=================
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS (Wimbledon, England; grass; Grand Slam)
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http://championships.wimbledon.org/
Final TV-report: Bartoli v V.Williams (Saturday 7th July 2007)
-------------------------------------
- MARION BARTOLI [18,DF,S] lt. VENUS WILLIAMS [23], 4-6 1-6
The build-up
------------
Sue Barker: "The build-up is just as important as the match itself!"
Marion: "To be in the Wimbledon-final, it's just amazing. I can't
believe it right now. You have to enjoy this moment, 'cause it
happens maybe just once in my life. On grass, anything can happen,
and if I play like I did against Justine, I definitely believe I have
my chances."
Virginia Wade: "The ball skims over the net so low from Marion."
Martina Navrátilová: "They both like to stand inside the baseline, so
it'll be who can push each other back first. Venus does not like to
be handcuffed, so Bartoli needs to serve into her body, and hit
behind her. She needs to impose herself extremely early in the rally."
The commentators think Williams is the overwhelming favourite, and
that it could be over very quickly if Marion doesn't start well. But
no one reaches a Grand Slam final unless they're playing very well,
and Marion /is/ ranked 12 places above Williams!
John McEnroe: "The movement, the speed, the intimidation-factor -
those are what have been so impressive from Williams."
Interviews coming onto court
----------------------------
The famous walk onto Centre Court for a Wimbledon singles-final:
Williams has experienced it six times now, Marion just this once.
Williams: "Always feels more difficult to be in the finals here, and
I'm just gonna enjoy myself. I played some great tennis to get to the
final, and I'm just gonna continue this trend."
Marion: "I will try to play my best today, and see how it goes.
Yesterday gives me a lot of confidence, but every match is different,
and I'm just so exciting to be playing the final of Wimbledon for the
first time."
First set
---------
BARTOLI ___*@* *__ 4
WILLIAM *@*___* *@ 6
Williams won the toss and chose to serve.
The match was on Centre Court after Roger Federer's quick win over
Richard Gasquet, so it started just after the not-before time, at
14:17.
Williams serving 0-0: Williams caught her first toss, but Marion hit
a forehand long on the fourth stroke. 15/0. Williams hit a deep ball
followed by a forehand dropshot-winner. John McEnroe: "Bartoli has
great hands, but her footwork and speed are not her strengths." 30/0.
Williams opened up the court and hit a sliced backhand winner down
the line. 40/0. Marion hit a wild forehand return wide.
Marion serving 0-1: Williams hit a backhand long on the fourth
stroke, precluding the possibility of a Golden Set. 15/0. Williams
opened up the court with a crosscourt backhand, and hit a backhand
winner down the line. 15/15. Marion netted a forehand off a deep
return just inside the baseline. 15/30. Williams netted a forehand
return. 30/30. Marion hit a stunning crosscourt forehand winner
behind Williams! 40/30. Williams forced a short ball and hit a
crosscourt forehand winner. 40/40. Marion challenged a first-serve
fault, but Hawkeye showed that it was well wide. Marion netted a
backhand off a wicked sliced backhand from Williams. Ad Williams
(BP). Double fault (second serve just long).
John McEnroe: "Bartoli cuts off balls so well."
It's too early for despair yet! Marion recovered from 1-6 0-1*
against Henin, has lost the first set in her last three matches,
while Williams has played well in the first set of her last five
matches - including her third-round struggle against that other
Selesian, Akiko Morigami!
Williams serving 2-0: Williams came to the net, forcing Marion to hit
a lob wide. 15/0. Williams netted a backhand. 15/15. Service-winner
out wide. 30/15. Service-winner down the middle. 40/15. Williams hit
a forehand halfway up the net. 40/30. Serve + crosscourt forehand
winner.
John McEnroe: "So far, she hasn't been able to get inside the
baseline on return of serve."
Marion looks pretty anxious at the changeover, and unfortunately
Pierce Brosnan isn't here today - apparently he's attending a wedding.
Marion serving 0-3: Marion hit a low dipping pass to force a weak
volley from Williams, and a forehand pass-winner down Williams's
forehand-line. 15/0. Williams cracked an incredibly powerful
crosscourt forehand winner onto the sideline. 15/15. Marion played a
nice spreading rally until she mishit one slow, and Williams pounced
on it with a backhand winner down the line. 15/30. Marion spread
Williams again, making her run from sideline to sideline and hit a
forehand pass just long. 30/30. Double fault (second serve long after
an exceptionally high energy-bounce). 30/40 (BP). Williams forehand
return long. 40/40. Williams mishit a forehand return just wide.
