Wimbledon Looks a Whole New Ball Game for Winning Williams

After four successive all-Williams grand slam finals the dominance of the American sisters crumbled at the French Open a couple of weeks ago, with Venus losing in the fourth round against the Russian Vera Zvonareva and Serena, who at the time held all four grand slam titles, beaten in the semis by Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne, the eventual champion. Suddenly Wimbledon appeared a whole new ball game.

Venus's early defeat at Roland Garros could partly be
explained away by a stomach injury. "She should not have played," said Serena bluntly this week, and yesterday in London Venus admitted that she was "praying and keeping her fingers crossed" that everything would be all right for next week.

Yet Serena's overwhelming dominance of women's tennis had masked what was happening to her older sister's game. In 2000 and 2001 Venus was the pre-eminent family force, winning the US Open and Wimbledon titles twice. Indeed by the beginning of last year, strange as it may now
seem, it was Serena who was experiencing doubt and uncertainty.

But she knuckled down on the practice courts (just as she has been doing since her defeat by Henin-Hardenne on the Paris clay) and snatched the champion's mantle from Venus's shoulders. In contrast, Venus has not been anywhere near as committed to improving. Her serve is no longer the weapon it was, and against the 18-year-old Zvonareva her ground strokes fragmented.

It might be wrong to suggest her game has declined over the past year and a half - four
successive finals prior to Paris could hardly be deemed a failure - but she has certainly not progressed. The same currently applies to Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport, the winners of three grand slam titles each, but whereas they are both 27 years old, Venus has only just turned 23.

Her father, Richard, always maintained from their teenage days that Serena would eventually be the better player, and so it has proved.

He has also, from time to time, urged Venus to give up tennis and concentrate on her other interests. However,
Venus has dismissed any talk of retirement.

"I have a lot of years left," she said. "The joy is to keep challenging yourself to keep on the top. You definitely learn more when you lose. To win everything throughout your whole career is almost impossible. We're not going to bounce back because I don't think we bounced out."

Henin-Hardenne's victory over Serena at Roland Garros was a clear indication of just how hard she has been working to close the gap. This is a lesson all the younger women have taken on board with
regard to the Williams sisters, although it would be no surprise if Serena's Wimbledon response is fierce, as befits a wounded champion.

"I've been very tough on myself since that defeat," said Serena. "I've been working really hard with my dad and I'm really determined. I know when I see my name on the honours board at Wimbledon I'm going to get little chill bumps. And I want to win again."

It would be ironic, having instigated the new era of athleticism and power, if Venus's career were cut short by persistent injury.

Injury and career longevity are major concerns now that the power game rules, the most notable casualty being Switzerland's Martina Hingis who retired, after attempting to keep up with the power hitters, with chronic foot and ankle injuries this year at the age of 22. And yesterday Amélie Mauresmo, the world No5, pulled out of Wimbledon with a rib injury, the Frenchwoman having also missed the Australian Open.

It has never been easy to judge the true extent of the Williams's aches and pains, as both have been capable of winning tournaments with the minimum of preparation. Most tend to believe that Venus's real troubles these days are motivational rather than physical. "I told her not to hang around me too much or I'll get her down," said Venus in Paris.

Second guessing the sisters has always been fraught with danger, but if Venus cannot recover soon then Serena may have to go it alone.