Wimbledon: Quarterfinal Tuesday

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Quarterfinal
Serena (USA)[6] vs. Agnieszka Radwanska (POL)[14]
Serena leads Head-To-Head 1-0
2nd match of the day on Center Court

Williams Sisters bury '08 French Open Champions

The Williams Sisters had to play twice today on Court 2 ("Graveyard of Champions") for their singles and doubles matches. The Sisters buried the competition as they respectively conquered their opponents in singles and doubles. The Williams Sisters defeated the current French Open Doubles Champions (and 5th seeded) Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual (of Spain) 6-1, 6-4.

Mattek / "Graveyard" can't stop SERENA!

Serena has defeated Bethanie Mattek (6-3, 6-3) and now advances to the Quarter-finals. Venus also won her singles match on Court 2. The Sisters have dominated Court 2 in their singles matches today but they have one more match (today) on Court 2 (Doubles) before they slam the door on the "Graveyard of Champions." NBC is currently showing Serena's match against Bethanie Mattek (tape delay of course). Gotta love TEAM WILLIAMS!

Wimbledon: 4th Round (Monday)

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4th Round

Serena (USA)[6] vs. Bethanie Mattek (USA)

Serena leads Head-To-Head 1-0

2nd match of the day on Court 2

Wimbledon Doubles: 3rd Round (Monday)

3rd Round
Venus/Serena (USA)[11] vs A. M. Garrigues/V. R. Pascual (ESP)[5]
4th Match of the Day on Court 2

Serena defeats Mauresmo (7-6, 6-1)

Serena Williams won the battle of the former champions at Wimbledon on Friday, overcoming Amelie Mauresmo 7-6 6-1 in the third round. Sixth seed Williams, winner here in 2002 and 2003, came through an intense opening set full of high quality tennis before running away with the match. Williams extends her supremacy in their head-to-head match up with a career record 10-2.

Mauresmo, who won the title in 2006, did well to recover from a torrid start, coming back from 3-0 down to force a tiebreak. Having trailed 4-1 in that she dug deep again to get to 4-4 but a netted backhand gave Williams the opener. Williams surged into a 5-0 lead in the second set and although Mauresmo recovered one break of serve there was no way back. Serena advances to the 4th Round to do battle with (American) Bethanie Mattek.

Wimbledon: 3rd Round (Friday)

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3rd Round
Serena (USA)[6] vs. Amelie Mauresmo (FRA)[29]
Serena leads Head-To-Head 9-2
2nd match of the day on Center Court

USTA Names 2008 U.S. Olympic Teams For Tennis

Former gold medalists Venus and Serena Williams are expected to play both singles and doubles for the Olympic team announced Wednesday by the U.S. Tennis Association. The nine-member team also includes Lindsay Davenport, who won a gold medal in singles at the 1996 Games. She'll play singles and has been nominated for doubles with Liezel Huber, ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles.

The International Tennis Federation is still filling roster spots, and the USTA anticipates another place will be available on the women's team. It's expected to go to Jill Craybas, who would be a first-time Olympian at age 34.

Zina Garrison will coach the women's team. "With three former gold medalists on our team and the No. 1 doubles player in the world, we are certainly capable of earning medals at this Olympics," Garrison said.

At the 2000 Games, the Williams sisters became the first siblings to combine for an Olympic gold medal in doubles. Venus also won the gold in singles. The only other woman to sweep both titles was Helen Wills in 1924. Tennis will be played Aug. 10-17 in Beijing.

Another win for TEAM WILLIAMS!

Venus and Serena Williams have defeated M. Domachowska/A. Radwanska (POL) 6-0, 6-4 in 2nd Round Doubles action. In their 1st Round victory they also served a first set bagel. Gosh I wish "these" doubles matches were televised because it appears that the Sisters are handling business. Go Team Williams!

Wimbledon Doubles: 2nd Round (Thursday)

2nd Round
Venus/Serena (USA)[11] vs M. Domachowska/A. Radwanska (POL)
4th Match of the Day on Court 18

One more time for the trench coat...

Beating the "Graveyard" / Serena advances

Serena has defeated Urszula Radwanska 6-4, 6-4. It was quite windy on Court 2, dubbed the "Graveyard of Champions." Serena was determined not to put her name on the list (for a second time) of past champions who tasted defeated on this court. Serena advances to the 3rd Round where she meets Amelie Mauresmo.

