Serena Williams

Serena Defeats Venus Williams At Australian Open For Record 23rd Grand Slam Title

... hugged. "This was a tough one - I really would like to take this moment to congratulate Venus," Serena said. "She's an amazing person. There's no way I'd be at 23 without her. She's my inspiration and the only reason I'm standing here today. Thanks for inspiring me to be the best player I can be. "She deserves a round of applause - she's made an amazing comeback.". The match didn't live up to its classic billing, with nerves and tension causing uncharacteristic mistakes and unforced errors and four consecutive service breaks before Venus finally held for a 3-2 lead. That included a game when Serena had game point but served back-to-back double-faults and three in all to give up the break. There were six service breaks in all. Both players were relatively subdued, except for Serena's racket smashing spike on the court in the third game that earned her a code violation. After making the three double-faults in the fourth game, however, the younger Williams didn't face another break point in the 1-hour, 22-minute match. In terms of total years, it was the ...

Serena Sets Up Dream Australian Open Final With Lucic-baroni Win

... title while Roger Federer, 35, and Rafael Nadal, 30, may yet do battle for the men's. Serena will be favourite. She has won seven of her last eight meetings against her older sister and holds a 16-11 advantage overall, since the pair first met professionally in the second round here 19 years ago. Lucic-Baroni, who turns 35 herself in March, was given a rapturous reception as the Croatian recorded on her phone the final seconds of her brilliant tournament. The former world No 1 also showed good movement at the baseline as she remained in control. A dominant first set the tennis icon up for progression to a final against her sister in Melbourne. Lucic-Baroni struggled against her more favoured opponent during Thursday morning's tie. The world No 79, who has resurrected her career after a lengthy period of personal trauma, was into her second grand slam semi-final, 18 years after her last at Wimbledon in 1999. 'She's an inspiration ...

Is Serena Williams The Goat

... are among a group of 10 who have won the Australian, French and US Opens, and Wimbledon across their careers and both have held all four titles at the same time. Navratilova could have perhaps added more Australian Open victories to her haul, had she treated the tournament as seriously as the other majors during a time when it was regarded as the 'poor cousin'. Williams acknowledged she is at least one of the greatest in history, following her 6-4, 6-4 triumph over sister Venus in Saturday night's Australian Open final in Melbourne, however she stopped short of saying she stands alone. "I definitely think so," she said. "Between Martina (Navratilova), myself, Steffi Graf, hands down we are leading that conversation.". Court's record has received criticism, with observers pointing to the fact that the Australian Open did not always attract the highest calibre of player during her career. The case for Court, ...

How Serena Williams Won A Record 23rd Grand Slam Titles With Victory At The Australian Open

... over Martina Hingis. A first on clay. After losing the 2001 US Open final, she gained revenge in the 2002 French Open final, beating her sister Venus 7-5 6-3 to the delight of the Philippe Chatrier crowd. The Wimbledon dynasty begins. Again, she beat Venus to win her first Wimbledon title in 2002, prevailing 7-6 (7-4) 6-3. Venus on the receiving end. And she beat Venus yet again in the 2002 US Open final at Flushing Meadows. Four in a row. She won her fourth Grand Slam in a row - and her first Australian Open - with a 7-6 (7-4) 3-6 6-4 victory over Venus in 2003. Queen on grass. And beat Venus once more, winning 4-6 6-4 6-2 to lift her second Wimbledon crown in 2003. Two year gap. She then had to wait until 2005 for her next title, coming from behind to beat Lindsay Davenport 2-6 6-3 6-0 to win in Melbourne. Relief ...

As Serena Williams Showed Johanna Konta, Power Is Paramount Down The Stretch Of Majors

... Serena Williams defeats Johanna Konta in straight sets (6-2, 6-3) to earn a spot in the semifinals at the Australian Open. MELBOURNE, Australia - Serena Williams has been the leader of the vanguard that has brought unparalleled power to women's tennis for nearly two decades now. But on the fast courts at the Australian Open, especially, where the upsets have just kept coming like sonic booms, you can see the ripple effects everywhere as she keeps steamrolling toward her 23 rd Grand Slam title. Williams' power game and 120 mph serves haven't just lifted her above everyone else. It has thinned out the pack of contemporaries chasing her and informed the style of the younger players coming up behind her. The proof is rivals like ninth-ranked Johanna Konta, her quarterfinal opponent Wednesday, as well as the other three women still alive in this tournament - sluggers, all. It has been well over a decade since tennis analyst Mary Carillo coined the felicitous phrase "Big Babe Tennis" to describe how women's tennis was trending this way. But as all four of the semifinalists - Serena, Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, Venus Williams and 25-year-old American Coco ...