Ad Marion. Williams played a good spreading rally, finishing with an
unnecessary high forehand volley-winner crosscourt (Marion's pass was
going wide). 40/40. Backhand return long. Ad Marion. Double fault
(second serve into the net). Deuce #2. Marion's crosscourt forehand
stretched Williams wide, forcing her to net a forehand. Ad Marion.
Williams sprayed a forehand wide after a superb-angled crosscourt
backhand from Marion three strokes earlier.
John McEnroe: "Bartoli is excellent at finding angles and making
openings."
Williams serving 3-1: Second serve: Marion came in behind a deep
backhand return just inside the baseline, forcing Williams to hit a
forehand pass wide. 0/15. Williams crosscourt forehand winner just
inside the sideline. 15/15. Williams netted a backhand. 15/30. Double
fault (second serve long). 15/40 (2 BPs). Service-winner. 30/40.
Williams sprayed a wild forehand long to give Marion the break back.
John McEnroe: "Seles was the first girl who really hurt you on the
return - took it early. Bartoli's starting to do that now."
Tracy Austin: "Williams doesn't have that /aura/ she had when she was
dominating in 2000 and 2001. The girls know that she can be streaky
now."
Marion serving 2-3: Williams forehand return just long. 15/0.
Williams crosscourt forehand winner onto the sideline. 15/15. Marion
backhand pass-winner down the line. 30/15. Marion came to the net,
but Williams hit a running crosscourt backhand pass-winner onto the
sideline. 40/15. Williams netted a forehand on the third stroke.
40/30. Williams sprayed a down-the-line backhand just wide.
Tracy Austin: "Bartoli is passing with precision."
John McEnroe: "She catches the ball earlier than her opponent thinks
she is going to. Great hand-eye coordination. She sees the ball very
early."
Williams serving 3-3: Marion forehand return wide. 15/0. Williams,
getting anxious, hit a forehand wide. 15/15. Williams came to the net
and hit an off-backhand drop-volley winner, despite Marion's valiant
attempt to run it down. 30/15. Williams opened up the court and hit
an off-forehand winner. 40/15. Williams netted a forehand off a deep,
flat ball from Marion that really pushed her back behind the
baseline. 40/30. Marion backhand return long.
Jason Goodall said that Marion's great strength is to take her
returns very early: especially on second serves - very much like
Monica Seles.
Tracy Austin: "We talk about how the Williams-sisters raised the bar.
I think Seles did as well. She hit the ball so hard on both sides.
There was no safe place to go."
Marion serving 3-4: Williams forehand long. 15/0. Williams went for a
forehand winner down the line, but it was just wide. 30/0. Service-
winner out wide. 40/0. Marion backhand just long on the third stroke.
40/15. Serve out wide + crosscourt backhand winner.
Marion has definitely settled into this match now after some initial
nerves. Now it's Williams who's looking nervous.
Tracy Austin: "Bartoli does have terrific footwork. She's not speedy
from A to B, but she does take lots of tiny steps to get herself on
balance. Copied that from Seles too."
Williams serving 4-4: Marion netted a forehand - "a little late"
[Tracy Austin]. 15/0. Marion forehand long. 30/0. Williams crosscourt
forehand volley-winner. 40/0. Service-winner out wide.
Marion's father used to stick balls on her heels to force her to be
on her toes! Another thing she did was to practise on an indoor court
with a very narrow gap between the baseline and the back wall,
forcing her to stand inside the baseline.
Marion serving 4-5: Williams hit a hard, deep crosscourt backhand,
forcing Marion to earth a backhand lob. 0/15. Williams crosscourt
backhand winner off a short mishit lob just inside the sideline from
Marion. 0/30. Williams netted a forehand return. 15/30. Double fault
(second serve just long). 15/40 (2 SPs). With the wind rising, Marion
netted her first serve after a let. Williams came to the net, but
Marion took her time and hit a crosscourt backhand pass-winner
against the wind. 30/40 (SP #2). Williams came to the net, forced a
floater from Marion, and hit a backhand drive-volley winner to
Marion's right. Williams won the first set 6-4 at 15:03.
