznetsova has won five of eight career clashes with Pavlyuchenkova, but Pavlyuchenkova has won their most recent meetings, at Sydney and Melbourne this year.

Pavlyuchenkova belted 35 winners as she kept the normally aggressive Cibulkova in check, avenging a three-set loss to the Slovak in Doha.

&quot;I always like to get revenges,&quot; Pavlyuchenkova said.&nbsp;

&quot;The key was to be aggressive, which is my game, but at the same time find the balance between being aggressive and not giving her a lot of easy shots, easy points, because she&#39;s a great fighter, and she&#39;s always there.

&quot;I know when she&#39;s down in the score, she&#39;s going for the shots. I was trying to balance all that and mixing my serve, as well.&quot;

Third-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova booked her quarter-final berth with an abbreviated appearance under the hot desert sun.

She was leading Timea Bacsinszky 5-1 when the Swiss player retired with a left wrist injury.

Pliskova next faces either seventh-seeded French Open champion Garbine Muguruza or 10th-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, winner of titles in Taiwan and Dubai already this year.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Venus Williams advanced 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 and could next face Angelique Kerber

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams battled back from a break down in the final set to beat Chinese qualifier Peng Shuai and reach the quarter-finals at Indian Wells on Tuesday. Williams advanced 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 and could next face Angelique Kerber -- the woman who will supplant Serena Williams atop the world rankings next Monday. Second-seeded Kerber, the top player in the draw after Serena Williams's injury withdrawal, faced Russian Elena Vesnina for a place in the last eight later Tuesday. Eighth-seeded Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova sped past Caroline Garcia 6-1, 6-4 to lead the way into the quarters. Kuznetsova is in the last eight in the California desert for the first time since reaching back-to-back finals in 2007 and 2008. The 31-year-old Russian, owner of two Grand Slam singles titles, enjoyed a resurgence in 2016, winning two titles and upsetting world number one Serena Williams in Miami as she returned to the top 10 in the world for the first time since 2010. "I just fell in love with the game again," said Kuznetsova, who next faces compatriot Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who toppled fifth-seeded Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. Kuznetsova has won five of eight career clashes with Pavlyuchenkova, but Pavlyuchenkova has won their most recent meetings, at Sydney and Melbourne this year. Pavlyuchenkova belted 35 winners as she kept the normally aggressive Cibulkova in check, avenging a three-set loss to the Slovak in Doha. "I always like to get revenges," Pavlyuchenkova said. "The key was to be aggressive, which is my game, but at the same time find the balance between being aggressive and not giving her a lot of easy shots, easy points, because she's a great fighter, and she's always there. "I know when she's down in the score, she's going for the shots. I was trying to balance all that and mixing my serve, as well." Third-seeded Czech Karolina Pliskova booked her quarter-final berth with an abbreviated appearance under the hot desert sun. She was leading Timea Bacsinszky 5-1 when the Swiss player retired with a left wrist injury. Pliskova next faces either seventh-seeded French Open champion Garbine Muguruza or 10th-seeded Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, winner of titles in Taiwan and Dubai already this year. (AFP)

Venus Williams fights past Peng to reach Indian Wells quarter-finals

Only three women can now prevent Serena Williams from clinching a 23rd grand slam title on Saturday, her sister Venus, a younger compatriot and a 34-year-old Croatian she last played nearly two decades ago.

The quartet take to Rod Laver Arena on Thursday with Serena playing Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Venus facing Coco Vandeweghe at the business end of an Australian Open where upsets have been a daily occurrence.

The seedings have not proved much of a guide in the women&#39;s draw this year, with world number two Serena the sole survivor of the top 12 at the start the tournament.

The head-to-head will not provide much help either when assessing Serena&#39;s matchup against Lucic-Baroni, given their last meeting came in 1998 at Wimbledon when they were both 16.

&quot;It was on Centre Court. That&#39;s all I remember. I remember winning. I was so excited because I was so young. She obviously was super young, too. That&#39;s all,&quot; Serena said on Wednesday after beating Johanna Konta in the quarter-finals.

&quot;We have totally different games now, the both of us. We both have gone through a lot. We both have survived, and here we are, which I think is a really remarkable story.&quot;

As six-times Melbourne Park champion, Serena will be a clear favourite, of course, more so because she has reached her 34th grand slam semi-final without losing a set.

Lucic-Baroni&#39;s path to the last four has been more of a battle, as befits a woman who has overcome huge adversity to get back to the top of the game after years in the wilderness.

While Serena missed the back end last season with a shoulder problem, Lucic-Baroni has more immediate concerns about an injury to her left leg.

&quot;I&#39;m going to be just fine,&quot; said the world number 79. &quot;I&#39;m going to recover, do some therapy, and I&#39;ll be fine. I&#39;ll just put some extra tapes on and hopefully, it will hold me together. I&#39;ll fight hard. I&#39;ll be okay.&quot;

The first semi-final is an all-American affair pitching Venus, the oldest woman in the draw, against 25-year-old surprise package Vandeweghe.

Venus does not have an Australian Open crown in her collection of seven grand slam titles and has reached the final just once, losing to Serena in 2003.

Vandeweghe has got to the last four of a grand slam for the first time here by blowing opponents off the court with her booming serve and big winners.

Venus might be hoping that the occasion gets the better of the world number 35 but promised nevertheless that the power tennis would not be coming from just one side of the net.

&quot;Power is her game, her strength. She&#39;s putting the ball in with it, it&#39;s awesome to see really,&quot; Venus said.

&quot;(But) I play a power game as well. I&#39;ve been fortunate enough to play good defence and have good movement on the court. Hopefully, this will be a plus for me.&quot;

Vandeweghe was seven years old when Venus first played at the Australian Open and said it remarkable to think she was about to face a player she once asked for an autograph.

&quot;It&#39;s a dream to play someone you grew up watching,&quot; she said. &quot;To play an unbelievable player, future Hall of Famer, Venus, to be on the court with her but to do it at this stage of a grand slam is kind of crazy.&quot;

(Reuters)

Only three women can now prevent Serena Williams from clinching a 23rd grand slam title on Saturday

Only three women can now prevent Serena Williams from clinching a 23rd grand slam title on Saturday, her sister Venus, a younger compatriot and a 34-year-old Croatian she last played nearly two decades ago. The quartet take to Rod Laver Arena on Thursday with Serena playing Mirjana Lucic-Baroni and Venus facing Coco Vandeweghe at the business end of an Australian Open where upsets have been a daily occurrence. The seedings have not proved much of a guide in the women's draw this year, with world number two Serena the sole survivor of the top 12 at the start the tournament. The head-to-head will not provide much help either when assessing Serena's matchup against Lucic-Baroni, given their last meeting came in 1998 at Wimbledon when they were both 16. "It was on Centre Court. That's all I remember. I remember winning. I was so excited because I was so young. She obviously was super young, too. That's all," Serena said on Wednesday after beating Johanna Konta in the quarter-finals. "We have totally different games now, the both of us. We both have gone through a lot. We both have survived, and here we are, which I think is a really remarkable story." As six-times Melbourne Park champion, Serena will be a clear favourite, of course, more so because she has reached her 34th grand slam semi-final without losing a set. Lucic-Baroni's path to the last four has been more of a battle, as befits a woman who has overcome huge adversity to get back to the top of the game after years in the wilderness. While Serena missed the back end last season with a shoulder problem, Lucic-Baroni has more immediate concerns about an injury to her left leg. "I'm going to be just fine," said the world number 79. "I'm going to recover, do some therapy, and I'll be fine. I'll just put some extra tapes on and hopefully, it will hold me together. I'll fight hard. I'll be okay." The first semi-final is an all-American affair pitching Venus, the oldest woman in the draw, against 25-year-old surprise package Vandeweghe. Venus does not have an Australian Open crown in her collection of seven grand slam titles and has reached the final just once, losing to Serena in 2003. Vandeweghe has got to the last four of a grand slam for the first time here by blowing opponents off the court with her booming serve and big winners. Venus might be hoping that the occasion gets the better of the world number 35 but promised nevertheless that the power tennis would not be coming from just one side of the net. "Power is her game, her strength. She's putting the ball in with it, it's awesome to see really," Venus said. "(But) I play a power game as well. I've been fortunate enough to play good defence and have good movement on the court. Hopefully, this will be a plus for me." Vandeweghe was seven years old when Venus first played at the Australian Open and said it remarkable to think she was about to face a player she once asked for an autograph. "It's a dream to play someone you grew up watching," she said. "To play an unbelievable player, future Hall of Famer, Venus, to be on the court with her but to do it at this stage of a grand slam is kind of crazy." (Reuters)

Australian Open: Serena Williams enters semi-finals

Unstoppable Serena Williams zeroed in on a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title Thursday by setting up an Australian Open final against her older sister Venus, as the siblings&#39; dream came true.

The ruthless world number two proved one step too far for unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, whose fairytale tournament was finally ended in a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat in just 50 minutes.

