Serena / Washington Kastles defeat Boston

Fresh off of her Wimbledon wins (singles and doubles), Serena helped her Washington Kastles (World Tennis Team) defeat the Boston Lobsters, 24-17, at Middleton's Ferncroft Country Club on July 9. "I think the level is very intense. Last year I was more nervous at Team Tennis than I was at Wimbledon," said Serena, just five days after defeating Venus at Wimbledon's ladies singles final. "I feel a little pressure. You're not just playing for yourself, you're playing for your team and your teammates and every game counts. It's not the easiest thing, that's for sure."

Regular Lobsters player Jan-Michael Gambill beat the Kastles' Scott Oudsema, 5-4 (games are scored to four points, and each "set" is won by five games) to kick off the match. Then, it was Serena time.

She went up against returning Lobster player Raquel Kops-Jones and gave up just 13 total points while winning 5-2. It was the first time Serena had played Kops-Jones and she had high praise for the 2008 U.S. Open doubles quarterfinalist. "I think she's good - she's a fighter, she runs well and she has a great return," said Serena. "Never played her before," added Kops-Jones, of Williams. "I didn't know what to expect, but I knew she'd be tough and she was - she played hard and fast. I think I had a few chances and I didn't execute, but overall I'm happy with how I performed."

Williams joined up with 2009 French Open doubles champion (with Lukas Dlouhy) Leander Paes in the mixed doubles match for the night. They faced Kops-Jones and first-year Lobster James Auckland and came up with a 5-3 victory. During the break Williams danced a little to the young duo of Topsfield's Michael and Marisa, with Michael playing guitar and singing and Marisa on drums and she also sang. Following the break, Serena had her last match of the night, joining Rennae Stubbs, who won four Grand Slam doubles titles in the early 2000s. They faced Kops-Jones and another first-year Lobster, Stephanie Foretz, and came up with the 5-1 victory.

Serena was glad to have the chance to play in such a small venue. "I look at the stadium and see how intimate it is," said Serena, of the Ferncroft facility. "It's so small, your fans are so close to you, they get to know a sense of how you play, who you are - it's awesome, i love it." This time, the 22-time Grand Slam champion and two-time Olympic Gold medalist wasn't nervous, either. "I wasn't nervous after all, I felt good," said Serena, just before meeting and signing autographs for fans after the match. "It was a good day, a really good day."

Serena kicks off World Team Tennis on July 9th

2009 Wimbledon singles champion Serena Williams of the Washington Kastles begins her WTT campaign on July 9 in Boston for the first of four matches, including three consecutive on the road. Serena plays July 10 in New York City at the New York Sportimes’ new $16 million Sportimes Stadium at Randall’s Island, and July 13 in Philadelphia. Serena plays her only home match at Kastles Stadium in Washington, D.C., on July 14.

Serena enters Rogers Cup (Toronto)

Tennis Canada announced Tuesday the official player field for the 2009 edition of Rogers Cup Toronto. The player list includes each of the current Top 25 players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and 33 of the Top 35. Rogers Cup Toronto is scheduled for August 15-23 at Rexall Centre on the campus of York University. The defending champion is world No. 1 Dinara Safina of Russia. Wimbledon champion Serena Williams and finalist Venus Williams of the United States round out the top three players.

Wimbledon Queen has eyes on "King"

Wimbledon champion Serena Williams wants more than her current 11 Grand Slam singles titles, and has Billie Jean King in her sights.

Williams beat her older sister Venus 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 to take her third title at the All England Club in London. “For the second time in my career, I have a number I want to reach,” Serena Williams said in an interview at Wimbledon before Sunday’s men’s final. “My first number was reaching Monica Seles, and I was finally able to do that. Now, I’m looking at Billie Jean King.”

Seles won nine majors -- four in Australia, three at Roland Garros and two U.S. Opens. King won 12 Grand Slam singles championships. The list is headed by Margaret Court Smith’s 24 titles. Serena, 27, is preparing for the U.S. Open, where she’s won three times, including her first major 10 years ago.

Serena now holds three of the four majors -- Wimbledon, the Australian Open and the U.S. Open, with Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova taking the French Open. Williams lost in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, derailing her chance for a calendar Grand Slam.

“I’m really disappointed because I think this was the year that I could have done it, and I didn’t.” she said. “I had the biggest chance to win all four in my career, and I just screwed up.”