Serena gets much love for the trench

Wimbledon: 2nd Round (Wednesday)

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2nd Round

Serena (USA)[6] vs. Urszula Radwanska (POL)

Head-To-Head 0-0

3rd match of the day on Court 2

More 1st Rnd Doubles pics

It's a WIN for Team Williams

Venus and Serena defeated Tatiana Poutchek (BLR) / Anastasia Rodionova (AUS) 6-0, 6-3. The Williams Sisters advance to the 2nd Round and will take on Marta Domachowska (POL) and Agnieszka Radwanska (POL). More updates are on the way as it relates to today's doubles match.

Serena's (historic) trench coat

WIMBLEDON, England -- For all its repressed fashion and imposed decorum, Wimbledon sure has shown a knack for panache through the years, with the 2008 event already doubly historic.It's believed to be the first time somebody warmed up in a trench coat, and it's believed to be the first time a player walked over to sit next to his opponent during a changeover as if they were some doubles team.

Even if no particular tennis match survives in memory banks from the first week of the 122nd Wimbledon, everybody at Court No. 1 on opening day might well remember Serena Williams' fabulous coat -- or "mackintosh," as the Times of London surmised -- while everybody at Centre Court will remember Dominik Hrbaty's uncommon gesture honoring his longtime friend Roger Federer.The coat, short by design and white by mandate, debuted as the sixth-seeded Williams hit balls with daunting 36th-ranked opponent Kaia Kanepi, keeping the wide belt fastened and the coat closed as she volleyed. She removed it shortly before her rugged 7-5, 6-3 victory and discussed it at length afterward.

"It's a very lightweight fabric," she said with vigor. "It's woven so it has a little give in it as well. On the inside it's stitched with gold. It has a little give on both ways. It's very movable. It's very light. It's just delectable."Prompting sports reporters to delve into fashion reporting, the coat looked so very classic-movie-spy yet with a hint of Austin Powers, of London chic, very Peggy Lipton, very retro. One of her sponsors hatched the idea, and she briskly endorsed. "You know, I absolutely love trench coats," Williams said for yet another of her stated quirks. "I live in Florida, where I probably have more coats than anybody. I just love coats. I'm always buying Burberry coats. I mean, I love coats. And I don't know why because I live in Florida. So it doesn't really add up."She might wear the coat in the second round and in New York rain sometime. She re-donned the coat as she walked off court chatting and grinning with French Open quarterfinalist Kanepi.

Wimbledon Doubles: 1st Round (Tuesday)

1st Round

Venus / Serena (USA) vs T. Poutchek (BLR)/A. Rodionova (AUS)

5th Match of the Day on Court 3

Serena's 1st Rnd Post-Match ESPN Interview

Serena's just warming up.....advances to 2nd Rnd

Serena has defeated Kaia Kanepi 7-5, 6-3 in 1st Round Action today at Wimbledon. Serena never lost her serve and she remains perfect in 1st Rnd Grand Slam matches, 35-0. Congratulations Serena! As she and Kanepi walked off the court (after the match) they appeared to be having a very nice conversation which was full of smiles and some laughter. It might have been Kanepi giving Serena a compliment about her warm-up attire. (See images below). Serena's 2nd Rnd opponent will be Urszula Radwanska.

Serena's Nike Wimbledon Collection

Wimbledon: 1st Round (Monday)

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1st Round
Serena (USA)[6] vs. Kaia Kanepi (EST)
Serena leads Head-To-Head 1-0
1st match of the day on Court 1 @ 1pm (8am EST)

Practice makes perfect....

Serena Williams in action during practice before the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club on June 21, 2008 in London, England.

Wimbledon Draw....GAME ON!

The 2008 Wimbledon draw has been released and it is wonderful to know that Venus and Serena are on OPPOSITE SIDES of the draw! This means that we have the makings of a potential ALL-WILLIAMS Final! The Sisters are also playing doubles! I'm really excited about the fact that the Sisters can (and probably will) rule the roost at this year's Wimbledon. Serena's path to her 3rd Wimbledon crown could run through the following:

1st Round - Kaia Kanepi

2nd Round - Urszula Radwanska

3rd Round - Amelie Mauresmo

4th Round - Marion Bartoli

Quarter - Svetlana Kuznetsova

Semi - Ana Ivanovic

Final - Venus Williams / Maria Sharapova / Jelena Jankovic

To view the complete Women's singles/doubles draw visit the official Wimbledon website: http://www.wimbledon.org/

Serena attends Pre-Wimbledon Player Party

Serena Williams wearing $2 million worth of Duttson diamonds arrives at the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour pre-Wimbledon Player Party at Kensington Roof Gardens on 19 June, 2008 in London, England.

Serena helps launch "Looking For A Hero?"

Serena helped launch the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour's new, "Looking For A Hero?" advertising campaign at the Charlotte Street Hotel in London.