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In swatting aside the 34-year-old, in their first meeting since 1998, Serena, 35, stayed on track for a seventh Australian title which would take her past Steffi Graf&#39;s Open-era record of 22 major wins.

She has refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing the German, but now has a golden chance of further cementing her place in history.

Winning the title would also mean the world number one ranking would be hers again&nbsp;after Angelique Kerber snatched deposed her late last year.

Only Venus stands in the way after the elder Williams rolled back the years to beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 in the other semi-final.

It ensured another chapter in their eventful family history as they meet for their ninth Grand Slam final on Saturday, eight years after the last. Serena holds a 6-2 advantage.

&quot;I didn&#39;t watch (Venus). Obviously, I was really proud, she&#39;s an inspiration, my big sister,&quot; said Serena.&nbsp;

&quot;She&#39;s my world, my life, she means everything to me. I couldn&#39;t be happier for us both to be in the final. It&#39;s the biggest dream come true for us.&quot;

She also paid tribute to Lucic-Baroni, a former teenage prodigy when the Williams sisters were emerging in the 1990s before her career was derailed by personal problems.

&quot;Mirjana is an inspiration, she deserves all the credit today. To get this far, after everything she has gone through, that just inspires me.&quot;

One-way traffic&nbsp; 
Despite her serve not being up to scratch in Melbourne until now, Williams has so many other weapons in her armoury that her opponents have been unable to cope.

Lucic-Baroni was no different.

Her left thigh was again heavily strapped and the problem put her at an immediate disadvantage, restricting her movement against a player known for her pounding forehand winners.

They both held serve comfortably to shake off any early nerves but Williams was looking sharp, capitalising on an unforced error to get the first break and go 2-1 ahead.

She consolidated her lead by holding serve again, and a Lucic-Baroni double fault handed her a 4-1 lead.

It was one-way traffic as the second seed asserted her authority, unloading some powerful groundstrokes to unsettle the Croat and easily take the first set in 25 minutes.

The pair were playing each other for the first time since Wimbledon 19 years ago, a match the American won. Since then their careers have taken very different turns.

While Williams went on to win 22 Grand Slams, the Croat dropped out of top-level tennis for most of the 2003-2010 period after fleeing an abusive and controlling father and suffering money and injury problems.

Her return to the big time in Melbourne has been the feel-good story of the tournament, winning her legions of new fans with her emotional progression to her first Grand Slam semi-final since Wimbledon in 1999.

But it was only ever going to come to an end against the dominant Williams, who after seeing Venus make the final was never going to throw away the chance to meet her once again.

The second set went the way of the first, with Williams crushing Lucic-Baroni&#39;s serve to again break in the third game.

She was broken again in game five as her magnificent run drew to a close and Williams moved into her 29th Grand Slam final.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Serena Williams beat Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 6-1, her sister Venus defeated American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7, 6-2, 6-3

Unstoppable Serena Williams zeroed in on a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title Thursday by setting up an Australian Open final against her older sister Venus, as the siblings' dream came true. The ruthless world number two proved one step too far for unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, whose fairytale tournament was finally ended in a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat in just 50 minutes. Serena has so far refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing Stefi × In swatting aside the 34-year-old, in their first meeting since 1998, Serena, 35, stayed on track for a seventh Australian title which would take her past Steffi Graf's Open-era record of 22 major wins. She has refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing the German, but now has a golden chance of further cementing her place in history. Winning the title would also mean the world number one ranking would be hers again after Angelique Kerber snatched deposed her late last year. Only Venus stands in the way after the elder Williams rolled back the years to beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 in the other semi-final. It ensured another chapter in their eventful family history as they meet for their ninth Grand Slam final on Saturday, eight years after the last. Serena holds a 6-2 advantage. "I didn't watch (Venus). Obviously, I was really proud, she's an inspiration, my big sister," said Serena. "She's my world, my life, she means everything to me. I couldn't be happier for us both to be in the final. It's the biggest dream come true for us." She also paid tribute to Lucic-Baroni, a former teenage prodigy when the Williams sisters were emerging in the 1990s before her career was derailed by personal problems. "Mirjana is an inspiration, she deserves all the credit today. To get this far, after everything she has gone through, that just inspires me." One-way traffic Despite her serve not being up to scratch in Melbourne until now, Williams has so many other weapons in her armoury that her opponents have been unable to cope. Lucic-Baroni was no different. Her left thigh was again heavily strapped and the problem put her at an immediate disadvantage, restricting her movement against a player known for her pounding forehand winners. They both held serve comfortably to shake off any early nerves but Williams was looking sharp, capitalising on an unforced error to get the first break and go 2-1 ahead. She consolidated her lead by holding serve again, and a Lucic-Baroni double fault handed her a 4-1 lead. It was one-way traffic as the second seed asserted her authority, unloading some powerful groundstrokes to unsettle the Croat and easily take the first set in 25 minutes. The pair were playing each other for the first time since Wimbledon 19 years ago, a match the American won. Since then their careers have taken very different turns. While Williams went on to win 22 Grand Slams, the Croat dropped out of top-level tennis for most of the 2003-2010 period after fleeing an abusive and controlling father and suffering money and injury problems. Her return to the big time in Melbourne has been the feel-good story of the tournament, winning her legions of new fans with her emotional progression to her first Grand Slam semi-final since Wimbledon in 1999. But it was only ever going to come to an end against the dominant Williams, who after seeing Venus make the final was never going to throw away the chance to meet her once again. The second set went the way of the first, with Williams crushing Lucic-Baroni's serve to again break in the third game. She was broken again in game five as her magnificent run drew to a close and Williams moved into her 29th Grand Slam final. (AFP)

Dreams do come true: Serena, Venus in Australian Open final

Venus Williams rolled back the years to battle into her first Grand Slam final since 2009 Thursday, brushing off the dangerous Coco Vendeweghe at the Australian Open.

The focused 36-year-old was imperious in banishing her power-hitting fellow American 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena, striking a blow for the tennis old guard.

In making the decider, she becomes the oldest finalist at Melbourne Park in the Open era, joining a select list of 30-somethings to get that far including Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

The 13th seed also bags the record for the longest wait between major finals at seven-and-a-half years, following her last appearance in the 2009 Wimbledon final.

&quot;This means so much, especially because she played so well, I had to play defence for so long,&quot; said Williams, who screamed and performed pirouettes after clinching the win.

&quot;There was never a moment of relaxation ever, so to be able to get to the final through a match like this I&#39;m just ? I&#39;m excited about American tennis as well.

&quot;It means so much, growing up all I wanted was to have an opportunity to play the tournaments. It&#39;s like more than a cherry on top, more than I dreamed of.&quot;

Despite winning seven Grand Slams and being a seven-time runner-up, Williams has only ever made the final in Melbourne once before ? in 2003, when she lost in three sets to sister Serena.

Another all-Williams final is on the cards with Serena the hot favourite to beat unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the other semi-final late on Thursday.

&quot;More than anything I&#39;d love to see Serena across the net from me on Saturday,&quot; said Venus.

Venus Williams has consistently said in Melbourne she has nothing to prove and was simply &quot;living the dream&quot;, and her relaxed approach has paid dividends.

Kept her cool

It was the feisty Vandeweghe, ranked 35, who pounced early, working four break points and going 1-0 up when Williams netted a forehand in her opening service game.

But Williams soon settled and she began to dictate from the baseline, handling the 25-year-old&#39;s powerful serve well.

A stretching crosscourt forehand winner gave her a break point in the next game and a double fault from Vandeweghe put them level at 1-1.

Efficient serving from both players took the match to 6-6, with the two trading powerful groundstrokes without being able to find an opening in a tense struggle.

Vandeweghe was moving well and it was Williams who blinked first as the younger American took the tiebreak, pumping her fist and letting out a yell.

But it didn&#39;t phase the veteran, who continued to pick her shots well and conserve energy, with Vandeweghe showing frustration when Williams broke to go 2-1 ahead in the second set, slamming her racquet to the ground.

Williams&#39; long experience came to the fore. She remained calm and composed and as Vandeweghe struggled with her serve, she went 4-1 ahead with another break.

Vandeweghe&#39;s frustrations were showing and she belted a ball into the crowd, but escaped a warning. The Williams serve was powerful and on its mark as she took the second set in 38 minutes to level the match.

Williams was getting extraordinary angles on her returns and she decisively broke the younger American&#39;s serve in the third set to take a 1-0 lead.

It was the only chance she needed, keeping her cool in the pressure-cooker atmosphere to write another chapter in her lengthy career, winning on her fourth match point.

