2011 Williams Watch-US Open Starting

My favorite tennis playing siblings are playing in the last Grand Slam tournament of the 2011 tennis season at the  US Open in New York.   They are only playing women's singles in this one probably to the relief of the women's doubles competitors.

They are thankfully on opposite sides of the draw once again, with Serena on the side of the draw that contains current world number one player and number one seeded Caroline Wozniacki.     

Serena hasn't played her opening round match yet, bit the unseeded Venus has gotten her US Open play off to a successful start yesterday by winning in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 against Russia's Vesna Dolonts.  26th seeded Little Sis has an opening round match with Serbia's Bojana Jovanoswski.

The US Open continues through September 11, and it would be nice to see them be the last women standing on that day.

2011 Williams Watch-Big Sis And Little Sis Are Out

The Williams haters are rejoicing right now because neither Big Sis or Little Sis will be around for the quarterfinal round of Wimbledon.. 

For the first time at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club since 2006, someone with a last name other than Williams will take the Wimbledon Ladies singles title.

The back to back champ Serena was upset by France's Marion Bartoli earlier today 3-6, 6-7 (6-8) in straight sets.  Several hours later five time 'Williams'-don champ Venus was knocked out of the tournament by the same person who did so last year, Bulgaria's Tvetsana Pironkova in straight sets.   

Pironkova also beat Big Sis by the same 2-6 3-6 score she posted on her last year. 

I really wanted my girls to make it this year considering all the drama they've faced, and I wanted it badly for Little Sis, who faced life threatening surgery earlier this year.   Considering they made it to the fourth round and hadn't played a lot of tennis prior to this tournament is a scary thought and bodes well for the next major, the US Open in a September.    

You Williams haters in the tennis world can laugh, exhale and have a good time partying like it's 2006.  

But they'll be back.  And remember, the venue for the 2012 Olympic tennis tournament is the All England lawn tennis and Croquet Club.

2011 Williams Watch-Little Sis Wins In Straight Sets

Watching the Williams sisters at times during this 125th edition of 'Williams'-don reminds me of the 'anything you can do I can do better' song.

After Big Sis took 62 minutes to dispatch her opponent in straight sets, it took Serena 89 minutes to do the same to Russia's Maria Kirilenko, the tournament's 26th seed.   Little Sis won in straight sets 6-3, 6-2 to move on to the fourth round and even uncorked one serve that was clocked at 113 mph while doing so.

If there were any question that Serena was having any lingering issues over the health issues she experienced over the last year, any doubts are quickly being silenced for both her and her elder sibling.

Serena's fourth round opponent as she kicks off her second week of tournament play will be with France's Marion Bartoli, the 9th seed who had a three set battle with Italy's Flavia Pennetta. 
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The drive for her third consecutive Wimbledon Ladies Singles title is still alive, and it's looking like once again with a few breaks, she might have to fight her big sister for it.

2011 Williams Watch-Big Sis Administers Tennis Beatdown

As I continue to remind the peeps who hate on the Williams sisters, never underestimate them when they are playing matches at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.

Venus Williams played her third round match yesterday against Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, and it only took her 62 minutes to cruise to a 6-0, 6-2 straight set win that finished off the player who sent Jelena Jankovic home in the first round.

Martinez Sanchez is also the woman that Little Sis had some drama with back in the 2009 French Open.  

Maybe that was on Big Sis' mind when she broke out the two liter bottle of tennis whoop azz and won the first set in only 27 minutes of work.  She definitely had her 'A' game working as one serve she uncorked on Martinez Sanchez measured at 120 mph.

She had to work a little harder in the second set, which took 35 minutes to complete, but the straight set win moves her to the fourth round and a matchup with Bulgaria's Tsvetsana Pironkova.

Pironkova shocked her and the tennis world last year when as the world ranked number 82 player knocked Venus out of the 2010 Wimbledon quarterfinals. 

"Last year, unfortunately I didn't play that well. I don't feel I competed well. Regardless of how I play, I know I'll be competing this time," Big Sis said.

"I'm ready to bring my best game and my best competition. Last year I just got unhappy with how I was playing and I let that affect my game. This year I won't let that happen."

2011 Williams Watch-Serena Moves To Third Round

Little' Sis suffered through another slow start in her  second round matchup against Romania's Simona Halep and dropped a set before she got into tennis beatdown mode and powered to a 3-6,6-2, 6-1 win.

Halep got off to a quick 4-1 lead due to nine unforced errors by Serena, breaking her serve once and some flawless shots by the No. 58th ranked player as she took 37 minutes to win the first set

But the two time 'Williams'-don champ got it together and committed just ten unforced errors the rest of the match.  She focused and shifted into tennis beat down mode to dominate Halep in this set and even the match.

Little Sis took only 28 minutes to win the third set and the match 6-1 thanks to a 5-0 knockout blitz and stay on track for a threepeat and her fifth Wimbledon singles title. 

Next up in the third round for Serena will be the winner of the Maria Kirilenko -Tamarine Tanasugarn match.

2011 Williams Watch-Venus Rising

It was Big Sis' turn to play at Centre Court, and the folks in attendance there got an entertaining three hour show in her match with Japan's Kimiko Date-Krumm.

Date-Krumm at age 40 is the second oldest woman ever to make it to the second round at Wimbledon and served notice early in this match she was more than willing to go through Venus to get to the third round..  

She built up a 5-1 lead in the first set before Venus battled back by winning five straight games to force a tiebreaker.  

In the tiebreaker, Date-Krumm raced out to a 6-2 lead, and once again Venus fought off four set points to tie it at 6-6.  She eventually dropped the tiebreaker 8-6 after Date-Krumm hit a shot that clipped the line and was confirmed by video replay and Big Sis hit her next shot into the net. .

Big Sis focused and took the second set in convincing 6-3 fashion thanks to breaking Date-Krumm twice

The third set was as tight as the first one, with both players getting early breaks but staying on serve until Venus broke her to clinch a hard fought match 8-6 after Date-Krumm sent a shot wide.

Next up for Big Sis in the third round is Spain's Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez, who sent Jelena Jankovic home early  in the first round.    Should be fun to watch, but as a certain former Houston Rockets coach said, never underestimate the heart of a champion.

You also never underestimate a Williams Sister at Wimbledon either.

2011 Williams Watch-Two Time Defending Champ Gets Started With Win

Little Sis strolled onto Centre Court for the first time since she last exited it on July 3 with the Venus (Williams) Rosewater dish in her possession for the second straight year. 

Since then she's had a drama filled twelve months.

But the back to back defending Wimbledon Ladies singles champion opened her title defense against France's Aravane Rezai with a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 three set.win.  


After a shaky start which found her down 2-0, she got it together and won the next 5 games to take control of the first set and win it

After staying on serve for most of the second set, Rezai took advantage of a service break and a mid match Little Sis slump to race to a 4-2 lead that led to her evening the match.

There's an old saying I'm paraphrasing that you don't tug on Superwoman's cape, and at that point Serena went into tennis beatdown mode.  She got focused, got the service break she needed to race out to an eventual 5-1 lead, and closed out the match with her 13th ace to seal her win.

It was a shaky but emotional win for Little Sis, and showed why the Wimbledon folks seeded her at number 7 in the first place.  Remember, this is a woman who was ranked number 81 in the world in 2007, but won the Australian Open.   Big Sis won her last Wimbledon title after a long layoff and ranked 23rd in the world.

I never underestimate a Williams sister, and especially when they are standing on the grounds of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club.


Next up for Serena in the second round is Romania's Simona Halep