Charlotte.com: Other Sports

It's all in the Williams family - singles, doubles

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:58 EDT

Thrilled as she was to win the Wimbledon singles championship, Venus Williams dialed down her celebration.

No hopping in place and skipping to the net after match point, the way she's done so often on Centre Court. No giddy laughter and whoops of joy, as she's let out in the past.

This title was different from her previous successes at the grass-court Grand Slam.

This title came at the expense of her younger sibling, Serena.

Reprising their Sister Slam Show in the Wimbledon final after a five-year hiatus, Venus and Serena Williams smacked big serves, hit hard strokes from all angles and chased down seemingly unreachable balls, like no one else does. Overcoming an early deficit, Venus beat Serena 7-5, 6-4 Saturday for her second consecutive title at the All England Club and seventh major championship overall.

“I'm definitely more in tune with my sister's feelings because one of us has to win and one of us has to lose,” the No.7-seeded Venus, 28, said. “You could never detract from winning a Wimbledon, so of course it doesn't detract from that. But I'm definitely thinking about how my sister's feeling.”

No.6 Serena, 26, meanwhile, was sullen as could be afterward, as though she had just finished losing to a stranger. Which, it turns out, was the way she tried to view Venus. That the champion's trophy stayed in the family did not ease the pain of defeat.

“It's definitely not any easier,” Serena said. “I just look at her as another opponent at the end of the day.”

Said their mother and coach, Oracene Price: “Well, you know, she's going to have to learn how to suck things up. Say, ‘OK, I'm not going to win everything.'”

About 31/2 hours after the singles final ended, Price's daughters returned to the same court, except now they were playing on the same side of the net, and they beat Lisa Raymond and Samantha Stosur 6-2, 6-2 to win the women's doubles title.

A day that began with a meal together at the nearby house they're sharing, ended with the sisters' seventh Grand Slam doubles championship – and a total family payday of more than $2.5 million.

Saturday's earlier encounter was the seventh all-Williams Grand Slam singles final; only one other pair of sisters faced off in a major tournament title match, and that was all the way back at the very first Wimbledon, in 1884.

Williams vs. Williams finals became routine for a bit, when they met in six of eight Grand Slam title matches from the U.S. Open in 2001 through Wimbledon in 2003. Serena went 5-1 in those, including beating Venus at the All England Club in 2002 and 2003.

But big sister got some payback Saturday.

“I didn't want the same trend to keep happening,” Venus said. “So I climbed a tiny little notch up. It's 2-5. Still behind, but I'm working on it.”

British girl wins junior title

Laura Robson, 14, born in Australia but moved to England when she was 6, won the girls' title Saturday by beating Noppawan Lertcheewakarn, 16, of Thailand 6-3, 3-6, 6-1. It's the first Wimbledon singles championship for a Brit in 24 years. Robson is the youngest girls' champion at Wimbledon since Martina Hingis was 13 when she won in 1994, and the first British singles champion at Wimbledon since Annabel Croft won the girls' title in 1984. There is no prize money, but Robson hopes the victory on Court 1 will earn her a wild card into next year's main draw. Last year's girls' champion, Urszula Radwanska, lost to runner-up Serena Williams in the second round this year. “I'd take her down,” Robson jokingly said of Serena Williams. observer news services

Thrilled as she was to win the Wimbledon singles championship, Venus Williams dialed down her celebration.

No hopping in place and skipping to the net after match point, the way she's done so often on Centre Court. No giddy laughter and whoops of joy, as she's let out in the past.

This title was different from her previous successes at the grass-court Grand Slam.

This title came at the expense of her younger sibling, Serena.

“It's definitely not any easier,” Serena said. “I just look at her as another opponent at the end of the day.”

Said their mother and coach, Oracene Price: “Well, you know, she's going to have to learn how to suck things up. Say, ‘OK, I'm not going to win everything.'”

A day that began with a meal together at the nearby house they're sharing, ended with the sisters' seventh Grand Slam doubles championship – and a total family payday of more than $2.5 million.

But big sister got some payback Saturday.