Five Thoughts On Serena's Historic Win Over Venus

... beat the players put before her—which is all you can ask. At 36, she is still a remarkable athlete. She carried herself with a mixture of dignity and childlike joie de vivre here. On Saturday she simply ran into a better-serving, more determined player who happened to be her kid sister. Venus is back near the top ten. And she won the popular vote. • Forgive the self-reference. At around 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, I ran into Venus in downtown Melbourne. (After some chitchat, it was like seeing a bride before a wedding.) She was alone, wearing sunglasses, returning from a walk to clear her mind before one of the biggest matches of her career. Yesterday I talked to Serena’s coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, and asked how he prepared his charge to play Venus. “Even though Serena knows Venus very well, she would like me to scout,” he said. “[Serena told me] ‘Please scout and talk to me ...

Sisters Serena And Venus Williams Chalk Up $33,000 Bill In Auckland Luxury Hotel Suites

... final against her sister, Venus. Venus Williams is down on one knee as she unleashes a backhand shot against her sister, Serena, in the Australian Open's women's singles final in Melbourne. Serena Williams reacts after winning a point against her sister, Venus, in the Australian Open women's singles final in Melbourne. Serena Williams walks off to change her racket after smashing it after slipping in the women's singles final against her sister, Venus, at the Australian Open. Serena Williams breaks her racket after slipping in the women's singles final against her sister, Venus, at the Australian Open. Serena Williams smashes her racket after slipping in the women's singles final against her sister, Venus, at the Australian Open. Serena Williams hits a shot in the women's singles final against her sister, Venus, at the Australian Open. Serena Williams serves in the women's singles final against her sister, Venus, at the Australian Open. Venus Williams ...

Williams' Latest Sister Act In Australian Open Final 'will Be Like War', Says Serena’s Coach Patrick Mouratoglou

... Credit: GETTY IMAGES. Simon Briggs , Tennis Correspondent, in Melbourne. 27 January 2017 • 10:30 pm. Tennis, increasingly, is a family affair. In this Australian Open the Bryans have reached the men’s doubles final, while the Pliskovas and Zverevs both made an impact in the singles draws, and the Murrays went away cursing their most disappointing major in years. These are all strong sibling partnerships. But none can match the Williams sisters. Whatever happens in Saturday’s Australian Open final , Serena and Venus will add a 30 th grand slam singles title to their combined collection, while their doubles act has already conquered the world in three Olympic Games. The benefits of growing up with a fellow racket-wielder should be obvious. Tennis, more than any other major sport, demands a suitable practice partner. Even at club level, the greatest frustration is the lack of somebody at the right level to hit with. The Bryans and Pliskovas are twins, so the opportunity was always there to pair up on the court. The Zverevs are unusual, in that ...

Serena Williams Stands Alone Atop Modern Tennis After Winning Australian Open

... after a match Serena Williams controlled narrowly but firmly, Venus Williams got to stand behind her as the younger sibling said, “There’s no way I would be at 23 without her; there’s no way I would be at one without her,” and, “She’s the only reason that I’m standing here today,” and, “Every time you won this week, I felt like I got a win, too.” From their hair beads as the teenage daughters of clever parents who overcame the absence of tennis backgrounds, they had surpassed all the way to an extended post-match hug everyone could understand. Still, groggy American heads had more to mull, because this match changed the order of the sport. For the five decades since the sport opened up to all, and Nancy Richey won the 1968 French Open, then Billie Jean King won Wimbledon and Virginia Wade won the U. S. Open, the sport had found its peerless player. She was the one her father, Richard Williams, forecasted would be the better of his two daughters, even when Venus Williams ...

Serena Williams Wins Record 23rd Major By Beating Sister Venus At Australian Open

... R. Cristino / EPA. Serena Williams lifts her trophy after defeating her sister Venus Williams in their women's singles final match at the Australian Open in Melbourne on Jan. 28, 2017. (Mark R. Cristino / EPA). Tribune news services Contact Reporter. Serena Williams held up a Grand Slam winner's trophy for the 23 rd time, celebrating her unrivalled place in history, and received a congratulatory letter and a pair of custom-made shoes from Michael Jordan, the name most synonymous with No. 23. Venus Williams got to watch from close range again, and shed tears more of joy than regret after being beaten in a major final for the seventh time by her record-breaking younger sister. Serena won the all-Williams final, the ninth in Grand Slam history and the second in Australia, 6-4, 6-4 on Saturday night. With her record seventh Australian Open title, Serena moved ahead of Steffi Graf for the most major titles in the Open era. The Williams sisters are close. They started out playing together in Compton, California, hardly a hotbed for tennis, with their father Richard and mother Oracene as coach and mentor. And they still practice and ...