Serena speeds into Quarters

First, let me thank you guys for your concern, prayers and condolences during my time of loss. I truly appreciate it. (A relative wanted to view the blog and I seized that moment to do a little posting). Serena slammed Sprem in 58 minutes, 6-1, 6-2. The "stellar" standout stat of the match was that Serena won 100% of her first serves (23/23). That's AWESOME!! Serena served 5 aces and only suffered one double fault. Serena has advanced to the quarters where she will do battle with Emilie Loit of France. Their only meeting was at the 2003 Australian Open where Serena won 3-6, 7-6(5), 7-5.

Posting delays for Open Gaz de France

Good afternoon,
I am writing to inform you that my postings / results for the Open Gaz de France will probably be much later than normal. One of my brothers was killed in a car accident yesterday, therefore I will probably not have as much time (as I would like) to dedicate to the blog (within the next three or four days). If I am able to squeeze in a minute or two (to post) I most definitely will. I wish Serena much success at the Open Gaz de France and hopefully she will take the title (for the third time). Enjoy your day and always let those that are close (to you) know just how much you love them for tomorrow is not promised. Be blessed.

Open Gaz de France: 2nd Round (Thursday)

2nd Round

Serena Williams (USA)[1] vs Karolina Sprem (CRO)

Serena leads Head-to-Head 1-0

3rd Match of the day on Centre Court

No Sweat: Serena advances at Open Gaz de France

World number one Serena Williams eased into the second round of the Paris Open with a 6-1 6-4 victory over Czech Iveta Benesova on Wednesday. Serena had 23 winners and 17 unforced errors. Williams is also suffering with a cold. The American top seed will next meet qualifier Karolina Sprem of Croatia for a quarter-final spot.

Open Gaz de France: 1st Round (Wednesday)

1st Round
Serena Williams (USA)[1] vs Iveta Benesova (CZE)
Serena leads Head-to-Head 2-0

2nd Match of the day on Centre Court

(Not before 1:45pm)

They still have something in "COMMON"

Well, well, well. Looky here. Common and Serena are spotted departing LAX airport in Los Angeles on Friday (February 6). Sasha (Serena's hitting partner) was also with them. --- *Images courtesy of Just Jared*

Serena: The Black List (Video 2)

Serena: The Black List (Video 1)

FLASHBACK VIDEO: I know my sister.......

2008 Wimbledon (Fun and Games): How well do they know each other?

Serena on The Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno (Video)

Serena confirms Marbella (Spain) but why?

Serena Williams heads top women tennis players on their way to Marbella, Spain for the Andalucía Tennis Experience. The International event is set to take place on the red clay of the Club de Tenis Puente Romano from April 6-12. Conchita Martinez (1994 Wimbledon Champion and former World #2), the tournament director, has said that Jelena Jankovic and Amelie Mauresmo are expected to participate. Others who have confirmed their participation include: Anabel Medina and Virginia Ruano.
In my personal opinion, I doubt that Serena will actually appear for this tournament. Why? This tournament is sandwiched (1 week) between two tournaments where she is the defending champion: (the Mandatory) Sony Ericsson Open, which is one of her favorites (Miami, March 25th) and (the Premier) Family Circle Cup (Charleston, April 13th). Travel wise: Miami, Spain, and Charleston in three straight weeks of play? Oh and let's not forget the prize money, $220,000. We will see.

Serena receives Kids Choice Award Nomination

Serena Williams has been nominated for a 2009 Kid's Choice Award. Serena received a nomination for Favorite Female Athlete. Other nominees include basketball star Candace Parker, auto racing driver Danica Patrick and tennis great Venus Williams. Winners will be determined through online voting (which starts on March 2nd) at the Nick Kid's Choice Awards website. The awards show will be held at UCLA's Pauley Pavilion on March 28th.

Serena's on The Tonight Show w/ Jay Leno

Serena is scheduled to appear on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The episode airs tonight at 11:35pm EST on NBC. Other guests include: Drew Barrymore and musician will.i.am will perform. (A special thank you to "Sharing Cherie" for sharing the news).

Serena tops Advanta WTT Marquee Player Draft

Just days after winning her 10th Grand Slam singles title at the Australian Open and regaining the world No. 1 ranking, Serena Williams is on top again as the first pick in the Advanta WTT Pro League Marquee Player Draft. Williams will return for her fourth WTT season and her second with the Washington Kastles. The Advanta WTT Pro League, co-founded by Billie Jean King, is a professional co-ed sports league featuring three generations of tennis stars playing in a team format in 10 U.S. markets. The 2009 Advanta WTT Pro League season runs July 2-26, concluding with the Advanta WTT Championship Weekend.

With more than 760 professional tour singles and doubles titles among them, including 115 Grand Slam championships, the field for the 2009 Advanta WTT Pro League is an all-star lineup. Williams' convincing 6-0, 6-3 win over Dinara Safina in the finals gave Serena her fourth Australian Open and her 20th overall Grand Slam title, including 10 singles, eight doubles and two mixed doubles championships. Serena Williams will play a total of four matches this July, one at home in Washington, D.C., and three road matches in Philadelphia, Boston and at the new home of the New York Sportimes in Randall's Island, N.Y.