(AFP)

She becomes the oldest finalist at Melbourne Park in the Open era, joining a select list of 30-somethings to get that far

Venus Williams rolled back the years to battle into her first Grand Slam final since 2009 Thursday, brushing off the dangerous Coco Vendeweghe at the Australian Open. The focused 36-year-old was imperious in banishing her power-hitting fellow American 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena, striking a blow for the tennis old guard. In making the decider, she becomes the oldest finalist at Melbourne Park in the Open era, joining a select list of 30-somethings to get that far including Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova. The 13th seed also bags the record for the longest wait between major finals at seven-and-a-half years, following her last appearance in the 2009 Wimbledon final. "This means so much, especially because she played so well, I had to play defence for so long," said Williams, who screamed and performed pirouettes after clinching the win. "There was never a moment of relaxation ever, so to be able to get to the final through a match like this I'm just ? I'm excited about American tennis as well. "It means so much, growing up all I wanted was to have an opportunity to play the tournaments. It's like more than a cherry on top, more than I dreamed of." Despite winning seven Grand Slams and being a seven-time runner-up, Williams has only ever made the final in Melbourne once before ? in 2003, when she lost in three sets to sister Serena. Another all-Williams final is on the cards with Serena the hot favourite to beat unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni in the other semi-final late on Thursday. "More than anything I'd love to see Serena across the net from me on Saturday," said Venus. Venus Williams has consistently said in Melbourne she has nothing to prove and was simply "living the dream", and her relaxed approach has paid dividends. Kept her cool It was the feisty Vandeweghe, ranked 35, who pounced early, working four break points and going 1-0 up when Williams netted a forehand in her opening service game. But Williams soon settled and she began to dictate from the baseline, handling the 25-year-old's powerful serve well. A stretching crosscourt forehand winner gave her a break point in the next game and a double fault from Vandeweghe put them level at 1-1. Efficient serving from both players took the match to 6-6, with the two trading powerful groundstrokes without being able to find an opening in a tense struggle. Vandeweghe was moving well and it was Williams who blinked first as the younger American took the tiebreak, pumping her fist and letting out a yell. But it didn't phase the veteran, who continued to pick her shots well and conserve energy, with Vandeweghe showing frustration when Williams broke to go 2-1 ahead in the second set, slamming her racquet to the ground. Williams' long experience came to the fore. She remained calm and composed and as Vandeweghe struggled with her serve, she went 4-1 ahead with another break. Vandeweghe's frustrations were showing and she belted a ball into the crowd, but escaped a warning. The Williams serve was powerful and on its mark as she took the second set in 38 minutes to level the match. Williams was getting extraordinary angles on her returns and she decisively broke the younger American's serve in the third set to take a 1-0 lead. It was the only chance she needed, keeping her cool in the pressure-cooker atmosphere to write another chapter in her lengthy career, winning on her fourth match point. (AFP)

Tennis: Venus Williams ends major final drought at Australian Open

World number one Serena Williams opened her US Open account with a tidy 6-3 6-3 win over Ekaterina Makarova on Tuesday, to join her sister Venus in the second round of the year&#39;s final grand slam. 
 
Williams, whose status as world number one is under attack from several fronts, delivered a message that she will not be surrendering the top spot without a fight, needing just 63 minutes to dispatch the 29th-ranked Russian. 
 
Germany&#39;s Angelique Kerber and Spain&#39;s Garbine Muguruza, who have both beaten Williams in slam finals this season, along with Poland&#39;s Agnieszka Radwanska, will all be eyeing the number one ranking should the American&#39;s bid for a 23rd grand slam title stall. 
 
Williams has owned the number one spot since February 18, 2013 and will extend her streak to 186 consecutive weeks by the end of the US Open fortnight, tying the WTA record held by Steffi Graf. 
 
Back on Arthur Ashe Stadium court for the first time since a shock loss to Italy&#39;s Roberta Vinci in last year&#39;s U.S. Open semi-finals, Williams made quick work of Makarova to follow the lead of her sister Venus. 
 
Sixth-seeded Venus had provided the opening act for sister Serena when she outlasted Ukraine&#39;s Kateryna Kozlova 6-2 5-7 6-4 before turning over the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to her top-seeded sibling. 
 
The Flushing Meadows spotlight is once again firmly fixed on Serena as she chases an Open Era, record-smashing 23rd slam title with concerns over her right shoulder, believed to be a factor in her third-round singles loss at the Rio Olympics. 
 
Fashion Statement 
 
As always at the US Open, what the world number one was wearing attracted as much attention as her performance. Williams sported a black tennis dress with cutouts revealing her muscular shoulders. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a part of the design,&quot; explained William. &quot;It&#39;s just the latest and greatest accessory. 
 
&quot;It also is functional, so I think that helps me, especially with my shoulder problems that I&#39;ve been having.&quot; 
 
The 34-year-old American took something off her big serve, but showed no signs of distress as she blasted 12 aces past Makarova, a player who on occasion has given her problems, beating her in the fourth round of the 2012 Australian Open. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t hit them as hard as I normally hit them,&quot; she said about her serves. &quot;I just went for more placement. I didn&#39;t go for the big 120s (mph), just the regular.&quot; 
 
&quot;I knew today I needed to be focused,&quot; said Williams. &quot;She goes deep in majors. She knows how to play big matches on big courts. She&#39;s not intimidated.&quot; 
 
As usual, history beckons Williams who is bidding for a seventh U.S. Open victory that would surpass the Open Era record she shares with Chris Evert. 
 
But whether it is the world number one ranking or another record at stake, Williams had the same answer. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t answer those questions,&quot; flatly stated Williams, who will next face American wild card Vania King, a 7-6(2) 6-3 winner over Germany qualifier Antonia Lottner.

(Reuters)

After being at the world number one spot since 2013, Serena will extend her streak to 186 consecutive weeks by the end of the US Open

World number one Serena Williams opened her US Open account with a tidy 6-3 6-3 win over Ekaterina Makarova on Tuesday, to join her sister Venus in the second round of the year's final grand slam. Williams, whose status as world number one is under attack from several fronts, delivered a message that she will not be surrendering the top spot without a fight, needing just 63 minutes to dispatch the 29th-ranked Russian. Germany's Angelique Kerber and Spain's Garbine Muguruza, who have both beaten Williams in slam finals this season, along with Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska, will all be eyeing the number one ranking should the American's bid for a 23rd grand slam title stall. Williams has owned the number one spot since February 18, 2013 and will extend her streak to 186 consecutive weeks by the end of the US Open fortnight, tying the WTA record held by Steffi Graf. Back on Arthur Ashe Stadium court for the first time since a shock loss to Italy's Roberta Vinci in last year's U.S. Open semi-finals, Williams made quick work of Makarova to follow the lead of her sister Venus. Sixth-seeded Venus had provided the opening act for sister Serena when she outlasted Ukraine's Kateryna Kozlova 6-2 5-7 6-4 before turning over the Arthur Ashe Stadium court to her top-seeded sibling. The Flushing Meadows spotlight is once again firmly fixed on Serena as she chases an Open Era, record-smashing 23rd slam title with concerns over her right shoulder, believed to be a factor in her third-round singles loss at the Rio Olympics. Fashion Statement As always at the US Open, what the world number one was wearing attracted as much attention as her performance. Williams sported a black tennis dress with cutouts revealing her muscular shoulders. "It's a part of the design," explained William. "It's just the latest and greatest accessory. "It also is functional, so I think that helps me, especially with my shoulder problems that I've been having." The 34-year-old American took something off her big serve, but showed no signs of distress as she blasted 12 aces past Makarova, a player who on occasion has given her problems, beating her in the fourth round of the 2012 Australian Open. "I didn't hit them as hard as I normally hit them," she said about her serves. "I just went for more placement. I didn't go for the big 120s (mph), just the regular." "I knew today I needed to be focused," said Williams. "She goes deep in majors. She knows how to play big matches on big courts. She's not intimidated." As usual, history beckons Williams who is bidding for a seventh U.S. Open victory that would surpass the Open Era record she shares with Chris Evert. But whether it is the world number one ranking or another record at stake, Williams had the same answer. "I don't answer those questions," flatly stated Williams, who will next face American wild card Vania King, a 7-6(2) 6-3 winner over Germany qualifier Antonia Lottner. (Reuters)

Serena Williams joins Venus to reach second round of US Open

Former Olympic champion Venus Williams was eliminated in the first round at the Rio Games on Saturday after Belgian underdog Kirsten Flipkens mounted a spirited fight back to cause the biggest upset of the opening day. 
 
Another notable casualty on the first day of competition was former world Number 1 Ana Ivanovic, who surged ahead in the first set against world Number 12 Carla Suarez Navarro but lost 2-6 6-1 6-2 after two error-strewn sets. 
 
With US secretary of state John Kerry and gymnastics gold medal favourite Simone Biles looking on, seven-times grand slam winner Williams won the first set but became frustrated as the match wore on, losing 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) to the world number 62. 
 
Flipkens collapsed on to the court after winning the final set tie-breaker and the rowdy Brazilian crowd serenaded her with chants of &quot;ole, ole, ole&quot;. 
 
Flipkens later thanked the &quot;amazing&quot; Brazilian crowd for helping her pull off one of the biggest wins of her career. 
 
&quot;To beat Venus Williams on the centre court, one of the biggest champions in our history, that (gave me) goosebumps all over the place,&quot; she told reporters. 
 
The loss will not be the end of the competition for 2000 Sydney Games champion Williams, however, as the 36-year-old is bidding to win her fourth doubles gold medal with sister Serena. 
 