“I didn't want the same trend to keep happening,” Venus said. “So I climbed a tiny little notch up. It's 2-5. Still behind, but I'm working on it.”

British girl wins junior title

Federer, Nadal renew their friendly rivalry

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:10 EDT

Once again, it will be Roger Federer against Rafael Nadal for the Wimbledon title. It will be left-hander against right-hander; finesse against force; cardigan against clam-diggers.

Federer versus Nadal is the sports rivalry of the moment: better even than Tiger Woods against his knee.

Although Federer has remained No.1 in the world since February 2004 and Nadal No.2 since July 2005, Nadal is the one with the advantage in their head-to-head meetings, winning 11 of their 17 matches, including the last three. But all three of those were on clay, the surface Nadal has dominated the past four years like no man since Bjorn Borg. Nadal allowed Federer just four games as he won his latest title at the French Open, disappointing a crowd that had been buzzing with excitement in the early stages of the match at the potential classic to come.

“The head-to-head matchup has always been a problem for Roger,” said Darren Cahill, Andre Agassi's former coach. “He's been working hard to solve the problem.”

Still, Nadal has never beaten Federer on grass, losing the last two Wimbledon finals. And no man has beaten Federer on grass or at Wimbledon since 2002. He has won five consecutive titles here, one short of the record.

“Everybody can talk a lot, because everybody is free to say what they think,” Nadal said on Saturday. “But finally, the whole important thing is what's happening tomorrow, no?”

Today's matchup will be their sixth Grand Slam final against each other, and their third consecutive at Wimbledon. The only other men to do that in this century at the All England Club were Boris Becker and Stefan Edberg who played three times from 1988 to 1990.

Like that rivalry, Nadal's and Federer's rivalry lacks a hard edge. The two men, despite the language barrier created by Nadal's still-evolving English, have become very friendly and speak regularly in the locker room.

“We have a very good relation,” Nadal said. “We speak about football and a lot of things.”

Marat Safin, beaten by Federer in the semifinals, said he preferred this rivalry to Pete Sampras and Agassi's long-running duel in the 1990s and early 2000s.

“Because I'm living this generation,” Safin said. “Sampras-Agassi was great, but we were too young to understand that.”

Philippoussis commits to Charlotte tennis event

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:10 EDT

Assuming he's healthy enough to play, Mark Philippoussis, one of the hardest servers in men's tennis history, will add some pop to the senior event at The Palisades in September.

A two-time Grand Slam singles finalist, Philippoussis has committed to the eight-man field, organizers told the Observer.

The round-robin tournament will be Sept. 24-28. Along with Philippoussis, Jim Courier, Todd Martin and Wayne Ferreira are scheduled to play.

Four other players will be named at a later date.

Philippoussis, 31, is relatively young for the senior tour, but he's trying to work back from various injuries and return to the ATP tour. In his off time, Philippoussis appeared in the NBC reality series “Age of Love.”

A finalist in the 1998 U.S. Open and 2003 Wimbledon, Philippoussis has fought various injuries throughout his career.

He recently had a surfing accident in rough seas off the Australian coastline. He reportedly suffered foot and hip injuries in that accident, but officials here were told those injuries shouldn't keep Philippoussis from playing.

The Palisades is a development near Lake Wylie and the Charlotte tournament is the fifth of eight events on the Outback Champions Series, for players 30 and over. For ticket information on the event, call 1-877-322-TIXX or visit Championsseriestennis.com.

Swinehart dominates again

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:01 EDT

Dustin Swinehart's dominance of the Charlotte Eagles' scoring statistics has both its obvious benefits and – odd as it may seem – drawbacks, coach Mark Steffens says.

“It seems like if he's not finishing his scoring chances, we're not scoring,” Steffens said after Swinehart scored both goals in a 2-0 Eagles victory against the Wilmington Hammerheads in a USL Second Division game Saturday night at Charlotte Christian.

Swinehart now has 12 goals, comfortably atop the league scoring leaders and seven more than teammate Jorge Herrera, the second leading goal scorer.

The veteran forward's two scores helped the first-place Eagles (9-1-4, 31 points) break a streak of two straight ties in which they totaled one goal.

