Team Williams captures 2nd Olympic Gold Medal

Slugging winners from the baseline and slamming shots at the net, the American sisters overpowered Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual of Spain 6-2, 6-0. When Ruano Pascual sent the championship point long, the sisters shrieked in unison. Then they jumped for joy and hugged. "I'm so excited, I can't even speak," said the 28-year-old Venus, who has already won seven doubles Grand Slam titles and a gold medal in Sydney alongside younger sister Serena.

The pair didn't enter the doubles competition in Athens four years ago because Serena was hurt at the time. "I don't know anyone out there who would get tired of playing with Venus Williams," said the 26-year-old Serena, who as a singles player is ranked eighth in the world, four spots behind No. 4 Serena. Sunday's match pitted the second-seeded sisters, who also won the doubles title at Wimbledon and reached the singles final, against the seventh-seeded Spaniards, who are the reigning French Open doubles champions.

Both sisters had pulled out of tournaments last month with knee injuries, but neither showed any sign of weakness. Together, they had six aces, including one that Serena whacked at 172 kph (107 mph) on a second serve. The only tense moment came at 5-2 in the first set when the sisters squandered four set points before breaking Ruano Pascual's serve to win it. Both Venus and Serena were beaten in the quarterfinals of the singles tournament.

Williams Sisters defeat Bondarenko Sisters

Team Williams advanced Saturday to the doubles final by beating another sibling pair, Ukraine's Alona and Kateryna Bondarenko, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1. Venus and Serena improved to 9-0 lifetime in Olympic doubles. Team Williams will battle the Spanish team of Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual for the Olympic Gold Medal.

Beijing Olympics (Doubles): Semi-Final (Saturday)

Semi-Final
Venus/Serena (USA) [2] vs Bondarenko/Bondarenko (UKR)[6]
1st match of the day on Court 2
Match begins at 4pm (4am EST)
Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/ for online streaming

Team Williams advances to Semi-Final

Team Williams has defeated seventh seeded Vesnina and Zvonareva of Russia, 6-4, 6-0, in today's quarterfinal. The Williams Sisters will now face another set of sisters, the Bondarenkos (UKR), in Saturday's semi-final.

Beijing Olympics (Doubles): Quarterfinal (Friday)

Quarterfinal

Venus/Serena (USA) [2] vs Vesnina/Zvonareva (RUS)[7]

4th match of the day on Court 2

Matches began at 4pm (4am EST)

Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/ for online streaming

* The is Team Williams' second match of the day.

Beijing Olympics: Team Williams advances to Quarterfinal

Team Williams have just eliminated Japan's Morita and Sugiyama, 7-5, 6-2. The Sisters have advanced to the quarterfinals and will be playing their quarterfinal match a little later today.

Beijing Olympics: 2nd Rnd Doubles (Friday)

2nd Round
Venus/Serena (USA) [2] vs Morita/Sugiyama (JPN)
1st match of the day on Court 1
Match begins at 4pm (4am EST)
Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/ for online streaming

4:00am - 10:00am EST

* This match was supposed to be played on Thursday but due to the over 3 hour rain delay, many matches lasted to the early morning hours and a few were not completed. IF Team Williams wins this match, before they will be able to sneeze they will be on Court 2 (in Quarterfinal action) battling 7th seeded Vesnina and Zvonareva of Russia. This will be the fourth match of the day on Court 2.

Over and out: Dementieva defeats Serena

Serena's chance for Olympic (singles) gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics came to a crashing end today as Elena Dementieva beat her 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Serena squandered a 6-3, 4-2 lead. I am still trying to wrap my brain around that one. She seemed to be having a lot of problems with her serve but Dementieva played some spirited tennis and overtook the 8 time Grand Slam Champion. It appeared that Serena ran out of gas. Williams had won their first four career meetings in straight sets but has now lost their last two beginning with a 5-7, 6-1, 6-1 loss in the Moscow final last October. Williams now pins her medal hopes on doubles (w/ Venus). They won gold in doubles in Sydney. The fourth-seeded Serena tried to rally from a 5-0 deficit in the final set against the No. 5-seeded Dementieva. Williams overcame two match points during an 18-point game to hold for 5-3 but Dementieva held at love in the next game, sealing the victory when Williams pushed a volley wide.

Serena had this to say: "It (the match) turned when I didn't do what I needed to do; it just didn't work out," Williams said. "I was cruising. There's no reason I should have lost. I had chances to go up 3-1 or 4-1, and I ruined it for myself pretty much. At least going into the US Open, I hope I have another opportunity and things will be different."

Oh well Serena, there's always the US Open. Get ready!!

Beijing Olympics: 2nd Rnd Doubles (Thursday)

2nd Round

Venus/Serena (USA) [2] vs Morita/Sugiyama (JPN)

3rd match of the day on Court 3

Matches begin at 6pm (6am EST)

Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/ for online streaming
(4:00am - 10:00am EST)

* This match has been moved to Court 3 (and many others moved to different courts) due to the rain delay in hopes of getting as many matches completed as possible. No matches have taken place as of this posting.