Former French Open winner Ivanovic rued letting her chances slip away. 
 
&quot;I had a chance to come back in the third set but every time I came close to pegging her back, I missed the opportunity,&quot; said the world Number 26. 
 
Ivanovic&#39;s match, like all the others on centre court, was played in a stadium that was more than half empty, something likely to disappoint organisers. 
 
But the size of crowds did not bother Japan&#39;s Kei Nishikori, who opened the men&#39;s singles tennis tournament on centre court by knocking out Spain&#39;s Albert Ramos-Vi?olas with ease, winning 6-2 6-4 in two sets. 
 
Some players said conditions were tricky due to soaring temperatures and a strong breeze drifting across from the ocean. 
 
&quot;Here it&rsquo;s very difficult to play because it&rsquo;s fairly open, there is constantly some kind of wind,&quot; said Croatia&#39;s Marin Cilic, who beat Bulgaria&#39;s Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 6-4. 
 
One player who thrived in the Rio sun was Australia&#39;s John Millman, who became the first Olympian to win a men&#39;s singles match without losing a game. 
 
Millman&#39;s &quot;double-bagel&quot; 6-0, 6-0 victory came against Lithuania&#39;s Ricardas Berankis. The Australian, who has battled back to fitness after several shoulder surgeries that threatened his career, took part in Friday&#39;s late-night opening ceremony, which many Olympians competing early on Saturday skipped. 
 
&quot;That was a really stirring moment for me. It&#39;s hard to explain the emotions I got walking into that stadium, and obviously that carried over to today,&quot; said the 27-year-old. 
 
(Reuters)

World number 62, the Belgian Kirsten Flipkens, mounted a spirited fightback and beat her 4-6 6-3 7-6(5)

Former Olympic champion Venus Williams was eliminated in the first round at the Rio Games on Saturday after Belgian underdog Kirsten Flipkens mounted a spirited fight back to cause the biggest upset of the opening day. Another notable casualty on the first day of competition was former world Number 1 Ana Ivanovic, who surged ahead in the first set against world Number 12 Carla Suarez Navarro but lost 2-6 6-1 6-2 after two error-strewn sets. With US secretary of state John Kerry and gymnastics gold medal favourite Simone Biles looking on, seven-times grand slam winner Williams won the first set but became frustrated as the match wore on, losing 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) to the world number 62. Flipkens collapsed on to the court after winning the final set tie-breaker and the rowdy Brazilian crowd serenaded her with chants of "ole, ole, ole". Flipkens later thanked the "amazing" Brazilian crowd for helping her pull off one of the biggest wins of her career. "To beat Venus Williams on the centre court, one of the biggest champions in our history, that (gave me) goosebumps all over the place," she told reporters. The loss will not be the end of the competition for 2000 Sydney Games champion Williams, however, as the 36-year-old is bidding to win her fourth doubles gold medal with sister Serena. Former French Open winner Ivanovic rued letting her chances slip away. "I had a chance to come back in the third set but every time I came close to pegging her back, I missed the opportunity," said the world Number 26. Ivanovic's match, like all the others on centre court, was played in a stadium that was more than half empty, something likely to disappoint organisers. But the size of crowds did not bother Japan's Kei Nishikori, who opened the men's singles tennis tournament on centre court by knocking out Spain's Albert Ramos-Vi?olas with ease, winning 6-2 6-4 in two sets. Some players said conditions were tricky due to soaring temperatures and a strong breeze drifting across from the ocean. "Here it’s very difficult to play because it’s fairly open, there is constantly some kind of wind," said Croatia's Marin Cilic, who beat Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov 6-1 6-4. One player who thrived in the Rio sun was Australia's John Millman, who became the first Olympian to win a men's singles match without losing a game. Millman's "double-bagel" 6-0, 6-0 victory came against Lithuania's Ricardas Berankis. The Australian, who has battled back to fitness after several shoulder surgeries that threatened his career, took part in Friday's late-night opening ceremony, which many Olympians competing early on Saturday skipped. "That was a really stirring moment for me. It's hard to explain the emotions I got walking into that stadium, and obviously that carried over to today," said the 27-year-old. (Reuters)

Venus knocked out in Rio upset

Venus Williams tumbled out in the third round of the Rogers Cup in Montreal on Thursday, suffering an upset loss to Madison Keys in her final tournament before the Olympics. 
 
The sixth-seeded Williams was beaten 6-1, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3 by 10th seed Keys, who will now face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals. 
 
Williams, 36, looked well below her best as Keys raced away with the first set before forging a 3-1 lead in the second. 
 
However, Williams, who reached the final of last week&#39;s tournament in Stanford, rallied to level with victory in the second set tiebreak. 
 
Keys raised her game in the decisive third set however and quickly broke Williams to gain the advantage before converting match point with an ace to seal the win. 
 
Pavlyuchenkova earlier scored the biggest upset of the day with a three-set victory over 2014 champion and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, winning 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1. 
 
The win comes hard on the heels of her impressive showing at Wimbledon where she reached the quarter-finals for the first time.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;I&#39;m really happy and I knew it&#39;d be a tough match. Every time I play against Agnieszka it&#39;s 7-6 in the third, or something,&quot; the in-form Russian said. 
 
&quot;She&#39;s a really tough opponent, and so I&#39;m really pleased with the win.&quot; 
 
Elsewhere Thursday, fifth seed Simona Halep breezed into the last eight, needing just 68 minutes to claim a 6-3, 6-3 win over 14th-ranked Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. 
 
&quot;I&#39;m happy that I won today. It&#39;s nice to be in the quarterfinals again, second year in a row,&quot; the 24-year-old Romanian said.&nbsp; 
 
Halep will face ninth-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in the next round. Kuznetsova defeated 12th seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7/2) 6-3.&nbsp; 
 
In another Russian victory on Thursday, Daria Kasatkina knocked out seventh-ranked Italian Roberta Vinci, 7-5, 6-3. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The sixth-seeded Williams was beaten 6-1, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3 by 10th seed Keys, who will now face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals

Venus Williams tumbled out in the third round of the Rogers Cup in Montreal on Thursday, suffering an upset loss to Madison Keys in her final tournament before the Olympics. The sixth-seeded Williams was beaten 6-1, 6-7 (2/7), 6-3 by 10th seed Keys, who will now face Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals. Williams, 36, looked well below her best as Keys raced away with the first set before forging a 3-1 lead in the second. However, Williams, who reached the final of last week's tournament in Stanford, rallied to level with victory in the second set tiebreak. Keys raised her game in the decisive third set however and quickly broke Williams to gain the advantage before converting match point with an ace to seal the win. Pavlyuchenkova earlier scored the biggest upset of the day with a three-set victory over 2014 champion and fourth seed Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland, winning 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-1. The win comes hard on the heels of her impressive showing at Wimbledon where she reached the quarter-finals for the first time. "I'm really happy and I knew it'd be a tough match. Every time I play against Agnieszka it's 7-6 in the third, or something," the in-form Russian said. "She's a really tough opponent, and so I'm really pleased with the win." Elsewhere Thursday, fifth seed Simona Halep breezed into the last eight, needing just 68 minutes to claim a 6-3, 6-3 win over 14th-ranked Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic. "I'm happy that I won today. It's nice to be in the quarterfinals again, second year in a row," the 24-year-old Romanian said. Halep will face ninth-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia in the next round. Kuznetsova defeated 12th seed Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic 7-6 (7/2) 6-3. In another Russian victory on Thursday, Daria Kasatkina knocked out seventh-ranked Italian Roberta Vinci, 7-5, 6-3. (AFP)

Madison Keys takes out Venus Williams, advances in Rogers Cup

Britain&#39;s Johanna Konta captured her first WTA title in style on Sunday, beating former world number one Venus Williams 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 at the WTA hardcourt tournament in Stanford, California. 
 
Konta, ranked 18th in the world and seeded third, appeared on her way to an emphatic victory in her first career final after racing to a 4-1 lead with two breaks of serve in the second set. 
 
But Williams, seeking her 50th career title, won six of the next seven games to knot the match at a set apiece. 
 
The 25-year-old Konta, who fired 12 aces to three from Williams, didn&#39;t let the seven-time Grand Slam champion&#39;s resurgence rattle her. 
 
&quot;Quite honestly you&#39;d expect nothing less of a champion that she is,&quot; Konta said. &quot;That&#39;s what great champions do. They raise their level. They definitely don&#39;t give away a match.&quot; 
 
Refreshed after a brief bathroom break, she broke Williams in the third game of the final set, and took a 3-1 lead with her 10th ace of the match. 
 
She broke Williams again to serve for the match at 5-2, and despite a couple of nervy missteps in the final game sealed the victory on her third match point. 
 
&quot;It was quite an incredibly humbling experience,&quot; said Konta, the first Briton to win the tournament since Sue Barker in 1977. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a great validation of the hard work you do put in, and it&#39;s a great motivator on the things you want to keep getting better at, the length you want to go to become that much more better at your discipline. &quot; 
 
Konta had launched her career-best season with a win over Williams in the first round of the Australian Open, where she went on to reach the semi-finals. 
 