“We talked about increasing the number of scoring chances tonight and we got a lot of shots,” Steffens said. “We've been possessing the ball well, and that's good but it's not a goal.”

And the Eagles still didn't have any by halftime of this game as the Hammerheads (2-6-6, 12 points) limited Charlotte to two first-half shots.

But Swinehart and Herrera combined for goals six minutes apart early in the second half.

“When he has the ball, I want to be in the (18-yard) box.” said Swinehart. “We felt like if we could get one tonight, we could get a couple.”

In the 49th minute, he took a ball played into the middle of the field by Herrera and lofted a shot from 25 yards over the head of Hammerheads goalkeeper John O'Hara.

The second goal came from a couple of yards out at the back post as Herrera laid a pass at his feet.

“We played well in the first half, but we didn't get behind their defense,” Steffens said. “In the second half, we got behind them.”

Goalkeeper Terry Boss recorded eight saves for his second shutout in three games.

The Eagles and Hammerheads play again Saturday in Wilmington.

Valverde gets off to a good start on Day One

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 23:02 EDT

Alejandro Valverde of Spain won the first stage of the Tour de France on Saturday with a ride through flat country, the opening of a three-week race trying to restore its luster after years of doping scandals.

Valverde broke away from the pack at the end of the 123-mile leg from Brest to Plumelec and now has the distinction of wearing the leader's yellow jersey.

Valverde, who rides for the Caisse d'Epargne team and won the Dauphine Libere warm-up race last month, was followed by Philippe Gilbert of Belgium and Jerome Pineau of France.

“I've achieved two of my objectives: to win a stage and to wear the yellow jersey,” Valverde said. “That's done today. It gives me peace of mind for the rest of the race.”

Valverde is among the favorites to capture the cycling showcase of more than 2,175 miles, as are Australia's Cadel Evans and Russia's Denis Menchov.

Valverde finished the course in 4 hours, 36 minutes, 7 seconds. Evans was sixth, a second back, while Menchov was 26th, seven seconds behind the leader. Most of the other favorites were all within seven seconds of Valverde.

The Tour's 95th edition, which ends July 27 in the French capital, got off to an unsettling start. Valverde said his strategy was to avoid the crashes that often occur in the flat, early stages. The victory gives him a boost before the race's first big challenge – the Stage 4 individual time trial, where Valverde could struggle. One of the day's four crashes took down Juan Mauricio Soler, the Colombian who was the Tour's best climber last year. He got back up, his hip and elbow bloodied and jersey torn, and struggled across the finish line 3:04 behind Valverde.

France's Herve Duclos-Lassalle became the first rider to abandon the race after falling and breaking his wrist.

This is the second straight year the race has begun without a defending champion. The Astana team of Spain's Alberto Contador was banned by organizers after doping infractions by other riders. Floyd Landis was stripped of his 2006 title after testing positive for synthetic testosterone.

Tour de France Notes

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 07:12 EDT

A look at Saturday's first stage of the Tour de France:

STAGE: For the first time since 1967 the Tour started without a prologue as riders faced some windy conditions over a 122.7-mile trek through Brittany from Brest to Plumelec.

WINNER: Alejandro Valverde of Spain won in 4 hours, 36 minutes, 7 seconds to show why he's among the favorites. Belgian rider Philippe Gilbert finished second and Jerome Pineau of France was third.

NEXT STAGE: Sunday's second stage covers 102.2 miles from Auray to Saint-Brieuc, is mostly flat and should favor sprinters.

YELLOW JERSEY: Valverde stamps his authority early on with his second career Tour stage win and first since beating Lance Armstrong in a mountain-top finish in 2005.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “Valverde is just so good. That's a perfect finish for him today”

Tour veteran David Millar, of Britain, on the Caisse d'Epargne team leader.

Federer, Nadal set for 3rd straight final

Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:46 EDT

The skies cooperated, the semifinal challengers didn't pose much of a threat, and Wimbledon got the men's final most tennis fans have been rooting for since the draw was announced: No. 1 Roger Federer vs. No. 2 Rafael Nadal.