Marion may have lost the first set, but having won four of the last
seven games, she might just have the momentum still.
Williams hasn't been coming to the net as much as she did against Ana
Ivanovic in the semi-finals.
Second set
----------
BARTOLI ___*___ 1
WILLIAM *@* *@* 6
Williams serving 0-0: Marion ran down a dropshot but netted a
backhand. 15/0. Body-jamming service-winner. 30/0. Williams hit a
sliced backhand approach long. 30/15. Double fault (second serve into
the net). 30/30. Serve out wide + sliced forehand down the line
virtual winner. 40/30. A good serve forced a very short return, and
Williams cleaned up with an off-forehand winner.
Marion serving 0-1: Marion tried to follow up a deep crosscourt
backhand with a backhand dropshot, but hit it into the net. 0/15.
Williams netted a backhand. 15/15. An intriguing rally ended with
Williams hitting a forehand winner down the line, despite having
slipped in the middle of the rally. 15/30. Marion came in behind a
backhand down the line, and hit a crosscourt backhand drive-volley
virtual winner. 30/30. Double fault (wild second serve very long).
30/40 (BP). A long rally ended with Williams hitting a forehand wide
off a deep ball from Marion. Tracy Austin: "She was in the middle of
the court, making Williams do all the running." 40/40. She hit a
forehand wide off a deep return from Williams. Ad Williams (BP #2).
Williams forehand return just long. Deuce #2. Service-winner.
Ad Marion. She netted a backhand with Williams at the net. Deuce #3.
Williams backhand smash-winner. Ad Williams (BP #3).
Williams crosscourt backhand + backhand winner down the line.
Williams serving 2-0: Williams forehand just long on the third
stroke. 0/15. Marion came to the net, forcing Williams to net a
forehand. 0/30. Ace down the middle. 15/30. Marion netted a backhand.
30/30. Body-jamming service-winner. 40/30. Marion forehand return
wide.
John McEnroe: "She's able to take the ball so early - her swings are
so short."
Marion took a medical time-out for a blister on her left sole.
Apparently she had it before the match, but needed to have her foot
restrapped.
Williams took a medical time-out too - it looks like an adductor-
muscle in her left thigh. After a lengthy evaluation, she took the
MTO to get it strapped.
Marion serving 0-3: Williams sprayed a backhand wide. Prolonged
clapping from the crowd made Marion smile. 15/0. Williams netted a
forehand. 30/0. Williams sprayed a wild backhand very long. 40/0.
Williams on the fourth stroke hit a backhand long.
Williams is limping, while Marion looks revived.
Williams serving 3-1: Marion played a fantastic spreading rally...
until she netted a down-the-line forehand with an open court. 15/0.
Marion netted a backhand. 30/0. Marion saw how close Williams was to
the net, and hit a beautifully-flighted lob-winner over her left
shoulder. 30/15. Marion backhand return wide. 40/15. Williams framed
an attempted forehand smash long, off an awkward lob from Marion that
was higher than Williams thought it was. 40/30. Serve + crosscourt
forehand winner.
Marion serving 1-4: Williams backhand winner down the line after an
exchange of crosscourt backhands just inside the sidelines. 0/15.
Williams netted an unforced backhand. 15/15. Williams forehand return-
winner down the line. 15/30. Marion came to the net, hit one forehand
volley, but netted a forehand drop-volley winner. 15/40 (2 BPs). A
crosscourt forehand from Marion on the third stroke hardly bounced at
all, forcing Williams to earth a forehand. An amusing shout of "come
on Marion" from some man in the crowd made everyone laugh. 30/40.
Marion hit a fabulous off-backhand down the line, which bounced very
low and forced Williams to earth a forehand. 40/40. Williams forehand
just long. Ad Marion. She hit a backhand long. Deuce #2. Marion went
for a crosscourt forehand winner onto the sideline, but it was just
wide. Ad Williams (BP #3). Williams forced a short ball, and broke
with a crosscourt backhand winner onto the sideline.
The commentators said Marion was having both an emotional and a
physical let-down after so much tennis in the last few days.
