Home>News Center>Sports
         
 

Venus breaks through against Serena
(Agneices)
Updated: 2005-03-30 15:05

Venus Williams ended a streak of six consecutive losses to younger sister Serena by winning 6-1, 7-6 (8) Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Nasdaq-100 Open.


Venus Williams celebrates after winning her quarterfinal match against her sister Serena Williams at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, March 29, 2005. Venus won the match 6-1 7-6 (8-6.) [Reuters]

Serena Williams reacts to a missed shot during her quarterfinal match against her sister Venus Williams at the Nasdaq-100 Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, March 29, 2005. Venus won the match 6-1 7-6 (8-6). [Reuters]

Meeting for the first time since July 2003, the sisters produced the same tense, sloppy tennis that has marred the rivalry in the past. But there was plenty of effort and emotion.

When Serena lost the first five games, she took an angry swipe at the hardcourt and mangled her racket, prompting jeers from the stadium crowd.

"Her racket is actually fragile — powerful but fragile," Venus said.

Then, when Venus smacked a crosscourt winner for a 3-2 lead in the second set, she walked to her chair with a glare, her teeth gritted in determination, while Serena admonished herself and screamed a profanity.

"She's definitely a little more fiery than I am," Venus said. "I keep it a little more even-keel."

In the tiebreaker, Serena pushed a forehand into the net to fall behind 9-8, then flung her racket and buried her face in her hands. She sailed a backhand long on match point, and Venus raised her arms in jubilation.

The sisters met at the net and hugged, and Venus consoled her younger sister with a pat on the back. Venus grinned and waved to the crowd, then gestured to Serena and applauded by patting her racket.

"In the last matches Serena just always played better," Venus said. "She won them. I was happy at least that a Williams won. Obviously I would have loved to have won, but for me it's like the past now."

The defeat ended a 21-match winning streak at Key Biscayne for No. 3-seeded Serena, the three-time defending champion. Venus has also won the tournament three times.

"There was nothing I could do in the first set, but I had plenty of chances in the second," Serena said. "We should still be out there."

In the semifinals Thursday, No. 8-seeded Venus will play No. 2-seeded Maria Sharapova.

"Maria should be ready to play, for sure," Serena said.

Sharapova interrupted Justine Henin-Hardenne's comeback from a seven-month layoff by winning 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-2. Among those reaching the men's quarterfinals were top-ranked Roger Federer and six-time Key Biscayne champion Andre Agassi.

Williams met Williams for the first time since the 2003 Wimbledon final, and the latest chapter in their series produced the same awkward shotmaking as in the past. Venus hit one serve that landed short of the net.

"It has always been difficult for me to watch," Agassi said before the match. "I just couldn't imagine what it's like competing against a sibling."

But the surprising result might revive the rivalry, and it's a psychological breakthrough for Venus, who went into a tailspin after her last win over Serena for the 2001 U.S. Open title. Since that match, Serena has since won six major titles, beating Venus in the final five times.

The sisters took the court at 8:30 p.m., Serena wearing a fuchsia body suit and Venus in a more conservative black and white dress. Serena foot-faulted twice in her first service game, perhaps a sign of nerves, and was soon talking to herself.

"Why would you do that?" she said after one errant shot.

"The first set for me was fantastic," Venus said.

Venus smacked winners into the corners and scrambled after shots beyond the reach of most players, surprising Serena at least once when the ball came back. But Venus also had seven double faults and 30 unforced errors while converting just three of 12 break-point chances, and Serena was no sharper.

Most of the drama came in the tiebreaker. Serena saved one match point when Venus mis-hit a backhand for 6-6. Venus then twice saved set points with backhand winners, the second kissing the baseline for 8-all.

Two points later, big sis had a big win. Venus said she's confident she'll regain the No. 1 ranking.

"For me its a given," she said. "I feel like I have the talent and the experience. I feel like it's a matter of time."

Federer was pushed to three sets for the second match in a row but beat Mario Ancic 6-3, 4-6, 6-4. Federer, bidding for his first Key Biscayne title, extended his winning streak to 19 matches and improved to 45-1 since the start of last year's U.S. Open.

Agassi endured a grueling first set and beat French Open champion Gaston Gaudio 7-6 (7), 6-2. Gaudio faded after converting just one of 10 breakpoint chances in the opening set, which lasted 85 minutes.

Agassi's opponent Thursday will be No. 31 Taylor Dent, who beat Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-4.

Two Spaniards made the men's final eight. Rafael Nadal, an 18-year-old left-hander with two titles already this year, beat No. 13-seeded Ivan Ljubicic 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-3. Unseeded David Ferrer rallied past countryman Juan Carlos Ferrero 6-7 (7), 6-3, 7-5.

No. 6 Tim Henman also won and will play Federer on Thursday. No. 26 Dominik Hrbaty, who upset Marat Safin in the third round, eliminated 18-year-old Gael Monfils 6-3, 6-3.



Sharapova beat Henin
Guess who? Diego Maradona!
England ready for duel with Azeris
 
  Today's Top News     Top Sports News
 

Millions click "no" to Japan's UNSC bid

 

   
 

KMT leader: Taiwan people seek peace

 

   
 

Work on new Olympic stadium begins

 

   
 

Central bank: China won't follow US on rates

 

   
 

Yuanmingyuan lake bed project questioned

 

   
 

Fertility industry takes off in China

 

   
  China lose to Ireland 1-0 in friendly
   
  China wants table-tennis title back
   
  Williams routs local teenager Liang 5-0
   
  Lakers beat Knicks, snap losing streak
   
  Heat beat Raptors, 17th home win in row
   
  Sharapova ends Henin-Hardenne's comeback
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 下樱桃视频入口在线观看| 亚洲综合伊人久久大杳蕉| 3d区在线观看| 成人国产一区二区三区| 亚洲aⅴ无码专区在线观看q | 高清一本之道加勒比在线| 在线观看精品国产福利片87| 久久99精品一区二区三区| 欧美一区二区三区精品影视| 免费人成黄页在线观看国产| 蜜桃麻豆www久久国产精品| 国产精品国产免费无码专区不卡| www.人人干| 收集最新中文国产中文字幕| 五月天婷婷丁香| 污污网站免费下载| 午夜福利一区二区三区高清视频 | 色婷五月综激情亚洲综合| 国产精品久久久久免费视频| ass亚洲**毛茸茸pics| 成年女人毛片免费视频| 久久精品国产亚洲av瑜伽| 欧美性69式xxxx护士| 人妖系列免费网站观看| 精品视频一区二区观看| 国产偷亚洲偷欧美偷精品| 中文字幕中出在线| 国产资源在线观看| lover视频无删减免费观看| 扒开老师挠尿口到崩溃刑罚| 久久精品国产欧美日韩亚洲| 欧美大黑bbb| 亚洲精品国产v片在线观看| 精品国产一区二区三区不卡| 日本乱偷人妻中文字幕在线| 国产99精品在线观看| 91视频综合网| 国产精品久久久久久久久kt| 99久久久国产精品免费牛牛| 女大学生的沙龙室| 一级特黄录像绵费播放|