Her goal is to win the U.S. Open starting at the end of August, and next year’s Australian Open, putting her in line to win her self-dubbed “Serena Slam” by holding all four titles, but in a different calendar year, she said. She last completed that sweep at the 2003 Australian Open.

“My goal now is to win and keep winning until I get to the French, and then I’ll have another Serena Slam,” she said.

Serena's Late Show w/ David Letterman (Video)

Serena to launch her MISSION skincare line on HSN

On July 23rd and July 24th, Serena Williams, a MISSION Skincare co-founder, will appear on HSN to launch her luxe new skincare line called MISSION Skincare Active-Beauty Line: Featuring Serena Williams. The products are engineered to offer proven solutions for the demanding active lifestyle of today’s woman.

The signature hero product is the Oxygen-Active Daily Facial Cleanser, engineered with a unique, self-foaming oxygenating technology that cleans impurities, removes makeup, nourishes and renews skin in only 90 seconds. Antioxidant properties help fight free-radical damage and environmental aggressors. The result? Skin that appears younger and healthier looking – all for $39.99.

The line also includes the following all-star products:

Sugar Body Scrub: Honey Sugar – Refined sugar granules suspended in a moisturizing gel that gently exfoliates the body, leaving the skin smooth, hydrated and healthy. $29.99

Restorative Body Butter: Honey Sugar – A rich blend of natural extracts and moisturizing agents formulated to deliver superior nourishment and emollients to the skin to protect and hydrate. $24.99

Lip Balmer SPF 15: Pomegranate – Who better to design the perfect lip balm than professional athletes who battle heat, sun, sweat and freezing temperatures all in a day’s work? Introducing a long-lasting lip balm in Serena’s favorite flavor – pomegranate. Featuring broad-spectrum SPF 15 sun protection and moisturizing cocoa butter and soybean oil to hydrate and nourish lips. Added bonus – the formula is preservative and paraben-free. $3.99

Lip Balmer SPF 15: Pink Lemonade – Formulated to nourish, protect and deliver long-lasting hydration, this refreshing Pink Lemonade lip balm is clinically proven to lock in moisture for up to 8 hours, while providing powerful SPF 15 sun protection. $3.99

The products also highlight MISSION Skincare’s unique M-10 formula, loaded with a variety of ten vitamins and antioxidants that meet the needs of active women world wide.

The MISSION Skincare Active-Beauty Line: Featuring Serena Williams has been developed with Dr. Bryan Adams, Chairman for the American Academy of Dermatology, Serena Williams and consumer groups representing the active woman of today.

--- Gabrielle Long (http://www.examiner.com/)

Serena on David Letterman TONIGHT!

Via Twitter, Serena stated that she will be on the David Letterman show tonight.

Roger and Serena @ Wimbledon Champions Ball

Serena's 2009 Wimbledon Double

Serena Williams captured the 2009 Wimbledon Ladies Singles title defeating sister Venus 7-6, 6-2. Hours later, Serena paired with her sister to claim the 2009 Wimbledon Ladies Doubles title, defeating Sam Stosur and Rennae Stubbs 7-6, 6-4. Serena has now won 22 Grand Slam titles: 11 Singles, 9 Doubles and 2 Mixed Doubles.

Williams Sisters win Wimbledon Doubles Title

Venus and Serena Williams have won their fourth women's doubles title at Wimbledon by beating Rennae Stubbs and Samantha Stosur of Australia 7-6 (4), 6-4. The doubles final began a few hours after Serena beat Venus for the singles championship Saturday. It's the Williams sisters' second consecutive doubles title at the All England Club and their ninth Grand Slam doubles title as a pair. They've also won the Australian Open together three times, including in January, along with the U.S. Open and the French Open once each.

Post-Match Presser: They asked, Serena answered

Q. How hard is it for you to beat your sister? And do you think you'll be able to cheer her up with a doubles victory later on?

SERENA WILLIAMS: It definitely wasn't easy. First of all, she's a great player, especially on this surface, especially out there on that court. Also she's my sister, someone that I want to see win and do well at all times.

Q. What do 11 major titles mean to you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, it's unbelievable. Like I just feel really good. I feel like now I'm just not even in a competition of how many I can win. It's just now I'm looking at the next goal of someone like Billie Jean King, who is completely my idol. To get to her level and have 12 would be even better.

