Venus Blasts Past Maria
Thursday, June 30, 2005
The good times came thundering back for Venus Williams on the Centre Court at Wimbledon this evening as she defeated the 18-year-old defending champion Maria Sharapova 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 to reach the final for a fifth time.
Williams was not even in the top 10 in the world when Wimbledon began and there was a belief in some areas of the game that she would not regain the form that made her such a great champion in 2000 and 2001.
But the belief was well wide of the mark. Williams was in outstanding form, taking the challenge to Sharapova and putting the pressure on the defending champion with relentless ferocity.
Sharapova never forgot the drive that made her champion a year ago from the position of 13th seed but Williams offered her little chance of staying on course for a repeat. The second set where Sharapova dropped serve three times said it all.
In the final game, as an indication of her declining situation, Sharapova double faulted twice, having done so only six other times in The Championships. She went match point down to a forehand winner down the line but Williams, with an open court, hit over the baseline.
Sharapova then held two game points before Williams moved on to a second match point when the defending champion missed a forehand. Williams then claimed her place in the final when Sharapova missed a crosscourt backhand.
Williams celebrated in style and said as she came off court: "I love this tournament, this is the surface for me."
A frustrating day waiting for the weather to clear meant that Sharapova and Williams started on the Centre Court more than three hours late. The crowd also began a slow handclap before the players finally emerged for their first match at Grand Slam level - and only their third ever meeting.
Williams won the opening game on serve, saving two break points, but the second game opened on a controversial note with the umpire over-ruling an out call on a deep backhand by Williams. That gave Williams an important start and she took the next two points as well. Sharapova retrieved the situation well to hold serve.
The first break of serve favoured Williams as she took a 4-2 lead with some well earned points on the backhand. She was also helped when Sharapova, from the middle of the baseline, found the net with a backhand.
At 5-3, Williams served for a first set lead but, having gained two set points with a backhand winner to the unguarded forehand wing, she found Sharapova's counter-attack too strong and the Russian won four points in a row to break back.
Williams went into the tie break with a distinct advantage in terms of clear winners and immediately she was helped by Sharapova missing her first two serves. Williams kept building her attack. With her high pressure game paying dividends, she gained four set points and won on the next rally when Sharapova hit long.
Williams remained in command with a break of serve to love in the opening game of the second set with Sharapova failing to win a point
Sharapova's task looked increasingly difficult. The pressure of defending the title made little difference to her attitude but as the points mounted up for Williams there was no question that Sharapova was clinging on to all that she could - and it was still not enough.
Venus Williams had lost her last two Wimbledon finals to her sister Serena, who was beaten at the end of the first week in a similar late night encounter. This evening Venus Williams ensured that the family reputation at Wimbledon is safe.
Written by Barry Newcombe