The Swiss maestro in a cardigan sweater vs. the swashbuckling Spaniard in a muscle shirt and headband.

It is the third consecutive Wimbledon final between the rivals, and there is a lot at stake for both players.

Federer hopes to become the first player since the 1880s to win six Wimbledons in a row, and a victory would give him 13 Grand Slam titles – one shy of Pete Sampras' record. Nadal, who pushed Federer to five sets in last year's final, is aiming to become the first man since Bjorn Borg to win the French Open and Wimbledon back-to-back.

Nadal is 11-6 against Federer and 3-0 against him in French Open finals, but Federer is 2-0 against Nadal in Wimbledon finals. Neither has been able to knock the other one off on his favorite surface.

“We get the two best players in the game, playing as well as they can, and it should be fascinating to watch the final unfold,” said retired player Tim Henman, a BBC analyst. “Last year was so close, and I'm sure Nadal is going to fancy his chances even more this time.”

John McEnroe, calling the match for NBC, said there is “huge pressure” on Federer. “If he loses this match, it could quite possibly be the end of his reign as No. 1. Not next week, but by the end of the year. There's a lot on the line for him.”

Federer has been atop the rankings for 231 weeks, but he has struggled this season and seemed to have lost his aura of invincibility heading into this tournament. He has won only one minor tournament this season, and lost to Andy Roddick, Mardy Fish, Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and Radek Stepanek.

He suffered a humiliating defeat to Nadal in the French Open finals, winning just four games.

But ever since he put on his gold-crested herringbone sweater and stepped on the lawn of the All England Club, he has looked like the Federer of old. He has yet to lose a set. He faced only two break points in Friday's semifinal against former No. 1 Marat Safin, and both times he got out of the jams with serves to the Russian's body. Safin played some nice points, but Federer was never really in danger during the 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 6-4 match.

“I was winning my service games pretty comfortably, feeling good out there on the court,” Federer said. “It was perfect conditions. I'm always very relaxed, so today was no different. It was easy in terms of being able to control a really dangerous player who's got the potential to upset anyone. It was a perfect match for me.”

Venus, Serena ready to compete, as sisters

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 08:40 EDT

Nobody can truly imagine what Venus and Serena Williams are going through as they prepare to face each other in their third All-in-the-Family Wimbledon final this afternoon. How does one fathom what it feels like to grow up in the same room as your sister, spend your entire life loving and admiring her, and then have to compete against her on your sport's biggest stage with a $1.5 million check on the line?

The Williamses are used to it. It is the seventh time the Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., sisters have met in a Grand Slam final, and the fourth time at Wimbledon. For the seventh time in eight years, a Williams will win the championship.

Mike Bryan is one of the rare people with an inkling what goes on in the Williamses' psyche. He and his twin brother, Bob, are the world's top-ranked doubles team. They don't play each other in singles anymore, but they used to.

It was always awkward, and never great tennis. In fact, their parents didn't let them play against each other until they were 16. When they did reach finals, one brother or the other would default.

“I remember the times we played, we were both kind of flat,” Mike Bryan said. “You want to win, but you don't want to beat your brother. You'd feel really bad if you're beating up on him and look over and he's hanging his head. There wasn't a lot of emotion either way because you feel like once you're both there, your family's already won. I've watched every Williams final, and it looks like they're a little flat, which I understand.

“I mean, no matter who wins between Venus and Serena, they're going to have dinner together that night and fly home together.”

That's exactly what they did in 2003, the last time the Williams sisters faced each other in the Wimbledon final. Younger sister Serena won for the second year in a row, and the family celebrated at Benihana in London.

This time, the sisters are sharing a rented home and planned to eat breakfast together before their much-anticipated match. A few hours after the singles final, they will be partners for the women's doubles final. In 2002, Serena beat Venus for the singles title, and then the siblings won the doubles title.

“I don't think a lot of players could imagine what we go through because most players never have a sibling that's a world-class athlete in the same sport,” she said.