Congratulations to World #1: Serena Williams

By winning the 2009 Australian Open, Serena Williams will emerge as the new World No. 1, replacing Serbia’s Jelena Jankovic who held the title for 17 consecutive weeks (18 total), when the new Sony Ericsson WTA Tour rankings are released on Monday, February 2, 2009. It will mark the third time in Williams’ career that she will be the World No.1 after holding the top ranking for a total of 61 weeks: 57 weeks from July 8, 2002 to August 10, 2003 and 4 weeks from September 8, 2008 to October 6, 2008. Serena reaches the World No. 1 ranking two days after becoming the all-time female athlete career prize money leader in all of women’s sports, and one day after capturing the 2009 Australian Open doubles title with sister Venus. With the win, Williams is guaranteed to hold the World No. 1 ranking for at least two weeks.

Jankovic’s fourth round exit at the Australian Open gave three players an opportunity to take the World No. 1 ranking – Elena Dementieva, Dinara Safina and Serena Williams. By defeating Dinara Safina in the final with the score of 6-0 6-3, Serena secures the title of the World No. 1, followed by World No. 2 Dinara Safina (RUS), World No. 3 Jelena Jankovic (SRB), World No. 4 Elena Dementieva (RUS) and World No. 5 Vera Zvonareva (RUS), according to the February 2, 2009 new rankings.

“The 2009 Australian Open will definitely be one of the most memorable tournaments in my career. I am thrilled with winning this title and the news of becoming Sony Ericsson WTA Tour World No.1 is an added bonus,” said Serena Williams. “Serena has proven that she is a champion time and time again. She is one of the great players in the history of our sport and winning the Australian Open and regaining the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour No. 1 ranking seven years after her first World No.1 title take Serena’s career milestones to a whole new level,” said Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour.

“We’re thrilled to see Serena recapture the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour World No. 1 ranking,” said Aldo Liguori, Corporate Vice President and Head of Global Communications & PR at Sony Ericsson. “We congratulate Serena on her amazing Australian Open and applaud her for being such a great champion and ambassador for women’s tennis.”

Williams turned professional at the age of fourteen in November 1995 and played her first tournament in Quebec City, Canada. In her fourteen-year career she has won every major title in addition to ten Grand Slams, becoming only the fifth woman, other than Margaret Court, Chris Evert, Martina Navratilova, and Steffi Graf, to achieve such a feat. Of the current players, only Serena’s older sister Venus Williams comes close to such an achievement, with seven Grand Slam singles titles to her name.

Williams was a winner at the US Open in 1999 beating Martina Hingis, at 2002 Roland Garros, Wimbledon, US Open and 2003 Australian Open, each time beating Venus Williams; 2003 Wimbledon, once again defeating sister Venus, in Australia in 2005 and 2007 over Lindsay Davenport and Maria Sharapova, respectively, and finally at the 2008 US Open defeating Jelena Jankovic. In addition, Williams won two Olympic Gold medals, both playing doubles with Venus Williams – in Sydney in 2000 and Beijing in 2008. Serena Williams holds 33 singles titles and 13 doubles titles.

Noteworthy Australian Open statistics

Serena defeated three (consecutive) Russians on her way to claiming the Australian Open title (her 10th Grand Slam Singles Title and 20th Grand Slam title overall):

Quarterfinal: (8th Seed) - Svetlana Kuznetsova
Semifinal: (4th Seed) - Elena Dementieva
Final: (3rd Seed) - Dinara Safina

Serena has won the Australian Open every odd-numbered year since 2003:

(2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009).

Second straight major where winning the title vaults Serena back to the # 1 ranking

1st time Serena has won the Australian Open with the roof open.

Serena in rarefied company with 4th Aussie Win

For the women, the most Australian Open titles won (in the Open Era) is four. That means, Serena becomes just the fifth woman to have won the title four times. The other women are: Margaret Smith Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graff and Monica Seles. Having won the 1st Grand Slam tournament of the year, Serena puts herself in a great position to complete the Calendar Year Grand Slam. She is also very close to duplicating the Serena Slam (when she held all four majors at once but not in the same year). She has been in each of the last three finals and is the current holder of the 2008 US Open and 2009 Australian Open titles.

Grand Slam Elite: Club 10

By winning the 2009 Australian Open, her 10th Grand Slam singles title, Serena joins the following (4) Tennis Greats who have won 10 or more Grand Slam Singles Titles (in the Open Era): Steffi Graff (22), Chris Evert (18), Martina Navratilova (18) and Margaret Smith Court (11). Serena passes Monica Seles and Billie Jean King (who won 9 each in the Open Era).

Just in case you are wondering about the term "Open Era," in 1968, commercial pressures led to the abandonment of the distinction between professionals and amateurs, inaugurating the Open era, in which all players could compete in all tournaments, and top players were able to make their living from tennis. Thus, the open era in tennis began in 1968, when the Grand Slam tournaments, such as Wimbledon, abandoned the longstanding rules of amateurism and allowed professionals to compete. The first Grand Slam tournament to go "open" was the French Open (Roland Garros).

Serena's 2009 Aussie Double (in pictures)