The Williams sisters’ dominance of Wimbledon since 2000 is staggering. There has only been a single final this decade this did not include at least one of the sisters. On Saturday, for the third time, the final will feature both Williams girls as four-time winner and defending champion Venus takes on her younger sister Serena, twice the event’s queen herself.
This will be Venus's seventh trip to the championship round. No doubt she would own even more titles at SW19 were it not for Serena, who dished up back-to-back defeats of the elder Williams in 2002 and 2003. In fact, the 2003 final was the last time that the Williams sisters contested a Grand Slam final.
The resurrection of the all-Williams final could not come at a better time for women's tennis, what with Justine Henin retiring due to ennui and a revolving door of top-ranked players who fail to live up to expectation. The previous match-ups between Venus and Serena were solemn, error-ridden, nervous affairs that ironically alienated rather than attracted many a viewer. However, Venus and Serena are older and more accomplished now. Each has secured an individual legacy in the game independent of – yet complimented by – the other. The veteran sisters seem eager to resume their Wimbledon rivalry, giving hope that the match up will finally be the powerhouse showdown that their gifts demand. Eager viewers might wanna grab some popcorn to go with their breakfast at Wimbledon!
–Wyman Meers
The Williams sisters’ dominance of Wimbledon since 2000 is staggering. There has only been a single final this decade this did not include at least one of the sisters. On Saturday, for the third time, the final will feature both Williams girls as four-time winner and defending champion Venus takes on her younger sister Serena, twice the event’s queen herself.
This will be Venus's seventh trip to the championship round. No doubt she would own even more titles at SW19 were it not for Serena, who dished up back-to-back defeats of the elder Williams in 2002 and 2003. In fact, the 2003 final was the last time that the Williams sisters contested a Grand Slam final.
The resurrection of the all-Williams final could not come at a better time for women's tennis, what with Justine Henin retiring due to ennui and a revolving door of top-ranked players who fail to live up to expectation. The previous match-ups between Venus and Serena were solemn, error-ridden, nervous affairs that ironically alienated rather than attracted many a viewer. However, Venus and Serena are older and more accomplished now. Each has secured an individual legacy in the game independent of – yet complimented by – the other. The veteran sisters seem eager to resume their Wimbledon rivalry, giving hope that the match up will finally be the powerhouse showdown that their gifts demand. Eager viewers might wanna grab some popcorn to go with their breakfast at Wimbledon!
–Wyman Meers