Williams serving 5-1: Marion was too weary to run down a poor
dropshot from Williams, earthing a backhand. 15/0. Service-winner
(125mph). Marion is feeling both wrists. 30/0. A deep backhand return
induced Williams to spray a forehand long. 30/15. Williams crosscourt
backhand winner onto the sideline, but Marion's not running now.
40/15 (2 MPs). A long spreading rally by Marion ended with Williams
hitting a forehand long. 40/30 (MP #2). Williams made an end of
things with a deep, body-jamming first serve onto the service-line
which handcuffed Marion, forcing her to earth a forehand return.
Williams won 6-4 6-1 at 15:48.
Marion is sitting in her chair, her lower face covered by a towel,
and looking close to tears. She's a very emotional girl who has been
known to be in floods of tears after matches.
Tracy Austin: "Bartoli played a great match today, but Venus just had
too many weapons. Bartoli has so much to be proud of, she showed true
disappointment when receiving the runner's-up trophy, and that'll
take her a long way."
Marion's on-court interview
---------------------------
SUE BARKER: Well, I think, Marion, from the ovation you got there,
you've won a lot of fans here the last fortnight. <loud cheer from
the crowd>
MARION BARTOLI: Well, thank very much for coming out today and
supporting me. I mean, it was awesome since yesterday already. To get
all this crowd behind me helped me a lot to try to focus until the
end and keep playing ??my man??. It was possible to win for me -
unfortunately I didn't won today. I'm a bit disappointed, but thank
you very much for your support again. <sniff>
SUE BARKER: Marion, I know you must be very disappointed, but when
you look back at the Championships, you beat the world #1, the world
#3 - you have so much to be proud of.
MARION BARTOLI: Yeah, I know, but I think the world #1 on grass is
definitely Venus, so congratulation Venus for your awesome play here.
And of course I'm very ??up here?? on my way to the final here, and I
didn't believe it was a final today for me. And to play on this
Centre Court on the ladies' day on the Saturday's like a dream come
true for me. And this dream was impossible because of one person, and
one person only: my dad, so thank you very much, Dad. <Dr. Walter
Bartoli broke down and cried on Richard Williams's shoulder!>
SUE BARKER: The proud father looking on - it's great. But you've got
the hands on a trophy here. You haven't been past the fourth round of
a Grand Slam. You've got the runner's-up trophy - I know that's to be
proud of - but there'll be many trophies to come. You looking forward
to coming back next year?
MARION BARTOLI: Oh, definitely. If I'm here and speaking to you next
year in the same place, with already the same trophy, I would be
really happy. <laughing>
SUE BARKER: Congratulations. Fantastic tournament. Marion Bartoli!
Williams's on-court interview
-----------------------------
"I have so many people to thank: Serena, my mom, my sparring-partner
David Witt, my dad, my trainers, my physios.
"My family knows what I went through being off. It's been a long road
back, but I've beaten some of the best players in the world,
including Marion.
"Growing up, I always admired Pete Sampras. It's so important to win
Wimbledon, especially now that we have equal prize-money. Billie-Jean
King has done so much for women's tennis, and I wouldn't be here
without her.
"In theory, I always believed I could do it, and I trained for it,
but to actually do it is something else completely!"
Williams stood clutching the Venus Rosewater Dish, laughing with pure
joy, and Marion couldn't resist making a pass at that beautiful
golden plate!
Sue Barker: "Marion is such a charming girl, and the crowd really
took to her."
Marion's BBC interview
----------------------
Marion seemed disappointed in this interview.
"To be in the final for the first time, I couldn't really believe it.
The emotions started to come out an hour before the match, when they
asked me to give my outfit to the museum. It was a little too much.
"I really tried my best today, but unfortunately it was not enough,
because she played some awesome tennis today.
"It was tighter than the score, but she played big tennis at the
right time. And served big - 125mph for a girl! She just didn't give
me the chance to coming back.
"Today I'm a little disappointing, but tomorrow will be better.
"My dad is very sensitive, and I'm sure it's more like a joy-cry than
a sad cry. My brother was here; my grandparents were here as well.
"Thank you Pierce [Brosnan] - if you're watching this - for leaving a
letter and some flowers in my locker-room. It was really nice to
speak to him.
"I hate to lose, and if I have one more chance to be in the final, I
swear to God I won't lose it again. It's really hard to see someone
else holding the trophy. If I am in this position one more time, I
will win it."