Beijing Olympics: Quarterfinal (Thursday)

Quarterfinal

Serena Williams (USA)[4] vs. Elena Dementieva (RUS)[5]
Serena leads Head-To-Head 4-1
1st match of the day on Court 1
Match begins at 4pm (4:00am EST)
Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/ for online streaming
(4:00am - 10:00am EST)

Serena defeats Alize' Cornet!

Serena smashed her racket in frustration over a slow start (received a code violation warning), then rallied to beat 18-year-old Alize Cornet of France 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. Williams' outburst came as she fell behind 5-1 in the first set. "I've been really working on my temper," she said. "But I was just making so many errors, and I wasn't practicing like that at all. It came to a point, I think I hit a backhand in the net, and I had just had enough." Williams gradually tamed her erratic groundstrokes, and after managing a service break in the opening game of the final set, she held in five consecutive games for the victory.

The victory sets up a quarterfinal match with fifth-seeded Russian Elena Dementieva, who took down talented teenager Caroline Wozniacki, 7-6(3), 6-2.

Beijing Olympics: 3rd Round (Wednesday)

3rd Round

Serena Williams (USA)[4] vs. Alize' Cornet (FRA)[15]

Serena leads Head-To-Head 1-0

3rd match of the day on Center Court

1st match begins at 4pm (4:00am EST)

Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/ for online streaming

(4:00am - 10:00am EST)

Team Williams advances to 2nd Round

Team Williams defeated Benesova and Vaidisova, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1 to advance the round of 16 at the Beijing Olympic Games. The sisters preceded their doubles win with a pair of resounding singles victories: Venus beat Benesova, 6-1, 6-4, and Serena slammed Samantha Stosur of Australia, 6-2, 6-0, in 44 minutes. Serena surrendered only three points on her first serve and delivered eight aces in the singles victory. The Williamses are trying to add to the family Olympic medal collection. They won the gold in doubles at Sydney in 2000, and Venus won the singles that year.

Serena advances to 3rd Rnd after 44 minute rout!

BEIJING -- Serena Williams raced into the third round at the Olympics, winning the final 10 games Tuesday to beat Samantha Stosur of Australia 6-2, 6-0 in 44 minutes. Williams lost just five points in the second set and dropped only six points on her serve in the match. Seeded fourth, Williams is playing singles in the Olympics for the first time. She won the gold medal with sister Venus in 2000 at Sydney.

With the temperature rising and the sun making its first appearance in the Beijing Games, the stands became a sea of fluttering Chinese fans -- the hand-held kind -- for Williams' morning match. She was done before lunch. From 2-2, Williams won 40 of the final 49 points. She whacked service winners, overpowered Stosur from both wings on the baseline and came forward for an overhead slam that prompted an appreciative "Ooooh" from the crowd. Williams punctuated her best shots with a fist pump. She made the gesture one last time after ripping a backhand return winner on match point, then shouted "C'mon!" as she trotted toward the net and into the round of 16.

WOW! Serena's FIT!

Serena's in the latest issue of Men's Fitness Magazine

In the magazine Serena discusses the following: what she looks for in a guy, major turnoffs, favorite physical part of her body, what she'd do if she didn't play tennis, guys being intimidated because of her athletic status, and finding guys who can keep up with her fitness level.

Another (previous) practice pic

Serena Williams of the US practices during a trainning session for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing on August 9, 2008.

Beijing Olympics: 1st Rnd Doubles (Tuesday)

1st Round
Venus/Serena (USA) [2] vs I. Benesova/N. Vaidisova (CZE)
2nd match of the day on Court 2
Matches begin at 5pm (5am EST)
Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/ for online streaming

(5:00am - 10:00am EST)

Beijing Olympics: 2nd Round (Tuesday)

2nd Round
Serena Williams (USA)[4] vs. Samantha Stosur (AUS)
Head-To-Head 0-0
1st match of the day on Court 1
Visit http://www.nbcolympics.com/ for online streaming
10:30pm EST (8/11/08) - 3:30am EST (8/12/08)

* USA is scheduled to air the following Olympic sports, Tuesday, 2am - 12pm: TENNIS, basketball, rowing, canoeing, badmiton, and water polo. (nbcolympics.com specifically lists this match to air on USA between 2am - 6am).

*MSNBC is scheduled to air the following Olympic sports, Tuesday, 5am - 5pm: TENNIS, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, and basketball .

Serena successful in Olympic Singles debut

Serena returned to the court (in impressive form) to wrap up her previously rain-interrupted Olympic singles debut 1st Rnd match against Olga Govortsova of Belarus. With a 6-3, 2-1 lead, Serena did not lose another game, storming to a 6-3, 6-1 victory. NBA superstar, Lebron James, was shown standing and applauding for Serena. The http://www.nbcolympics.com/ online streaming is AWESOME!