Britain&#39;s top player has since gone from strength to strength, making the second week of both Indian Wells and Miami, and reaching the semi-finals at Eastbourne. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s daily work,&quot; Konta said of her rise. &quot;It&#39;s daily desire to keep getting better.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Johanna Konta, who ranked 18th in the world is the first Briton to win the tournament since Sue Barker in 1977

Britain's Johanna Konta captured her first WTA title in style on Sunday, beating former world number one Venus Williams 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 at the WTA hardcourt tournament in Stanford, California. Konta, ranked 18th in the world and seeded third, appeared on her way to an emphatic victory in her first career final after racing to a 4-1 lead with two breaks of serve in the second set. But Williams, seeking her 50th career title, won six of the next seven games to knot the match at a set apiece. The 25-year-old Konta, who fired 12 aces to three from Williams, didn't let the seven-time Grand Slam champion's resurgence rattle her. "Quite honestly you'd expect nothing less of a champion that she is," Konta said. "That's what great champions do. They raise their level. They definitely don't give away a match." Refreshed after a brief bathroom break, she broke Williams in the third game of the final set, and took a 3-1 lead with her 10th ace of the match. She broke Williams again to serve for the match at 5-2, and despite a couple of nervy missteps in the final game sealed the victory on her third match point. "It was quite an incredibly humbling experience," said Konta, the first Briton to win the tournament since Sue Barker in 1977. "It's a great validation of the hard work you do put in, and it's a great motivator on the things you want to keep getting better at, the length you want to go to become that much more better at your discipline. " Konta had launched her career-best season with a win over Williams in the first round of the Australian Open, where she went on to reach the semi-finals. Britain's top player has since gone from strength to strength, making the second week of both Indian Wells and Miami, and reaching the semi-finals at Eastbourne. "It's daily work," Konta said of her rise. "It's daily desire to keep getting better." (AFP)

Konta topples Venus for first WTA title

Top-seed Venus Williams will play for her 50th WTA title on Sunday in Stanford, in the tournament where she made her professional debut 22 years ago. 
 
Williams defeated tenacious Alison Riske 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) to reach the championship match, where she`ll face third-seeded Briton Johanna Konta. 
 
Konta, ranked 18th in the world, reached her first career WTA final with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over second-seeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova. 
 
After sailing through the opening set, Williams had to fight her own inconsistent serve in the second. 
 
Up 5-4 in the second and serving for the match, Williams produced three double faults, wasting two match points. 
 
Two games later Williams saved two set points to force the tiebreaker, which she dominated. 
 
Williams, who won the Stanford title in 2000 and 2002, won her 49th career singles title in Taiwan in February. 
 
The 36-year-old winner of seven Grand Slam titles turned back the clock with a run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon. 
 
Konta, who reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, and at Eastbourne in June, has rebounded well from a second-round exit at the All England Club. 
 
&quot;I`m really happy to have come through that and to be in my first final,&quot; Konta said. &quot;I`m really happy that it`s here in California, where the weather is unbelievable.&quot; 
 
Konta dominated on serve, winning four of her five service games in the first set at love. 
 
She closed out the first frame with an ace, and delivered more of the same in the second set, when she won 27 of the 29 points on which she put her first serve in play. 
 
&quot;I definitely felt I needed to take care of things on my end the best possible way,&quot; Konta said. &quot;I was very effective with my breathing and just really playing within myself.&quot; 
 
Cibulkova said power wasn`t Konta`s only advantage on serve. 
 
&quot;Her placing was very good,&quot; Cibulkova said. &quot;Her serve was fast, but it wasn`t the main problem. She was just placing the serve really well, and it was really hard to read it.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Top-seed Venus Williams will take on world number 18 Johanna Konta on Sunday

Top-seed Venus Williams will play for her 50th WTA title on Sunday in Stanford, in the tournament where she made her professional debut 22 years ago. Williams defeated tenacious Alison Riske 6-1, 7-6 (7/2) to reach the championship match, where she`ll face third-seeded Briton Johanna Konta. Konta, ranked 18th in the world, reached her first career WTA final with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over second-seeded Slovakian Dominika Cibulkova. After sailing through the opening set, Williams had to fight her own inconsistent serve in the second. Up 5-4 in the second and serving for the match, Williams produced three double faults, wasting two match points. Two games later Williams saved two set points to force the tiebreaker, which she dominated. Williams, who won the Stanford title in 2000 and 2002, won her 49th career singles title in Taiwan in February. The 36-year-old winner of seven Grand Slam titles turned back the clock with a run to the semi-finals at Wimbledon. Konta, who reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January, and at Eastbourne in June, has rebounded well from a second-round exit at the All England Club. "I`m really happy to have come through that and to be in my first final," Konta said. "I`m really happy that it`s here in California, where the weather is unbelievable." Konta dominated on serve, winning four of her five service games in the first set at love. She closed out the first frame with an ace, and delivered more of the same in the second set, when she won 27 of the 29 points on which she put her first serve in play. "I definitely felt I needed to take care of things on my end the best possible way," Konta said. "I was very effective with my breathing and just really playing within myself." Cibulkova said power wasn`t Konta`s only advantage on serve. "Her placing was very good," Cibulkova said. "Her serve was fast, but it wasn`t the main problem. She was just placing the serve really well, and it was really hard to read it." (AFP)

Venus Williams eyes 50th WTA title

Top-seeded Venus Williams booked her semi-final berth at the WTA hardcourt tournament in Stanford, California, on Friday with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over 17-year-old wild card CiCi Bellis. 
 
Ranked seventh in the world, the 36-year-old Williams needed only an hour to get past the 203rd-ranked Bellis in an all-American clash. 
 
Williams, who captured the most recent of her 49 singles titles in February in Taiwan, next faces another American, Alison Riske, who was leading 6-3, 0-1 when fourth-seeded Coco Vandeweghe retired from their quarter-final with a right ankle injury.&nbsp;Vandeweghe left the court in a wheelchair, pressing an ice pack to her ankle. 
 
Bellis, playing in her first WTA quarter-final was buoyed by an early service break.&nbsp;But former world number one Williams quickly regained the break and broke again with a backhand winner down the line to secure the opening set.&nbsp;It was all Williams in the second set as she moved a step closer to a third Stanford title to go with those she won in 2000 and 2002. 
 
The other semi-final will pit second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia against third-seeded Johanna Konta of Britain.&nbsp;Cibulkova won 11 straight games after trailing 2-5 in the opening set en route to a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Japanese fifth seed Misaki Doi.&nbsp;Konta defeated China`s Zheng Saisai 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. 
 
Cibulkova`s victory ensures she will return to the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in more than 18 months.&nbsp;Her 2016 campaign has included two titles and a run to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. 
 
&quot;Today was really, really tough. She was playing fast from the first ball, but once I found out what I needed to do to win I was doing the right thing all the way through the match,&quot; said Cibulkova, who won the Stanford title three years ago. &nbsp;&quot;I know the court, I know the balls, I know what I have to do to go all the way here,&quot; she said. 
 
(AFP)

Williams moved a step closer to a third Stanford title, to go with those she won in 2000 and 2002

Top-seeded Venus Williams booked her semi-final berth at the WTA hardcourt tournament in Stanford, California, on Friday with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over 17-year-old wild card CiCi Bellis. Ranked seventh in the world, the 36-year-old Williams needed only an hour to get past the 203rd-ranked Bellis in an all-American clash. Williams, who captured the most recent of her 49 singles titles in February in Taiwan, next faces another American, Alison Riske, who was leading 6-3, 0-1 when fourth-seeded Coco Vandeweghe retired from their quarter-final with a right ankle injury. Vandeweghe left the court in a wheelchair, pressing an ice pack to her ankle. Bellis, playing in her first WTA quarter-final was buoyed by an early service break. But former world number one Williams quickly regained the break and broke again with a backhand winner down the line to secure the opening set. It was all Williams in the second set as she moved a step closer to a third Stanford title to go with those she won in 2000 and 2002. The other semi-final will pit second-seeded Dominika Cibulkova of Slovakia against third-seeded Johanna Konta of Britain. Cibulkova won 11 straight games after trailing 2-5 in the opening set en route to a 7-5, 6-0 victory over Japanese fifth seed Misaki Doi. Konta defeated China`s Zheng Saisai 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Cibulkova`s victory ensures she will return to the top 10 in the world rankings for the first time in more than 18 months. Her 2016 campaign has included two titles and a run to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon. "Today was really, really tough. She was playing fast from the first ball, but once I found out what I needed to do to win I was doing the right thing all the way through the match," said Cibulkova, who won the Stanford title three years ago. "I know the court, I know the balls, I know what I have to do to go all the way here," she said. (AFP)

Venus Williams beats CiCi Bellis, books Stanford semi-final

Serena Williams put the icing on the cake of another magnificent Wimbledon campaign by teaming up with sister Venus for a sixth doubles crown at the All England Club on Saturday. 
 