Q. How much of a motivation is it for you to try and regain the world No. 1 ranking?

SERENA WILLIAMS: You know, I'm not super motivated. I think if you hold three Grand Slam titles maybe you should be No. 1, but not on the WTA Tour obviously, so...You know, my motivation is maybe just to win another Grand Slam and stay No. 2, I guess (laughter).

Q. Does that disappoint you?

SERENA WILLIAMS: No. If it did, I would go crazy just thinking about it. I think anyone really could. That's just shocking. But whatever. It is what it is. I'd rather definitely be No. 2 and hold three Grand Slams in the past year than be No. 1 and not have any.

Q. Do you see yourself as No. 1?

SERENA WILLIAMS: I see myself as No. 2. That's where I am. I think Dinara did a great job to get to No. 1. She won Rome and Madrid (laughter).

Serena Williams: 2009 Wimbledon Champion

2009 Wimbledon Match Notes:

In the final, Serena had 12 aces, 25 winners and 12 unforced errors, compared to two aces, 14 winners and 18 unforced mistakes for Venus.

Serena won 94% of her 1st serves and 71% of her 2nd serves.

Serena served 72 aces on her way to the title, a Wimbledon record.

Serena made history as the first woman to regain the Wimbledon crown after a six-year separation from her last title (2003).

Serena is the first player in women's tennis history to save match point (on three different occasions) en route to a Grand Slam singles title. She saved a match point in the semifinal against Elena Dementieva, the longest women's semifinal at Wimbledon in the Open era. She also saved match points at the 2003 Australian Open (against Kim Clijsters) and the 2005 Australian Open (against Maria Sharapova).

Serena now has an 11-10 edge overall and is 6-2 in Grand Slam finals against her sister.

She currently holds three of the last four major titles - the U.S. Open, Australian Open and Wimbledon.

Serena became the second player in the Open era to win the Wimbledon women's title after overcoming a match point, having done so in the semifinals on Thursday against Elena Dementieva. The only other player to do it was Venus, who saved a match point in the 2005 final against Lindsay Davenport.

Serena defeats Venus in Wimbledon Final

Serena Williams beat her sister Venus 7-6 (3), 6-2 on Saturday for her third Wimbledon title and 11th Grand Slam championship. In the fourth all-Williams final at Wimbledon, Serena came out on top for the third time by out-serving her big sister, lifting her game in the tiebreaker and dictating play throughout the second set. Serena stepped up her intensity to devastating effect in the breaker, and clinched it 7-3 with Venus clearly taken aback by her sisters' sudden surge of momentum. The Williams sisters have won eight of the 10 Wimbledon singles titles this decade.

As always with Williams vs. Williams matches, the celebrations were relatively muted. The two sisters embraced at the net, with the 29-year-old Venus patting 27-year-old Serena on the back. Serena beat Venus in the 2002 and '03 finals, before Venus prevailed in last year's championship match. "Today she was too good," Venus said. "She had an answer for everything. She played the best tennis today, so congratulations."

Venus had come into the final as the favorite after playing some of the best grass-court tennis of her career. She hadn't dropped a set in 17 straight matches at Wimbledon, but couldn't cope on this day with the fierce competitive drive and relentless power game of her sister. Serena now has an 11-10 edge overall and 6-2 in Grand Slam finals against her sister.

Wimbledon: Pre-Final Photo

Williams Sisters advance to Doubles Final

The Williams Sisters destroyed top seeds / highest ranked doubles players in the world, Liezel Huber and Cara Black 6-1, 6-2, with an exhibition of poise and power to reach the doubles final. The match lasted 61 minutes. The Sisters won 84% of their 1st serves and never faced a break point.

Venus and Serena will defend their crown (on Saturday) just hours after facing each other in the singles final for the second year running. Their opponents will be Aussie pair Sam Stosur and Rennae Stubbs (who beat Spaniards Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual).

Wimbledon Doubles: Semifinal Friday

Semifinal
Venus/Serena (USA)[4] vs Cara Black (ZIM)[1]/Liezel Huber (USA)[1]

1st Match of the day on Court 1

Serena defeats Dementieva in 3-Set Thriller!!

Two-time champion Serena saved a match point and overcame Elena Dementieva 6-7 (4), 7-5, 8-6 in 2 hours, 49 minutes -- the longest women's semifinal at Wimbledon in at least 40 years. " One Williams or the other (Venus or Serena) has won seven of the past nine championships at the All England Club. Serena beat Venus in the 2002 and '03 finals, and Venus came out on top against her younger sister last year. There have been seven previous all-Williams championship matches at majors, with Serena holding a 5-2 lead. Overall, the sisters are 10-10.