The Williams sisters are not the first siblings to compete for a Wimbledon women's title. The first Wimbledon women's final in 1884 was between Maud and Lillian Watson. Maud beat her older sister 6-8, 6-3, 6-3.

No sisters but the Williams have played each other in any Grand Slam final in at least 40 years. Other sports have famous siblings. NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning both won Super Bowls. Phil and Tony Esposito were hockey stars. Leon and Michael Spinks won Olympic gold boxing medals. And Roberto and Sandy Alomar were baseball stars.

Retired player Luke Jensen spent many years competing with and against his brother, Murphy, and said “it was always World War III.”

The good news, Jensen said, is that the Williams sisters have matured in recent years, and they are playing “smarter, more tactical” tennis. He expects a better final than they have delivered in the past.

Women air complaints on court assignments

Sat, 05 Jul 2008 10:33 EDT

• Larry Scott, chairman of the Women's Tennis Association, said that he had met Thursday with Wimbledon's chairman to discuss court assignments after several women's players voiced “significant concerns” about the tour's top players being sent to small, side courts for their fourth-round matches.

“All I'd say is we had a healthy exchange of views,” Scott said.

-- The Washington Post

• Another pair of American siblings will be going against each other in a Wimbledon final: twins Bob and Mike Bryan.

They'll square off for the mixed doubles title Sunday, when Mike Bryan and Katarina Srebotnik face Bob Bryan and Samantha Stosur.

“We're so close, just like (the Williams sisters), and it's very hard to play against your sibling,” Bob Bryan said. “Monopoly or Risk or one of these board games – we are at each other's throats. But on the tennis court, we want the best for each other and to support each other.”

The Bryans won the 2006 Wimbledon title together, but have never been opponents in a final at the All England Club.

-- AP

• Britain has another young player on which to pin its Wimbledon hopes.

Laura Robson, 14, reached the girls' final Friday by beating Romana Tabakova of Slovakia 6-2, 7-5, prompting talk that she could be the next great British tennis player.

“I try not to think about it too much,” Robson said. “But it's nice in a way because that means that everyone's thinking you are really good. So I'll take it as a compliment really.”

Britain has been waiting for a main draw singles champion since Virginia Wade won the women's title in 1976. Fred Perry, in 1936, was the last man to win the title.

Around the All England Club, Robson already has been asked for her autograph, and seems to be handling the pressure of stardom just fine.

In a few days she gets to attend the champions ball. She has to buy a dress for the party and doesn't yet have a date. When asked if she had her eye on anyone, Robson said: “No. Apart from (Marat) Safin.” -- AP

Federer overpowering against Ancic

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:24 EDT

Five-time champion Roger Federer outclassed Mario Ancic – the last man to beat him at Wimbledon – in straight sets Wednesday to reach the semifinals at the All England Club.

Riding his dominant serve and punishing forehand, Federer put on a masterful performance to beat Ancic 6-1, 7-5, 6-4 and moved another step closer to becoming the second man in history to win Wimbledon six years in a row.

Federer served 15 aces in his 39th straight win at Wimbledon.

Federer will next face Marat Safin, who served 18 aces and overcame Feliciano Lopez 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (1), 6-3 to become the first Russian man to make the Wimbledon semifinals in the 40-year history of the Open era.

In the bottom half of the draw, No.2 Rafael Nadal edged closer to a third consecutive Wimbledon final against Federer by blowing away Britain's Andy Murray 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

The quarterfinal between 94th-ranked Rainer Schuettler and No.145 Arnaud Clement was suspended at one set apiece because of fading light. Schuettler won the first 6-3 and Clement took the second 7-5.

In the women's semifinals scheduled for today, Venus Williams is to play No.5 Elena Dementieva; Serena Williams will face Zheng Jie, the first Chinese player to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam.

Wimbledon Notebook

Thu, 03 Jul 2008 07:14 EDT

Forecasts at Wimbledon call for rain on each of the next four days, including thunderstorms today, when Venus and Serena Williams are scheduled to play in the women's semifinals.

Serena was fined $500 for using an obscenity during her fourth-round victory over Bethanie Mattek on Monday.