The reigning Olympic champions beat Timea Babos of Hungary and Kazakhstan&#39;s Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-4 on Centre Court, hours after Serena claimed a record-equalling 22nd grand slam singles title by defeating Germany&#39;s Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3. 
 
Serena has now won both the Wimbledon singles and doubles (with Venus) in the same year on four occasions. Together, the American duo have a perfect 14-0 record in grand slam doubles finals. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s unbelievable,&quot; said Serena. &quot;It&#39;s a feat even I couldn&#39;t have thought would have happened. It&#39;s amazing,&quot; she exclaimed.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning&#39; 
 
For Venus, it was a consolation after she lost to Kerber in Thursday&#39;s singles semi-finals, denying her a first grand slam singles final since losing to Serena at Wimbledon in 2009. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a privilege, it&#39;s an honour,&quot; said Venus. &quot;When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning. Then we enter the singles, we dream of winning.&nbsp;To have Williams on both of those, somehow in 2016, it&#39;s another dream come true.&quot; 
 
The sisters, who paired up again this year after a two-year absence, have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, moving them level with American Gigi Fernandez and Belarussian Natasha Zvereva in second place on the all-time list. 
 
They still have some way to go, however, to match the 20 of Martina Navratilova and fellow American Pam Shriver. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t know about that stat until yesterday, that we were 13-0,&quot; said Venus. &quot;It&#39;s not something you really think about. You just get to the final and try to win. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it made us nervous. You got time. If you get down a break, you always have time to get the break back. You can always go to a third (set).&nbsp;When you&#39;re out there, you probably realise you have a chance to go for it again,&quot; she mentioned.&nbsp; 
 
The Williams sisters are now 22-1 in all doubles finals they have played together. 
 
(Reuters)

Serena Williams and Venus Williams, who have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, paired up again this year after a two-year absence

Serena Williams put the icing on the cake of another magnificent Wimbledon campaign by teaming up with sister Venus for a sixth doubles crown at the All England Club on Saturday. The reigning Olympic champions beat Timea Babos of Hungary and Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-4 on Centre Court, hours after Serena claimed a record-equalling 22nd grand slam singles title by defeating Germany's Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3. Serena has now won both the Wimbledon singles and doubles (with Venus) in the same year on four occasions. Together, the American duo have a perfect 14-0 record in grand slam doubles finals. "It's unbelievable," said Serena. "It's a feat even I couldn't have thought would have happened. It's amazing," she exclaimed. 'When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning' For Venus, it was a consolation after she lost to Kerber in Thursday's singles semi-finals, denying her a first grand slam singles final since losing to Serena at Wimbledon in 2009. "It's a privilege, it's an honour," said Venus. "When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning. Then we enter the singles, we dream of winning. To have Williams on both of those, somehow in 2016, it's another dream come true." The sisters, who paired up again this year after a two-year absence, have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, moving them level with American Gigi Fernandez and Belarussian Natasha Zvereva in second place on the all-time list. They still have some way to go, however, to match the 20 of Martina Navratilova and fellow American Pam Shriver. "I didn't know about that stat until yesterday, that we were 13-0," said Venus. "It's not something you really think about. You just get to the final and try to win. "I don't think it made us nervous. You got time. If you get down a break, you always have time to get the break back. You can always go to a third (set). When you're out there, you probably realise you have a chance to go for it again," she mentioned. The Williams sisters are now 22-1 in all doubles finals they have played together. (Reuters)

Williams sisters win sixth Wimbledon doubles crown

Serena Williams put the icing on the cake of another magnificent Wimbledon campaign by teaming up with sister Venus for a sixth doubles crown at the All England Club on Saturday. 
 
The reigning Olympic champions beat Timea Babos of Hungary and Kazakhstan&#39;s Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-4 on Centre Court -- hours after Serena claimed a record-equalling 22nd grand slam singles title by defeating Germany&#39;s Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3. 
 
Serena has now won both the Wimbledon singles and doubles (with Venus) in the same year on four occasions. Together, the American duo have a perfect 14-0 record in grand slam doubles finals. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s unbelievable,&quot; said Serena. &quot;It&#39;s a feat even I couldn&#39;t have thought would have happened. It&#39;s amazing.&quot; 
 
For Venus it was a consolation after she lost to Kerber in Thursday&#39;s singles semi-finals -- denying her a first grand slam singles final since losing to Serena at Wimbledon in 2009. 
 
&quot;It&#39;s a privilege, it&#39;s an honour,&quot; said Venus. &quot;When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning. Then we enter the singles, we dream of winning. 
 
&quot;To have Williams on both of those, somehow in 2016, it&#39;s another dream come true.&quot; 
 
The sisters, who paired up again this year after a two-year absence, have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, moving them level with American Gigi Fernandez and Belarussian Natasha Zvereva in second place on the all-time list. 
 
They still have some way to go, however, to match the 20 of Martina Navratilova and fellow American Pam Shriver. 
 
&quot;I didn&#39;t know about that stat until yesterday, that we were 13-0,&quot; said Venus. &quot;It&#39;s not something you really think about. You just get to the final and try to win. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it made us nervous. You got time. If you get down a break, you always have time to get the break back. You can always go to a third (set). 
 
&quot;When you&#39;re out there, you probably realise you have a chance to go for it again.&quot; 
 
The Williams sisters are now 22-1 in all doubles finals they have played together. 
 
(Reuters)

The two had paired up after a two-year absence, have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together

Serena Williams put the icing on the cake of another magnificent Wimbledon campaign by teaming up with sister Venus for a sixth doubles crown at the All England Club on Saturday. The reigning Olympic champions beat Timea Babos of Hungary and Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova 6-3 6-4 on Centre Court -- hours after Serena claimed a record-equalling 22nd grand slam singles title by defeating Germany's Angelique Kerber 7-5 6-3. Serena has now won both the Wimbledon singles and doubles (with Venus) in the same year on four occasions. Together, the American duo have a perfect 14-0 record in grand slam doubles finals. "It's unbelievable," said Serena. "It's a feat even I couldn't have thought would have happened. It's amazing." For Venus it was a consolation after she lost to Kerber in Thursday's singles semi-finals -- denying her a first grand slam singles final since losing to Serena at Wimbledon in 2009. "It's a privilege, it's an honour," said Venus. "When you enter the doubles draw, you dream of winning. Then we enter the singles, we dream of winning. "To have Williams on both of those, somehow in 2016, it's another dream come true." The sisters, who paired up again this year after a two-year absence, have won 14 grand slam doubles titles together, moving them level with American Gigi Fernandez and Belarussian Natasha Zvereva in second place on the all-time list. They still have some way to go, however, to match the 20 of Martina Navratilova and fellow American Pam Shriver. "I didn't know about that stat until yesterday, that we were 13-0," said Venus. "It's not something you really think about. You just get to the final and try to win. "I don't think it made us nervous. You got time. If you get down a break, you always have time to get the break back. You can always go to a third (set). "When you're out there, you probably realise you have a chance to go for it again." The Williams sisters are now 22-1 in all doubles finals they have played together. (Reuters)

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has insisted that she has plans to return at Wimbledon in 2017 to mark the 20th anniversary of her first appearance at the All England-Club. 
 
The 36-year-old became the oldest woman to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1994, but failed to overcome Angelique Kerber to set up a summit clash against sister Serena. 
 
While contemporaries such as Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin took their retirement long back, a determined Venus said that she is not yet ready to call curtains on her career, Sport24 reported. 
 
Williams made her first Wimbledon appearance in 1997 but lost in the first round to Poland&#39;s Magdalena Grzyboswka. Venus believes that an athlete should be more focused on his or her targets instead of age factor. 
 
(ANI)&nbsp;

Venus Williams plans to return at Wimbledon in 2017 and said that she is not yet ready to call curtains on her career

Seven-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams has insisted that she has plans to return at Wimbledon in 2017 to mark the 20th anniversary of her first appearance at the All England-Club. The 36-year-old became the oldest woman to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon since Martina Navratilova in 1994, but failed to overcome Angelique Kerber to set up a summit clash against sister Serena. While contemporaries such as Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin took their retirement long back, a determined Venus said that she is not yet ready to call curtains on her career, Sport24 reported. Williams made her first Wimbledon appearance in 1997 but lost in the first round to Poland's Magdalena Grzyboswka. Venus believes that an athlete should be more focused on his or her targets instead of age factor. (ANI)

Venus sets eye on 20th anniversary Wimbledon return

It would be hard to bet against the Williams sisters meeting in their first Wimbledon final since 2009, but Angelique Kerber and Elena Vesnina won&#39;t just be making up the numbers in the last four on Thursday. 
 
While unseeded Vesnina has described her semi-final against world number one Serena Williams as a dream, she is playing inspired tennis, bringing the guile from two doubles slams to deliver baseline power and a deft touch at the net. 
 
Fourth seed Kerber, meanwhile, has a 3-2 head-to-head lead over five-time champion Venus Williams and stunned younger sister Serena, who has won Wimbledon six times, at the Australian Open in January to win her first major final. 
 
