Serena, Venus Williams stir father's appreciation
TENNIS
With Serena Williams winning the U.S. Open, Venus Williams taking Wimbledon, and the two teaming to win an Olympic doubles gold medal, all signs point to another leap for Richard Williams' daughters.
NEW YORK -- The man who 30 years ago had no tennis background but had the strangest inkling he could shape his daughters into tennis champions leaned on a table outside Arthur Ashe Stadium on Sunday night and lauded the sublime U.S. Open play of his daughter.
Richard Williams meant his other daughter.
The summer of 2008 has become such a fresh crescendo Williams-wise that Richard had veered from discussing his U.S. Open champion, Serena Williams, to note the woman Serena edged in the quarterfinals, Venus Williams. He had two supernovas to discuss, and he lamented that their high-caliber quarterfinal had not been a final.
"Just seeing Venus over there in the stands, I feel bad," the father said. "That's why I'm wearing the cap."
Indeed, the black cap atop his head bore the interwoven "VW" logo of Venus' clothing line.
And indeed, Venus' quality in this U.S. Open had been towering.
And indeed, the recent history of women's tennis has shifted firmly back to the Williams-centric setting from which it strayed beginning in 2003, except that this particular Williams chapter bears the fresh paradigm of a heightened appreciation for the two sisters from Compton and Florida, based partly on their longevity.
They lost zero sets at Wimbledon until they played each other in the final, which Venus won 7-5, 6-4. They won the Olympic doubles title and took on starry-eyed looks whenever they recollected that experience. They played a U.S. Open quarterfinal of such lofty quality that the New York audience eventually gave a booming standing ovation during a second-set tiebreaker in a match won by Serena, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (8).
They have both looked positively regal.
They're 28 and almost-27, and by now it's rote to list the players who rivaled them from 2003 to 2007 but have ebbed for one reason or another, including Jennifer Capriati, Amelie Mauresmo, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport, Martina Hingis and, foremost, Justine Henin.
Yet as Serena regained the No. 1 ranking after an unprecedentedly long interruption of five years, one month, their father leaned on the table and said, "No, I never doubted . . . And I don't doubt Venus is going to take No. 1."
For now, Serena reigns with a will her father rates as a combination of "a pit bulldog, a young Mike Tyson and an alligator."