Williams's BBC interview
------------------------
"In 2005, people said that I couldn't do it. This year, no one picked
me to win. But I had other feelings about that!
"[Akiko Morigami] was playing tough [in the third round]. When you're
3-5* down, you have nowhere else to go but break, hold, break, hold.
"No one was more determined than me. I just wanted it more. I was
able to pick up my game. I had to play a lot within myself - take
pace off the ball, use a lot more spin than I would like.
"This tournament has been some of my best statistics on first serve,
and that makes it much easier for me.
"I don't like the gym, but I do what I have to. I love what I do, I
believe in my game, and I believe in the work I've put in, so there's
no reason I can't come back and win. I peak at this tournament."
Articles
--------
Venus eyes fourth Wimbledon title [CEEFAX 490->493]
>>>
Three-time champion Venus Williams will take on outsider Marion
Bartoli in the Wimbledon final on Saturday.
The pair will meet for the first time after France's Bartoli caused a
huge upset by beating top seed Justine Henin in the semi-finals on
Friday.
Williams, seeded 23rd, will try to add to her titles of 2000, 2001
and 2005 in her sixth Wimbledon final.
The match is scheduled for 14:00 BST, although it could be delayed as
it follows a men's semi-final.
<<<
BOND GIRL BARTOLI HAS TITLE MISSION [Teletext 495->496]
>>>
Bartoli has title dream [Teletext 495-> 496]
Bartoli on title mission [Teletext 496]
France's Marion Bartoli will have to do without the support of former
James Bond star Pierce Brosnan when she faces Venus Williams in the
Wimbledon final.
Bartoli put her semi-final victory over world No 1 Justine Henin down
to the backing of a supportive Brosnan.
Bartoli said: "I said to myself, 'It's not possible I play so bad in
front of him.' I saw he was cheering for me. I will be really up for
the final."
<<<
VENUS WINS FOURTH WIMBLEDON TITLE [CEEFAX 490->491]
>>>
Venus wins fourth Wimbledon title [CEEFAX 491]
Venus Williams clinched her fourth Wimbledon singles title with a 6-4
6-1 win over 18th seed marion Bartoli.
After a nervy start, Bartoli, 22, matched Williams in a hard-fought
first set, but finally cracked at 4-5 down.
Williams, 27, continued to pile on the pressure, and broke again
after an epic opening game to the second set.
And despite needing treatment on a thigh problem, Williams powered on
to victory and another title to add to those she won in 2000, 2001
and 2005.
Williams inspired by early scares [CEEFAX 491]
Venus Williams said her rocky start to this year's Wimbledon helped
her beat Marion Bartoli to win her fourth title.
The American 23rd seed scraped through two of her early matches 7-5
in the final set, but found her form in the latter stages of the
tournament.
"The other (titles) I felt like I was playing championship form from
minute one," said the 27-year-old.
"But here I really had to focus on my game and overcome a lot of
challenges. I'm very tired but I feel fantastic."
Bartoli praises strength of Venus [CEEFAX 491]
Women's runner-up Marion Bartoli paid tribute to the power of four-
time champion Venus Williams.
"I really tried m best. Venus just played some unbelievable tennis,"
said 22-year-old Bartoli, who lost 6-4 6-1.
"She served 120mph on first serve - sometimes it was hurting my
wrists because the ball was coming so fast.
"I think I played a great match, but in the end she was just too
good. It's just not possible to beat her when she plays like this on
grass."
<<<
VENUS CLAIMS FOURTH WIMBLEDON TITLE [Teletext 495->496]
>>>
Venus nets fourth title [Teletext 496]
Venus Williams swept to her fourth Wimbledon title following an
impressive straight-sets victory over 18th seed Marion Bartoli on
Centre Court.
Williams proved too strong for the unheralded Frenchwoman, despite
calling for the trainer in the second set, and eased to a 6-4 6-1
triumph.
It means Williams, as the 23rd seed, becomes the lowest-ranked player
ever to win the women's singles crown.
Venus - Victory so sweet [Teletext 496]
Venus Williams admitted her fourth Wimbledon title was made all the
sweeter by her season-long struggle with a wrist injury.
The Los-Angeles born star defeated Marion Bartoli 6-1 6-4 to add to
the titles she won in 2000, 2001 and 2005.