The always sky-high hopes of the British public were put to rest for yet another year.

Andy Murray, who has succeeded Tim Henman as the country's top player, lost to Rafael Nadal in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal.

The last British man to win the singles title at Wimbledon was Fred Perry in 1936; the last British woman to win the title was Virginia Wade in 1977.

Henman was forced out of the BBC TV booth Wednesday by a throat infection, drawing ribbing from fellow commentators. “He just thought he'd come here and show us how it's done,” John McEnroe joked. Associated Press

All-Williams final just one hurdle away

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:39 EDT

Their challengers have come in all forms, from an obscure British wild card to a former world No. 1, and from all around the globe — old Europe and new, Asia and the United States, too.

But no player has managed to win a single set against Venus or Serena Williams through five rounds of play at Wimbledon this year. And it looks increasingly as if the sisters, who have won six Wimbledon championships between them, may be each other's only worthy foil.

The Williams sisters moved one step closer to meeting in Saturday's championship by breezing past a pair of overwhelmed quarterfinalists on Tuesday.

Venus, the four-time and defending champion, was first to book her place in Thursday's semifinals, subduing 31-year-old Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand, 6-4, 6-3.

Serena was even more impressive in blasting 19-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska off Centre Court, firing 11 aces — including four in one game — en route to a 6-4, 6-0 victory. The match lasted just 51 minutes. The second set, in which Radwanska scored only eight points, raced by in 19 minutes.

Up next for Venus is fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva, a hard-working, hard-hitting Russian who is notorious for seizing up with nerves at critical moments. Dementieva's demons reared up again Tuesday as she squandered two match points in the second set after building a 5-1 lead. She lost the tiebreak that followed but regrouped, after changing into a fresh dress, to oust fellow Russian Nadia Petrova, 6-1, 6-7 (8-6), 6-3.

But the day's most compelling story was written by China's Zheng Jie, who continued her improbable march to Wimbledon's final four by toppling 18th-seeded Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.

Zheng, 24, needed a wild card to enter Wimbledon after suffering an ankle injury that idled her for most of 2007 and sent her world ranking tumbling to 163rd. As half of Wimbledon's victorious women's doubles team in 2006, Zheng was granted the entry and has played with tremendous power and precision, knocking off three top-20 seeds in succession, including world No. 1 Ana Ivanovic.

Speaking through a translator, Zheng said she never imagined she could reach Wimbledon's semifinals. No one in her family played tennis, she explained, and she didn't pick up a racket until age 10. “But as soon as I start to play it, I fall in love with it,” she said.

Zheng's reward for her stirring performance, the best by an Asian singles player in Wimbledon history, is a rematch with Serena, who beat Zheng in straight sets during her run to a second consecutive Wimbledon title in 2003.

Their challengers have come in all forms, from an obscure British wild card to a former world No. 1, and from all around the globe — old Europe and new, Asia and the United States, too.

The Williams sisters moved one step closer to meeting in Saturday's championship by breezing past a pair of overwhelmed quarterfinalists on Tuesday.

Venus, the four-time and defending champion, was first to book her place in Thursday's semifinals, subduing 31-year-old Tamarine Tanasugarn of Thailand, 6-4, 6-3.

Williams sisters reach Wimbledon semifinals

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 15:41 EDT

The Williams sisters moved closer to another Wimbledon final Tuesday, using their power tennis to cruise into the semifinals in straight sets. Defending champion and four-time winner Venus Williams beat Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-4, 6-3, and two-time champ Serena swept 19-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-4, 6-0.

The Williams sisters are in opposite halves of the draw and could meet in Saturday's final. The two have been twice before in the Wimbledon final, with Serena winning both in 2002 and '03

"That would be amazing if we both were in the final," seventh-seeded Venus said. "I have to take it one more step and keep playing power tennis."

Venus will next face No. 5 Elena Dementieva, who wasted a 5-1 lead and two match points in the second set before beating fellow Russian Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-3 to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal.

Sixth-seeded Serena will play Zheng Jie, who became the first Chinese player to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam by beating Nicole Vaidisova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1. The 133rd-ranked Zheng is also the first wild-card entrant to reach the women's semis at Wimbledon and second at any Grand Slam.