"The more we play, the better it gets," Serena said. "When we play our match on Saturday, you know, it's for everything. This is what we dreamed of when we were growing up in Compton (Calif.) 20-something years ago. This is what we worked for, and this is what we want. Like I wanted her to win today and she wanted me to win today. It's all come down to this."

The Serena-Dementieva match was the longest women's Wimbledon semifinal by time since 1969; records are incomplete before then. Serena was pushed to the limit by the fourth-seeded Dementieva but raised her game when needed. "It's definitely one of my more dramatic victories, for sure," Serena said. "Elena played so well, and we gave the crowd a wonderful match," Serena said. "It was really, really tough." In the 10th game of the final set, Serena faced match point on her serve with Dementieva ahead 5-4. Serena chose to attack, coming forward and hitting a backhand volley that skipped off the net cord and into the open court for a winner. It was Serena's eighth straight win in a Grand Slam semifinal going back to the 2003 French Open. She is 14-2 overall in Grand Slam semifinals.

It was almost too much to handle for father Richard, who watched with other family members and friends in the guest box. "Serena nearly gave me a heart attack," he said. Serena served 20 aces -- the most for a woman at Wimbledon since 2000 -- and had 45 winners and 28 unforced errors. Dementieva produced 27 winners, 26 errors and eight double-faults. "That was the best match we ever played against each other," Dementieva said. "It was a real fight from the beginning until the end. I feel like I finally played some good tennis here. It was not easy to fight against her. She's a great champion. She was serving very well today. I wasn't sure if it's Serena or Andy Roddick on the other side."

Wimbledon: Team Williams advances to Semifinal

The Williams Sisters defeated Germany's Anna-Lena Groenefeld and USA's Vania King in quarterfinal doubles action today 6-2, 7-5. The Williams Sisters have now advanced to the Semis in both singles and doubles.

Wimbledon: Semifinal Thursday

Semifinal
[2] Serena Williams (USA) vs [4] Elena Dementieva (RUS)
Serena leads Head-to-Head 5-3
1st Match Of The Day on Center Court
LIVE Coverage on ESPN2 @ 8am EST

Serena's U.S. Open Series Commercial

Wimbledon: Quarterfinal Handshake

Wimbledon Doubles: Quarterfinal Wednesday

Quarterfinal

Venus/Serena (USA)[4] vs A. Groenefeld (GER)[12]/V. King(USA)

1st Match of the day on Court 2

Wimbledon: Serena annihilates Azarenka!

Wow! Serena truly stepped it up in her quarterfinal match. Serena played some awesome and near flawless tennis in her demolition of Victoria Azarenka 6-2, 6-3. Serena had only one unforced error in the 1st set. She swept through the first set against the eighth-ranked Azarenka in 26 minutes. After being broken to go down 3-2 in the second, she won four straight games and held serve at love to finish the match in commanding fashion. Serena had nine aces and 26 winners, with only seven unforced errors.

Only once in the last nine years has there been a Wimbledon women's final that didn't feature at least one of the Williams sisters. The sisters were the only two Grand Slam winners in the women's quarterfinals — Serena has 10 major titles and Venus seven. The sisters have met in three Wimbledon finals, including last year. Serena won two of the three, in 2002 and '03, with Venus winning in 2008. Serena will face Elena Dementieva in Thursday's semifinal match.

Serena wins BET Award!

Congratulations to Serena, the recipient of the 2009 BET Best Female Athlete Award. Serena also won this award in 2004 and 2005.

Wimbledon: Quarterfinal Tuesday

Quarterfinal

[2] Serena Williams (USA) vs [8] Victoria Azarenka (BLR)
Serena leads Head-to-Head 2-1

2nd Match Of The Day on Center Court

Wimbledon Doubles: Team Williams marches on

Venus and Serena are steamrolling the competition as evidenced in their 3rd round doubles annihilation of Zi Yan and Jie Zheng (of China) 6-0, 6-0. The match lasted 46 minutes. The Williams Sisters had only 5 unforced errors and 25 winners. They also won 86% of their 1st serves and converted 6 of 9 break point opportunities. Phenomenal!! To the competition, be afraid, be very afraid. (LOL).

Wimbledon: 4th Round photo