Williams said: "My family knows what I went through when I was off
with the injury. It was a long road back, but I always believed I
could do it."
Bartoli sets sights high [Teletext 496]
Marion Bartoli set her sights on winning next year's championship
after coming up short against Venus Williams.
The French 18th seed defeated world No 1 Justine Henin in an epic
semi-final, but was overpowered in the final as her American opponent
won 6-1 6-4.
But Bartoli, who lives in Geneva, said: "I'll be happy if I come back
here next year and reach the final again - with the trophy in my
hands."
<<<
Bartoli admits to service struggles [Teletext 495->499] (Sunday 8th
July)
>>>
Bartoli: Serve a struggle [Teletext 499]
Wimbledon finalist Marion Bartoli admitted she struggled to deal with
the power of Venus Williams's serve.
The American regularly served at more than 120mph in a 6-4 6-1 win
over Bartoli, who claimed some major scalps to reach her first Grand
Slam final.
The Frenchwoman said: "You get some shock into the wrist, which I'm
not used to because I don't play against girls hitting the balls like
this."
<<<
Venus clinches fourth Wimbledon crown
by Angus MacKinnon for Agence France Presse (AFP)
>>>
Venus Williams joined an exclusive club of women to have won four
Wimbledon titles when she overpowered surprise-finalist Marion
Bartoli here on Saturday.
Although the contest was far closer than the 6-4 6-1 scoreline
suggested, the American - seeded only 23rd as a result of injuries
which have severely restricted her playing-schedule - always looked
the more likely winner.
She added to her 2000, 2001 and 2005 titles with another turbo-
charged display of tennis against an opponent who had created one of
the biggest surprises in the tournament's history by beating world
number one Justine Henin in the semi-final.
Bartoli, who had never previously gone beyond the fourth round at any
Grand Slam tournament, had come back from a set down in the wins over
Jelena Jankovic, Michaëlla Krajícek and Henin which had carried her
to the most unexpected of final appearances.
But there was to be no repeat of those heroics against Williams, who
reproduced the kind of form she had displayed in demolishing two
Grand Slam winners - Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova - in her
quarter-final and semi-final matches.
Williams, who has battled back to the top after missing much of last
year with a wrist-injury, said she had been inspired by her sister
Serena's comeback to win the Australian Open in January.
"My family know what I went through," she said. "It has been a long
road back, but I am so happy to have brought it all together here."
Williams becomes only the fourth woman in the Open era to have won
four Wimbledon-titles, following in the footsteps of Martina
Navrátilová, Steffi Graf and Billie-Jean King.
"I always believed I could do it, but to actually do it is something
else completely," she said.
The win also ensured that Williams became the lowest-seeded Wimbledon
winner in the women's singles, beating her own record of winning as
14th seed in 2005.
Bartoli acknowledged that she simply did not have enough weapons at
her disposal to counter the Williams arsenal on grass.
She said: "I tried to focus until the end and play my match, but the
world number one on grass is definitely Venus, so congratulations to
her."
Williams, 27, picked up where she had left off against Sharapova and
Kuznetsova with an immaculate start to the final played in bright
sunny conditions at the end of a fortnight blighted by grey skies and
rain.
After holding her own serve to love, she capitalised on a nervous
opening service-game by Bartoli to claim a break, and soon had moved
smoothly into a 3-0 lead.
But the one-sided contest many in the Centre Court must have feared
at that stage did not materialise.
The nervousness that had afflicted Bartoli in the opening games
dissipated, and she rallied to level things up at 3-3 with the help
of an overcooked Williams-forehand which handed her a fifth-game
break of serve.
From then, there was little in it until Bartoli double faulted at 4-5
(15/30) to hand her opponent two set-points.
She managed to save the first one, but there was nothing she could do
on the next one when Williams rifled a forehand down the line,
followed it in, and clinched the set with a swinging backhand volley
from mid-court.
Williams pressed home her advantage with a break in an exhilarating
second game of the second set, claiming it at the third attempt with
a fine backhand down the line after Bartoli had saved an earlier
break-point by coming out on top at the end of a 21-stroke rally.
With the match slipping away from her at 0-3 down in the second,
Bartoli opted for a medical break to have a foot re-strapped.
That prompted Williams to seek treatment on her left thigh, and the
result was an interruption of play that lasted 11 minutes.