"I think many people (will) watch this match in China," Zheng said.

The Williams sisters will be heavy favorites to set up their sixth Grand Slam final showdown. Serena leads 5-1 in Slam finals and 8-7 in overall matches.

"We want to deserve to be there," Venus said. "We have to play the best tennis to deserve it, so our aim is just to play better than our opponents and really deserve to be there."

Serena watched some of her sister's match while waiting to go on court.

"Watching the competition a little bit," she said, later bristling when asked whether she considered Venus to be the title favorite.

"I would never sit here and say she's the favorite when I'm still in the draw," she said. "That's not me. I always believe I'm the favorite. Even if I'm not the favorite, I'm always going to believe that I am."

It's been five years since Serena won the Wimbledon trophy, and her last Grand Slam title was at the 2007 Australian Open.

"I always expect to be here," she said. "I always expect the best. I feel like I deserve this because I don't think anyone's been working harder than me, except for maybe Venus. I mean that girl works even harder than I do. I just feel it's about time."

Neither of the sisters has dropped a set so far in the tournament, and their big serves and punishing ground strokes have put them a class above the rest of the field.

"I think I have a lot of power, so it helps," Venus said. "Definitely the power helps."

Venus was limping slightly at the end of her match with what she said was a tight left hamstring.

"I'm fine," said Venus, who has also reached the women's doubles quarterfinals with Serena. "I'm walking around on two legs, doing good, so I'm not really concerned right now."

The 60th-ranked Tanasugarn, playing in her first Grand Slam quarterfinal, pushed Williams as hard as she could but didn't have enough to cope with her hard-hitting game.

Williams served eight aces and had one serve at 127 mph (204 kph), while Tanasugarn had no aces and an average first-serve speed of just 90 mph (145 kph).

Tanasugarn fashioned 10 break points, but converted only once. The key game was the sixth of the first set, when Williams saved six break points - mostly on Tanasugarn errors - and finished with a 126 mph (203 kph) service winner to hold for 4-2.

"I think my key has been serve in this tournament," Venus said. "Any time I'm down breakpoint, double break or something like that, my serve gets me out of it."

Serena had a much easier time with Radwanska, a former Wimbledon junior champion. She had 11 aces, broke five times and needed just 51 minutes to complete her match on Centre Court.

Dementieva managed to prevail in an error-strewn match in which both players struggled with nerves.

Dementieva, runner-up at the French Open and U.S. Open in 2004, seemed in total command after winning five straight games to take the first set and going up 5-1 in the second. But, in keeping with her reputation, she got tight and let her opponent back in the match.

It was reminiscent of the French Open quarterfinals, where Dementieva was up a set and 5-2 against Dinara Safina but blew a match point and lost in three sets.

"I was tight," she said. "I was so close to finishing in two sets. I don't know what happened. Maybe I was thinking about the French Open quarterfinals. I was trying to stay positive and aggressive but it was so hard."

The men's quarterfinals are set for Wednesday, with five-time champion Roger Federer and two-time runner-up Rafael Nadal seemingly headed toward a third straight championship showdown.

Federer has cruised into the quarterfinals without dropping a set and extended his winning streak on grass to 63 matches and 38 in a row at Wimbledon. He next faces Mario Ancic, the last player to beat Federer on grass - in the first round of Wimbledon in 2002.

No. 2 Nadal required treatment behind his right knee after slipping in the opening set of his fourth-round win over Mikhail Youzhny. He next faces Andy Murray, who has reached his first Grand Slam quarterfinal and is carrying the hopes of the nation for Britain's first male Wimbledon champion in 72 years.

The other men's quarterfinal matchups are Marat Safin vs. Feliciano Lopez, and Rainer Schuettler vs. Arnaud Clement.

Williams sisters cruise

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:13 EDT

Wimbledon has already lost its top four seeded women's players, while the Williams sisters keep rolling toward another sibling final. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are also closing in on another title matchup.

Monday's fourth-round play at the All England Club produced more upsets at the top of the women's seedings, but also offered more convincing wins from the champions and title contenders.