Noteworthy Statistic

It can be very difficult to win the French Open and transition to grass a few weeks later and win Wimbledon. No man has managed it since Bjorn Borg in 1980. The only woman to do it in the last decade was Serena Williams in 2002.

WTA "Looking For a Hero?" 30sec commercial

Serena's a "HERO"

The WTA Tour Has Launched Largest Ad Campaign in its History: Landmark multi-million dollar "Looking for a Hero?" campaign to be rolled out across 75 countries over next 18 months.

The 60- and 30-second television advertisements are the pinnacle of the Tour's multi-million dollar, pioneering global marketing campaign which will also include print and digital advertising, along with viral and community generated elements. In all, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour expects to invest $15 million in the campaign over the course of the next three years. Over thirty players took part in the film and photographic shoot for the campaign which took place at various locations in Rome, Italy, at the start of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia tournament in May 2008.

The advertisements ask the question 'Looking for a Hero?' and bills the Tour's players as superheroes both on and off the court. The focus of the first round of the creative is to both elevate the star power of the Tour's athletes and to drive awareness of the Tour's end of season Sony Ericsson Championships, in Doha, Qatar, where the top eight singles players and top four doubles teams in the world compete for one of the most prized crowns in the sport.

Serena Williams, one of 10 Sony Ericsson WTA Tour stars who appears in the television commercial said: 'Women's tennis is a premier sport for all women athletes, and I think it was a great opportunity to have the best athletes, female athletes, get together and be a part of such a wonderful advertisement. I was really happy to have an opportunity to be in it. I was more than excited to do it." For more information and to view the TV commercials, visit http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/lookingforahero/.

Could Serena be the Kid's Choice?

Serena is nominated for the Female Athlete KID'S CHOICE Award. Other nominees include: Danica Patrick - Indy Racing, Shawn Johnson- Gymnast, Maria Sharapova - Tennis, and Candace Parker- Basketball. Fans ages 13-19 can vote once each day for their favorite nominees at www.TeenChoiceAwards.com. Winners will be announced Monday, Aug. 4 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX.

TENNIS Magazine's Wimbledon Preview

The July 2008 issue of TENNIS Magazine (w/ Roger Federer on the cover) includes a Wimbledon Preview. Stephen Tignor (Executive Editor) analyzes 7 players on both the ATP and WTA tour. He gives insight as to where (and why) he thinks they will stand (or fall) during the tournament. On page 38, these are his exact words on Serena:

"The last year and a half have been a time of transition for Serena Williams. She began 2007 with a patented lightning run to the Australian Open title. It seemed that she had proven again that when she focuses, nobody can hang with her. Then a funny thing happened: somebody hung with her. That was Henin, of course, who beat Williams in the quarterfinals at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open. This is something new for Williams, now 26 and an 11-year tour veteran. How she reacts will set the tone for the rest of her career. She began her counterattack on a high note this spring, winning three straight tournaments and humbling Henin 6-2, 6-0 in Key Biscane.

During that run, Williams showed why, no matter how rusty or erratic or out of sorts she may be, she remains a formidable challenge for anyone. Serena's secret is simple - nobody hits the ball better than she does. While her footwork may leave her out of position, all she needs is a good swing at a ball in her strike zone. The result, more times than not, is a shriek, a bullet into the corner, and an opponent left flailing hopelessly. It's still hard to hang with that.

FORTNIGHT FORECAST: Williams, a two-time Wimbledon champion, believes she can win anywhere but she's even more sure of herself in London. She has the best serve in women's tennis and her straight-back, straight-forward strokes work well on grass. The flat shots they produce only travel faster on Centre Court."

PREDICTION: CHAMPION

Serena's on the list...."The Black List"

The always caring and concerned Serena Williams contributes to "The Black List." “The Black List” is a documentary which seeks to bury the negative weight of the term by allowing African-Americans to provide an up-to-the-minute answer to the grim origins of “blacklist.” In a film that works as series of living portraits, twenty-five prominent African Americans of various professions, disciplines and backgrounds offer their own stories and insights on the struggles, triumphs and joys of black life in this country and manage to re-define “blacklist” for a new century in the process.

It is comprised of an HBO documentary film, a museum exhibition of photographic portraits, a forthcoming book of those photographs and a national interactive, curriculum-based educational program. The film is presented as a series of vignettes – a kind of living portraiture – in which the subjects address the camera directly as they tell their stories.

Timothy Greenfield-Sanders directed the film in collaboration with Elvis Mitchell who conducted the interviews. Mitchell is never seen on camera or heard, thus allowing the subjects’ own voices to remain the focus. "The Black List" film premieres on HBO August 25th. Each compelling interview serves as a potent illustration of empowerment in the face of unique limitations and broader obstacles. For more information, visit www.blacklistproject.com.