All four will bring a wealth of experience to Centre Court -- their average age is 31 years and nine months, the oldest for the last four in an open era women&#39;s major. 
 
&quot;The experienced players are ready to keep winning. They want to keep being great,&quot; Serena, 34, told reporters after she ground down 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals. 
 
She is aiming to equal Steffi Graf&#39;s open era record of 22 majors by lifting the trophy on Saturday, having been stuck on 21 since last year&#39;s Wimbledon. Of the challenge from her 29-year-old Russian opponent, she said: &quot;I&#39;ll be ready for it.&quot; 
 
Vesnina said of Serena after reaching her first major semi-final: &quot;You have to give all your heart and fight for every single point and just use your chances because it is really difficult to break her, especially here on grass.&quot; 
 
Like everlasting opponents on the other side of the net, Vesnina will also be taking on the American sisters in the doubles quarter-finals with her partner Ekaterina Makarova. 
 
Venus, 36, has reached her ninth Wimbledon semi-final and owns seven slam titles overall -- the last coming on the grass in 2008, inevitably against her sister, before the result was reversed the following year. 
 
It is nonetheless the first semi-final since the 2010 U.S. Open for the oldest woman in the 2016 Wimbledon field. 
 
&quot;Semi-finals feels good. But it doesn&#39;t feel foreign at all, let&#39;s put it that way,&quot; she told reporters after brushing past Kazakhstan&#39;s Yaroslava Shvedova in straight sets. 
 
&quot;All those other semi-finals helped me to have the experience to be in this semi-final.&quot; 
 
Her perfect last-four record at Wimbledon could come under pressure though from Kerber, 28, who is trying to replicate the focus and relaxation that brought her the title in Melbourne. 
 
The last player to win both the Australian and Wimbledon in the same year was Serena Williams in 2015 - the last German was Graf in 1989. 
 
First up though is Venus. 
 
&quot;She&#39;s always dangerous on grass, especially here in Wimbledon. She has a lot of confidence right now. She played great matches,&quot; Kerber said after beating Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep. 
 
And it is Kerber who may have the last laugh: &quot;I&#39;m playing really good tennis right now. Yeah, I think I&#39;m playing like in Australia, like really high-class tennis.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Vesnina takes on Serena, and Kerber Venus, in the semi-finals on Thursday

It would be hard to bet against the Williams sisters meeting in their first Wimbledon final since 2009, but Angelique Kerber and Elena Vesnina won't just be making up the numbers in the last four on Thursday. While unseeded Vesnina has described her semi-final against world number one Serena Williams as a dream, she is playing inspired tennis, bringing the guile from two doubles slams to deliver baseline power and a deft touch at the net. Fourth seed Kerber, meanwhile, has a 3-2 head-to-head lead over five-time champion Venus Williams and stunned younger sister Serena, who has won Wimbledon six times, at the Australian Open in January to win her first major final. All four will bring a wealth of experience to Centre Court -- their average age is 31 years and nine months, the oldest for the last four in an open era women's major. "The experienced players are ready to keep winning. They want to keep being great," Serena, 34, told reporters after she ground down 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the quarter-finals. She is aiming to equal Steffi Graf's open era record of 22 majors by lifting the trophy on Saturday, having been stuck on 21 since last year's Wimbledon. Of the challenge from her 29-year-old Russian opponent, she said: "I'll be ready for it." Vesnina said of Serena after reaching her first major semi-final: "You have to give all your heart and fight for every single point and just use your chances because it is really difficult to break her, especially here on grass." Like everlasting opponents on the other side of the net, Vesnina will also be taking on the American sisters in the doubles quarter-finals with her partner Ekaterina Makarova. Venus, 36, has reached her ninth Wimbledon semi-final and owns seven slam titles overall -- the last coming on the grass in 2008, inevitably against her sister, before the result was reversed the following year. It is nonetheless the first semi-final since the 2010 U.S. Open for the oldest woman in the 2016 Wimbledon field. "Semi-finals feels good. But it doesn't feel foreign at all, let's put it that way," she told reporters after brushing past Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova in straight sets. "All those other semi-finals helped me to have the experience to be in this semi-final." Her perfect last-four record at Wimbledon could come under pressure though from Kerber, 28, who is trying to replicate the focus and relaxation that brought her the title in Melbourne. The last player to win both the Australian and Wimbledon in the same year was Serena Williams in 2015 - the last German was Graf in 1989. First up though is Venus. "She's always dangerous on grass, especially here in Wimbledon. She has a lot of confidence right now. She played great matches," Kerber said after beating Romanian fifth seed Simona Halep. And it is Kerber who may have the last laugh: "I'm playing really good tennis right now. Yeah, I think I'm playing like in Australia, like really high-class tennis." (Reuters)

As the Williams sisters march on, Kerber and Vesnina stand in their way

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon women&#39;s quarter-finalist for 22 years as the five-time champion defeated Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 on Monday. 
 
Aged 36, Williams is the oldest to make the last eight since 37-year-old Martina Navratilova&#39;s run to the final in 1994. 
 
Williams will be making her 12th appearance in the last eight at Wimbledon, and her first since 2010, when she faces Kazakhstan&#39;s Yaroslava Shvedova for a place in the semi-finals. 
 
Venus, seeded eighth, was broken twice in the first three games of the first set, but recovered from 3-0 and 5-3 down to win it in a tie-break. 
 
The American legend, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2008, needed just one break to win the second set. 
Williams, an eight-time Wimbledon finalist, will be bidding for her first Grand Slam semi-final appearance since the 2010 US Open. 
 
(AFP)

The 36-year-old will be making her 12th appearance in the last eight at Wimbledon

Venus Williams became the oldest Wimbledon women's quarter-finalist for 22 years as the five-time champion defeated Spanish 12th seed Carla Suarez Navarro 7-6 (7/3), 6-4 on Monday. Aged 36, Williams is the oldest to make the last eight since 37-year-old Martina Navratilova's run to the final in 1994. Williams will be making her 12th appearance in the last eight at Wimbledon, and her first since 2010, when she faces Kazakhstan's Yaroslava Shvedova for a place in the semi-finals. Venus, seeded eighth, was broken twice in the first three games of the first set, but recovered from 3-0 and 5-3 down to win it in a tie-break. The American legend, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2008, needed just one break to win the second set. Williams, an eight-time Wimbledon finalist, will be bidding for her first Grand Slam semi-final appearance since the 2010 US Open. (AFP)

Venus becomes oldest Wimbledon women's quarter-finalist

Serena and Venus Williams closed today on a fifth all-sister Wimbledon final while beaten quarter-finalist Dominika Cibulkova prepared to rush back to Slovakia to get ready for her wedding. 
 
Six-time champion Serena reached her 10th semi-final at the All England Club with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Russia 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. 
 
She goes on to face Russian world number 50 Elena Vesnina on Thursday for a place in the final. 
 
Five-time champion Venus, seeded eight, enjoyed a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory over Kazakhstans world number 96 Yaroslava Shvedova to reach her first Wimbledon semi-final in seven years. 
 
The 36-year-old will now face German fourth seed and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber who reached her second Wimbledon semi-final with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) win over Simona Halep, the fifth seed from Romania. 
 
Vesnina made her first semi-final at a major, by seeing off bride-to-be Cibulkova, the Slovak 19th seed, 6-2, 6-2. &quot;They showed Venuss score on court and I was like yaaaay. I want her to win so bad, but not in the final if Im there,&quot; said defending champion Serena, who took her Grand Slam match win record to 302 -- four behind Martina Navratilovas all-time mark. 
 
It is the 11th time that the sisters have advanced to the semi-finals of the same Grand Slam event. 
 
Serena took a 5-0 career lead over Russian 21st seed Pavlyuchenkova into Tuesdays match, having not dropped a set to her opponent since their first meeting in 2010. But the match was decided in the ninth game of both sets with Williams carving out the only breaks of the match against Pavlyuchenkova, playing in her first Wimbledon quarter-final. 
 
The American finished the match with an 11th ace. 
 
&quot;It was good. I am excited to be able to win and get through, it felt really good,&quot; said Serena, who is bidding to win a record-equalling Open era 22nd Grand Slam title. On the potential of an all-Williams final, Serena refused to get too far ahead of herself even though she has a 4-0 winning record over Vesnina. &quot;We dont really talk too much about it but we are playing doubles later so we are just happy to be in the semi-finals,&quot; she said. 
 
Venus is the oldest womens semi-finalist since Martina Navratilova in 1994. Venus, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2008, is back in the last-four of a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2010 US Open. 
 
The eight-time Wimbledon finalist trails 3-2 in her five career meetings with 28-year-old Kerber, who won their only meeting on grass in the 2012 Olympics at Wimbledon. &quot;I love playing the game. When you are winning matches it makes it that much sweeter,&quot; the German said. &quot;You cant always have these big moments. I guess if you are Serena Williams it happens a lot, but for Venus Williams this is an awesome day. 
 
