Double Trouble: Williams Sisters in Doubles Final!

Venus and Serena Williams have won their Semifinal Doubles match defeating Nathalie Dechy (FRA)/Casey Dellacqua (AUS) 6-3, 6-3. The "All England Club" should be renamed the "All-Williams Club." The Sisters will try to pull off another Daily-Double as they compete against each other in the Wimbledon Singles Final and with each other in the Wimbledon Doubles Final (both of which will be played on Saturday). The Singles match will be played 1st, then the Men's Doubles Final followed by the Women's Doubles Final. It's WILLIAMS SISTERS WEEKEND at Wimbledon!

Wimbledon Semifinal (Video) Highlights

Wimbledon Doubles: SEMIFINAL FRIDAY

Semifinal

Venus/Serena (USA)[11] vs N. Dechy (FRA)/C. Dellacqua (AUS)

1st Match of the Day on Court 1

1pm (8am EST)

Noteworthy Wimbledon Statistic #2

Serena leads the women's field in the ace category,

firing down 48 aces (prior to the final).

Noteworthy Wimbledon Statistic #1

Serena advanced to the 2008 Wimbledon Final without dropping a set.

Mission Accomplished! Sisters in Wimbledon Final

Serena Williams has defeated Zheng Jie in straigh sets, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5). There were a few rain delays and Jie was up 4-2 in the 2nd set but Serena was able to come good and serve as if her life depended on it. Serena served 14 aces in the match. Make no mistake, Zheng Jie put up some awesome resistence (had some nice winners of her own, moving Serena around) in the 2nd set but when she broke Serena to go up 4-2 (and serving for 5-2), Serena broke right back and held serve to level the set 4-4. Each player held serve and entered into the tiebreak, wherein Zheng Jie double-faulted on Serena's match point. Thanks for "hanging in there" Serena. I am soooo happy for you! Interesting to note, Venus defeated Elena Dementieva (in straight sets) by a very similiar scoreline, 6-1, 7-6 (7-3). The Sisters closed their Semifinal matches by winning the 2nd set tiebreak. Now they are back in familiar territory, facing each other in a Wimbledon Final for the 3rd time. Prior Wimbledon Finals were in 2002 and 2003. Rock on Sisters!

Wimbledon: Semifinal (Thursday)

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Semifinal

Serena (USA)[6] vs. Jie Zheng

Serena leads Head-To-Head 1-0

2nd match of the day on Center Court

Fast Fact: Their previous match was at Wimbledon (2004)

(R128) which Serena won 6-3, 6-1

Williams Sisters advance to Doubles Semis!

Venus and Serena Williams have defeated Bethanie Mattek (USA)[13]/Sania Mirza (IND)[13], 6-4, 6-3, in Wimbledon Quarterfinal action today. So that means....not only have the Sisters advanced to the Wimbledon Semifinals in singles, but doubles also! Next up for the Sisters (in doubles) are Nathalie Dechy (FRA) / Casey Dellacqua (AUS). The Sisters will play their Semifinal singles matches tomorrow. These two matches decide whether or not there will be an ALL-WILLIAMS Final on Saturday. I say YES!

Serena helps "dress up" Olympic Book

The ITF (International Tennis Federation) has announced the publication of its official Olympic Book ‘Journey to Beijing – Tennis celebrates the Olympics’. Over 40 of the world’s leading tennis players took part in the ITF project to help promote the 2008 Beijing Olympic Tennis Event. The 140-page publication features a series of specially commissioned photographs of the game’s top names dressed as athletes from other summer or winter Olympic sports. These are accompanied by interviews with the players talking about their Olympic memories and hopes for Beijing.The photographs were taken over a six-month period with photo shoots held in venues as varied as Barcelona, Beijing, Dubai, Indian Wells, Los Angeles, Miami, Melbourne, Moscow, Netherlands, Palm Beach, Santiago, Shanghai and Tel Aviv. Serena Williams demonstrates her ice skating abilities at home in Palm Beach. For more information and to view the entire book online, visit http://www.itftennis.com/olympics/.

Wimbledon Doubles: Quarterfinal (Wednesday)

Quarterfinal

Venus/Serena (USA)[11] vs B. Mattek (USA)[13]/S. Mirza (IND)[13]

1st Match of the Day on Court 2

Serena soars into Semis

Serena Williams bulldozed her way into the last four after defeating Poland's Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-0 in just 51 minutes on Centre Court. It was the most impressive performance from Serena so far at this year's tournament. Radwanska was blasted off court by a barrage of 11 aces, all of them comfortably in excess of 100 miles an hour, and another 20 unreturned serves. Serena cranked up the power game with three aces in four points and broke Radwanska for the second time with a crunching backhand service return, standing well inside the baseline to receive the Pole's delivery.

Radwanska's best hope lay in wrong-footing Williams but she was being permitted less and less time to do so as Serena, sensing a wilting opponent, served out for the first set in 32 minutes. Radwanska, who won the Eastbourne tournament immediately preceding Wimbledon and has made the transition from junior to senior tennis in admirable fashion, needed to get away to a good start in the second set, but was never given the slightest chance of doing so. She was broken at once and with Williams walloping aces and service winners seemingly at will the second set rapidly became an embarrassing rout, lasting a mere 19 minutes.

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.