Second-seeded Jelena Jankovic, hobbled by a knee injury, fell 6-3, 6-2 to Tamarine Tanasugarn. No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, the 2004 U.S. Open champion, lost 6-4, 1-6, 7-5 to Agnieszka Radwanska, 19.

With top-seeded Ana Ivanovic and No. 3 Maria Sharapova eliminated, none of the top four seeded women reached the quarterfinals – the first time that's happened at Wimbledon and also the first time at any Grand Slam tournament in the 40-year history of the Open era.

The highest women's seeded player left is No. 5 Elena Dementieva, who cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win against Shahar Peer. Only three of the top 14 seeded women are left.

The other two are the Williams sisters, and they posted back-to-back victories on Court 2 – nicknamed the “Graveyard of Champions” for its history of upsets. They questioned why they weren't put on Centre Court or Court 1.

Defending champion and seventh-seeded Venus Williams beat Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova 6-3, 6-4, and two-time winner and No.6 Serena downed Bethanie Mattek – the only other American left in the men's or women's draw – 6-3, 6-3.

In men's play, Federer swept Lleyton Hewitt – the last man to win the title before Federer's run of five straight titles – 7-6 (7), 6-2, 6-4 on Centre Court to extend his winning streak on grass to 63 matches and 38 in a row at the All England Club.

No. 2-ranked Nadal, runner-up to Federer the past two years, overcame an injury scare in the second game of the match and beat Mikhail Youzhny 6-3, 6-3, 6-1.

Nadal slipped on the worn turf behind the baseline on Court 1 while stretching to hit a forehand, with his right leg bending awkwardly. After losing the point, he took a medical timeout, and a trainer wrapped his leg below the knee.

The Spaniard lost the next point and the game, but showed no sign of trouble and dominated the rest of the way.

Wimbledon Notebook | Past champs picking Federer

Tue, 01 Jul 2008 07:12 EDT

With Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal on course to meet in the Wimbledon final for the third year in a row, nine out of 15 past champions picked Federer to win a sixth consecutive title.

When ATPtennis.com surveyed the former champions, those picking Federer were Rod Laver, Pete Sampras, Stefan Edberg, John McEnroe, Goran Ivanisevic, Michael Stich, Jack Kramer, Jan Kodes and Tony Trabert. Bjorn Borg, John Newcombe, Stan Smith, Richard Krajicek and Pat Cash went for Nadal.

And Boris Becker? “The better player will win,” he said.

Mario Ancic is hoping his berth in the quarterfinals Wednesday against Federer will mean a chance to play on Centre Court.

“That is for me like for a footballer to play on Wembley,” said Ancic. “It's Yankee Stadium for baseball, Madison Square Garden in basketball … I mean, it's almost like a holy place.”

Federer hasn't lost at Wimbledon since Ancic beat him in the first round in 2002.

HOW SEEDS FARED

MEN'S SINGLES: Winners: No. 1 Roger Federer, No. 2 Rafael Nadal, No. 12 Andy Murray and No.31 Feliciano Lopez. Losers: No. 8 Richard Gasquet, No. 10 Marcos Baghdatis, No. 13 Stanislas Wawrinka, No. 17 Mikhail Youzhny, No. 20 Lleyton Hewitt and No. 22 Fernando Verdasco.

WOMEN'S SINGLES: Winners: No. 5 Elena Dementieva, No. 6 Serena Williams, No. 7 Venus Williams, No. 14 Agnieszka Radwanska, No.18 Nicole Vaidisova and No. 21 Nadia Petrova. Losers: No. 2 Jelena Jankovic, No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova, No. 8 Anna Chakvetadze, No. 15 Agnes Szavay and No. 24 Shahar Peer.

TODAY'S QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS: No. 5 Elena Dementieva vs. No. 21 Nadia Petrova; No.6 Serena Williams vs. No. 14 Agnieszka Radwanska; No. 7 Venus Williams vs. Tamarine Tanasugarn; No. 18 Nicole Vaidisova vs. Zheng Jie.

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