If Bartoli's goal had been to upset her opponent's rhythm, she
appeared to have succeeded as the French player won the first game
after the restart to love.
But normal service was resumed on Williams's next service-game and,
at 1-4 down, Bartoli's resistance evaporated. Another break gave
Williams the chance to serve for the match.
A stinging crosscourt backhand clipped the outside of the line and
gave her two match-points. Bartoli saved the first, but there was
nothing she could do about the unstoppable serve that Williams
hammered down on the second to end the contest after one hour and 30
minutes.
<<<
Venus wins Wimbledon final against Bartoli
By Clare Lovell for Reuters
>>>
Venus Williams won her fourth Wimbledon-title on Saturday, beating
French 18th seed Marion Bartoli 6-4 6-1 with a commanding performance
in the final.
The American, seeded 23 after injury, took control of the match from
the start. She opened 3-0 leads in each set, and never let surprise-
finalist Bartoli get a foothold.
"It's been a long road back and I've had some tough losses, but I've
brought it together here and beaten some of the best players in the
world, including Marion," said Williams, who missed the Australian
Open in January with a wrist-problem.
Williams won the toss, and took the first game to love with her
powerful serve to set the tone of the match.
Bartoli, 22, won her first points on her own serve in the next game,
but Williams kept up the pressure forcing her to deuce, returning
hard and early, and making the break when the nervous Frenchwoman
served a double fault.
The French 18th seed, who beat world number one Justine Henin in the
semi-finals on Friday, finally got a game on the board in the fourth
with some big forehand groundstrokes despite having a break-point
against her.
With the crowd backing her as the underdog despite her higher
seeding, Bartoli broke back in the fifth game on her second break-
point when the American sent a forehand long.
Games went with serve until Williams, grunting with effort, upped the
pace in the 10th game on Bartoli's serve.
A wild forehand gave Williams two set-points, and Bartoli saved one
with a forehand pass. But she could not hold the experienced
American, who claimed the set with an aggressive backhand volley
after 46 minutes.
STUNNING BACKHAND
In the second set, Williams wowed the crowd with a stunning backhand
smash to earn break-point for a 2-0 lead.
She completed the break with a backhand down the line that a lunging
Bartoli could not reach.
Williams had looked erratic in the opening rounds, but her
groundstrokes were humming and her volleys sharp on Saturday.
She raced into a 3-0 lead, and during the changeover, Bartoli took an
injury time-out to have her bandaged foot re-strapped.
Immediately afterwards, Williams also requested some treatment to her
groin, and Bartoli pleased the crowd by joining in their Mexican wave.
Williams returned with a strapped thigh, and seemed to have lost her
range somewhat, sending groundstrokes long for Bartoli to win her
serve to love.
The American, chasing a sixth Grand-Slam title, got a grip in the
next game, and soon moved the score to 4-1.
Bartoli missed a volley on her serve to gift Williams two break-
points in the sixth game. She saved the first with a walloping
forehand, and the second with an inch-perfect backhand. Williams
earned a third, and this time converted it with a backhand winner.
Serving for the match at 5-1, Williams was too experienced to falter.
She set up two match-points with a sizzling backhand, and though
Bartoli saved one after a tense rally, Williams converted the second
with a huge serve that Bartoli could not return.
<<<
Venus Williams win Wimbledon title
By Duncan Bech, Special to PA SportsTicker
>>>
Venus Williams claimed her fourth Wimbledon singles-title with an
efficient 6-4 6-1 victory over Marion Bartoli on Centre Court.
Williams, competing in her sixth final at the All England Club,
overpowered her 22-year-old opponent with a display which was
ruthlessly effective at key moments.
The American met with stubborn resistance throughout as Bartoli, who
was clearly fatigued from yesterday's epic triumph over No. 1 seed
Justine Henin, battled bravely for every point.
Bartoli had produced one of the biggest upsets in Wimbledon history
in toppling Henin, but there was to be no fairytale ending to her
fifth appearance at SW19 and best run at a Grand Slam event.
"Venus played some unbelievable tennis," Bartoli said. "I mean, she
reached some balls like I never see one person reach on a tennis-
court, and she would even hit it harder back to me. So I really tried
my best, I think, and I played a great match, but at the end she was
just too good.
"I can't say a player can beat her when she plays like this on grass.