&quot;The first set tiebreak was key for Venus on Tuesday as she over-turned a 2/5 deficit before Shvedovas game fell apart in the second set. Kerber now has 33 match wins in 2016, joint-best with Cibulkova. &quot;I have had a great year so far. I think I am playing my best tennis. Hopefully I can play a few more matches here,&quot; she said. 
 
The 28-year-old Kerber, who also made the semi-finals in 2012, came out on top in a big-hitting battle with Halep, who was a semi-finalist in 2014. Cibulkova is due to marry fiance Miso Navara in her hometown of Bratislava on Saturday -- the same day as the womens final -- and the 27-year-old was willing to postpone the ceremony if she won her quarter-final. 
 
But 29-year-old Vesnina took advantage of a distracted display from Cibulkova to become the fifth unseeded woman to reach the All England Club semi-finals since the Grand Slams switched to 32 seeds in 2001. 
 
&quot;Serena is one of the greatest. I always watch her matches,&quot; said Vesnina who dropped out of the top 100 last year. 
 
&quot;I have to go on to the court with all my heart and take my chances.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

It is the 11th time that the William sisters have advanced to the semi-finals of the same Grand Slam event

Serena and Venus Williams closed today on a fifth all-sister Wimbledon final while beaten quarter-finalist Dominika Cibulkova prepared to rush back to Slovakia to get ready for her wedding. Six-time champion Serena reached her 10th semi-final at the All England Club with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Russia 21st seed Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. She goes on to face Russian world number 50 Elena Vesnina on Thursday for a place in the final. Five-time champion Venus, seeded eight, enjoyed a 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 victory over Kazakhstans world number 96 Yaroslava Shvedova to reach her first Wimbledon semi-final in seven years. The 36-year-old will now face German fourth seed and Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber who reached her second Wimbledon semi-final with a 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) win over Simona Halep, the fifth seed from Romania. Vesnina made her first semi-final at a major, by seeing off bride-to-be Cibulkova, the Slovak 19th seed, 6-2, 6-2. "They showed Venuss score on court and I was like yaaaay. I want her to win so bad, but not in the final if Im there," said defending champion Serena, who took her Grand Slam match win record to 302 -- four behind Martina Navratilovas all-time mark. It is the 11th time that the sisters have advanced to the semi-finals of the same Grand Slam event. Serena took a 5-0 career lead over Russian 21st seed Pavlyuchenkova into Tuesdays match, having not dropped a set to her opponent since their first meeting in 2010. But the match was decided in the ninth game of both sets with Williams carving out the only breaks of the match against Pavlyuchenkova, playing in her first Wimbledon quarter-final. The American finished the match with an 11th ace. "It was good. I am excited to be able to win and get through, it felt really good," said Serena, who is bidding to win a record-equalling Open era 22nd Grand Slam title. On the potential of an all-Williams final, Serena refused to get too far ahead of herself even though she has a 4-0 winning record over Vesnina. "We dont really talk too much about it but we are playing doubles later so we are just happy to be in the semi-finals," she said. Venus is the oldest womens semi-finalist since Martina Navratilova in 1994. Venus, who won the last of her seven Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon in 2008, is back in the last-four of a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2010 US Open. The eight-time Wimbledon finalist trails 3-2 in her five career meetings with 28-year-old Kerber, who won their only meeting on grass in the 2012 Olympics at Wimbledon. "I love playing the game. When you are winning matches it makes it that much sweeter," the German said. "You cant always have these big moments. I guess if you are Serena Williams it happens a lot, but for Venus Williams this is an awesome day. "The first set tiebreak was key for Venus on Tuesday as she over-turned a 2/5 deficit before Shvedovas game fell apart in the second set. Kerber now has 33 match wins in 2016, joint-best with Cibulkova. "I have had a great year so far. I think I am playing my best tennis. Hopefully I can play a few more matches here," she said. The 28-year-old Kerber, who also made the semi-finals in 2012, came out on top in a big-hitting battle with Halep, who was a semi-finalist in 2014. Cibulkova is due to marry fiance Miso Navara in her hometown of Bratislava on Saturday -- the same day as the womens final -- and the 27-year-old was willing to postpone the ceremony if she won her quarter-final. But 29-year-old Vesnina took advantage of a distracted display from Cibulkova to become the fifth unseeded woman to reach the All England Club semi-finals since the Grand Slams switched to 32 seeds in 2001. "Serena is one of the greatest. I always watch her matches," said Vesnina who dropped out of the top 100 last year. "I have to go on to the court with all my heart and take my chances." (AFP)

Serena, Venus close in on Wimbledon final

Germany&#39;s Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber reached her second Wimbledon semi-final today and edged closer to the world number one spot. 
 
The fourth-seeded left-hander emerged victorious over Simona Halep, the fifth seed from Romania, 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) on Centre Court and will face either Venus Williams or Yaroslava Shvedova for a place in Saturday`s final. 
 
Kerber is now in sight of becoming the new world number one, although she needs to win the title while seeing Serena Williams fail to make the semi-finals. 
 
&quot;I think we are both really good returners. It`s always tough to play against Simona. I won the last point and that`s what counts,&quot; said the winner. 
 
Kerber now has 33 match wins in 2016, joint-best with fellow quarter-finalist Dominika Cibulkova. 
 
&quot;I have had a great year so far. I think I am playing my best tennis. Hopefully I can play a few more matches here.&quot; 
 
The 28-year-old Kerber, who also made the semi-finals in 2012, came out on top in a big-hitting battle with Halep, who was a semi-finalist in 2014. 
 
The first set alone saw nine breaks of serve in 12 games with Kerber squandering leads of 3-1 and 5-3 before her Romanian opponent double-faulted on set point. 
 
Kerber was 4-2 and 5-3 in front in the second before the tenacious Halep fought back to reach the tiebreak in a set which featured four more breaks. 
 
But Kerber dominated the tiebreak, going to match point when Halep was bamboozled by a net cord and then taking victory off a backhand error. 
 
(AFP)

This will be Angelique Kerber?s second Wimbledon semi-final where she will face either Venus Williams or Yaroslava Shvedova

Germany's Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber reached her second Wimbledon semi-final today and edged closer to the world number one spot. The fourth-seeded left-hander emerged victorious over Simona Halep, the fifth seed from Romania, 7-5, 7-6 (7/2) on Centre Court and will face either Venus Williams or Yaroslava Shvedova for a place in Saturday`s final. Kerber is now in sight of becoming the new world number one, although she needs to win the title while seeing Serena Williams fail to make the semi-finals. "I think we are both really good returners. It`s always tough to play against Simona. I won the last point and that`s what counts," said the winner. Kerber now has 33 match wins in 2016, joint-best with fellow quarter-finalist Dominika Cibulkova. "I have had a great year so far. I think I am playing my best tennis. Hopefully I can play a few more matches here." The 28-year-old Kerber, who also made the semi-finals in 2012, came out on top in a big-hitting battle with Halep, who was a semi-finalist in 2014. The first set alone saw nine breaks of serve in 12 games with Kerber squandering leads of 3-1 and 5-3 before her Romanian opponent double-faulted on set point. Kerber was 4-2 and 5-3 in front in the second before the tenacious Halep fought back to reach the tiebreak in a set which featured four more breaks. But Kerber dominated the tiebreak, going to match point when Halep was bamboozled by a net cord and then taking victory off a backhand error. (AFP)

Kerber beats Halep, through Wimbeldon semi-final

&nbsp;As she has done for most of the past 18 summers, Venus Williams on Monday took a large, languid stride into the second round of Wimbledon. 
 
The oldest woman in the main singles draw, five-times champion Williams was at times sublime as she beat Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6(3) 6-4 on a sunny Court One. 
 
While the full Williams armoury had been on display, it was her mental strength which stood out -- perhaps no surprise given she is playing her 71st grand slam singles tournament, a record among current female players. 
 
Vekic produced startling groundstrokes at times, but eighth seed Williams maintained her composure, increasing the pressure when things got tight as her opponent wilted in the spotlight. 
 
There cannot be too many grand slam years left for Williams, who celebrated her 36th birthday this month, but she showed more than enough on Day One to suggest she could again go deep in her favourite major. 
 
(Reuters)

Donna Vekic produced startling groundstrokes, but eighth seed Williams beat her by 7-6(3) 6-4

As she has done for most of the past 18 summers, Venus Williams on Monday took a large, languid stride into the second round of Wimbledon. The oldest woman in the main singles draw, five-times champion Williams was at times sublime as she beat Croatian Donna Vekic 7-6(3) 6-4 on a sunny Court One. While the full Williams armoury had been on display, it was her mental strength which stood out -- perhaps no surprise given she is playing her 71st grand slam singles tournament, a record among current female players. Vekic produced startling groundstrokes at times, but eighth seed Williams maintained her composure, increasing the pressure when things got tight as her opponent wilted in the spotlight. There cannot be too many grand slam years left for Williams, who celebrated her 36th birthday this month, but she showed more than enough on Day One to suggest she could again go deep in her favourite major. (Reuters)

Venus vaults Vekic at Wimbledon

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