Wimbledon 2005 News
By Eleanor Preston | June 30,
2005
 As
comebacks go, Venus Williams’ re-emergence
as a major force at Wimbledon, could end up ranking
amongst tennis’ most enduring stories. While
the rain that fell on Thursday ensured that we
do not yet know who she is playing in Saturday’s
final, there was plenty in her 7-6, 6-1 demolition
of defending champion Maria Sharapova to suggest
that it may not matter – the only person
capable of beating Venus in this kind of form is
Serena and she is long gone from the tournament.
The rain that ensured long hours of waiting for both women’s semi-finals
to get underway – they were eventually split between Centre and No.1 courts – fell
again just as Lindsay Davenport appeared on the verge of victory against Amelie
Mauresmo in the other semi-final. Davenport leads 6-7, 7-6, 5-3 with Mauresmo
serving at 15-0.
Sharapova was tearful after her loss to Williams, the ice maiden thawed into
being an ordinary teenager again by the sting of defeat. She gave her opponent
full credit despite her obvious disappointment, a sign that she is a mature competitor
even if the areas of her game which need improvement were exposed by a combination
of cool, windy, damp conditions and Williams in rampant form.
“I don't think I played my best tennis but credit to her for not allowing
me to play my best. She had a lot of deep balls - hard, deep balls. She
was serving consistently big. On the contrary, I don't think I was serving
as big but then I don’t have as big a serve as her.”
Few players do and watching Williams in such zealously aggressive form was like
a sudden and thrilling throwback to the days when she dominated women’s
tennis. She won back-to-back Wimbledon and US Open titles in 2000 and 2001 and
reigned as World No.1 until the emergence of her sister Serena pushed her into
second place. Now, with Serena’s career seemingly on the wane, it seems
its Venus’ turn to shine once more.
“It's very good, it really is,” said Williams. “Really my whole
goal for this tournament was just to play one round at a time and do the best
that I could in each round. My play has just gotten better with each opponent,
and my level has risen however my opponent was playing. It's satisfying,
but I've always felt that I can play at this level. I just gave myself
the opportunity at this tournament to do it.”
 She was asked, inevitably, if she ever doubted that she would be back and there
came a tacit admission from her that perhaps she bought into the general consensus
that the best days of her career were behind her, a theory she has proved wrong
this Wimbledon.
“There were times when, sure, I was disappointed in how I played because
I knew I could play better but all things in good time. Everyone has their
moment in the sun. That's what my mom always says, ‘Everyone has
their chance.’ And, obviously, at each tournament I feel like, sure, it
was my chance. But everyone has a chance. Everyone gets to play well. Everyone
gets to win sometimes. Even though I'd like it to be me every time, this
is almost impossible.”
Sharapova’s chance to win again will surely come, just as Williams did.
She knows that she has some improving to do pick up another grand slam title
and, at 18, she still has time.
“I think I need to be stronger,” said Sharapova. “The stronger
I get, the bigger my serve will be, the easier it will be for me, you know, to
maybe hold serve and get more free points. But at 18, I don't think it's possible
to have a huge consistent serve, and I realize that and I accept it. I
know with hard work and practice and repetition it will get bigger and stronger
and more accurate.”
As Venus Williams can tell her, all good things come to those who wait.
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