I mean, it's not possible to beat her. She's just too good, you know."
But she had made history by contesting the lowest-ranked women's
final at the All England Club - Williams was seeded 23 and Bartoli 18.
Williams sounded an ominous warning when she blazed through the
opening game by winning every point, and then picked apart Bartoli's
serve in the second.
The Frenchwoman, ranked 19 in the world, looked nervous, and double-
faulted on break-point to hand Williams a 2-0 lead. Williams was
glued to the baseline where she could overpower her opponent with a
string of accurate, powerful strokes.
With her stamina sapped by yesterday's epic against Henin, Bartoli
double-faulted once again to concede another break-point in the
fourth - only for Williams to squander the opportunity with a long
forehand.
It was Williams' turn to double fault in the fifth, conceding two
break points and hitting the second long to haul her opponent back
into the set.
The American's error-count was growing steadily as her earlier
authority vanished, largely as a result of the resistance offered by
Bartoli.
Bartoli was serving to save the set in the 10th, and she wilted in
the face of a ferocious onslaught from Williams, who accompanied
every shot with a loud cry of intent.
A double fault handed the 27-year-old two set-points. The first was
saved with a fine passing-shot, but Williams smashed the second out
of reach.
Bartoli came under siege early in the second set, and initially dug
herself out of trouble with a series of crisp forehands, only to then
be broken by a thunderous Williams backhand.
Play was interrupted when the former junior French Open champion
required treatment on an array of blisters on her left foot, and
Williams followed suit, receiving attention to her left leg.
Bartoli was first up on her feet, and she grew impatient waiting for
Williams, whose thigh was now heavily strapped.
When play finally resumed, Bartoli raced through her serve, and
caught the eye with a precise lob which left Williams stranded.
But she conceded three break-points in the sixth, with Williams
smashing a vicious backhand to claim the third.
Serving for the match, Williams ended Bartoli's resistance with an
unstoppable serve to take the set 6-1 - and the title.
Williams admitted the victory was made all the sweeter by her season-
long struggle with a wrist-injury that has affected her world ranking.
"I have so many people to thank. My sister Serena inspired me by
winning the Australian Open at the start of the year. I wanted to be
like her," Venus Williams said. "My mum helped me out in the first
round, and my family knows what I went through when I was off with
the injury.
"It was a long road back with some tough losses to take. But it was
great to be here, and Marion was a really tough opponent. It's so
exciting to win four titles. I always believed I could do it, but to
actually do it is something different completely."
Bartoli paid tribute to her father and coach Walter, and set her
sights on winning next year's Wimbledon title.
"I'm disappointed with the result, but I have to thank everyone on
Centre Court for the support I've had," Bartoli said. "The world
number one on grass is Venus, so congratulations to her for the way
she played here.
"For me to play in the final on Centre Court was a dream come true,
and it is possible because of one person only - my dad. Thank you
Dad. I'll be happy if I come back here next year and reach the final
again - with the trophy in my hands."
<<<
Bartoli falls one step short of Cinderella Wimbledon
By Rex Gowar for Reuters
>>>
Marion Bartoli's Cinderella dream at Wimbledon was not to be on
Saturday, though her self-belief must surely make it a possibility in
the future.
"I want this title so bad. I want it so much," Bartoli said after her
6-4 6-1 defeat by Venus Williams in the final.
"I mean, for me to win this trophy and to hold it in your hands, this
is the reward you can ever imagine in tennis.
"To be able to go to the ball and wear the dress, and be with the
men's champion, everything that happens in this tournament, which is
the only tournament like that. I want it so bad, and I lost," the
teary-eyed Frenchwoman said.
The 22-year-old surprise-finalist credited her achievement - after a
shock semi-final victory over world number one Justine Henin on
Friday - down to the self-belief instilled in her by her doctor
father Walter.
"My dad always believed in me, in whatever I was doing. It was
tennis, classical dance. Before I was doing some classical dance,
some ballet," she told reporters.
"Always he has believed in me, and in my capacity to be at the best -
one of the best in the world in what I was doing.
"This gives you so much confidence, so much strength; you're able to
go and walk the world."
Bartoli found Williams, who chalked up her fourth Wimbledon-title,
too tough, even though she was seeded five places above the American,
who was 23rd having dropped down the world-rankings after injury.
"Venus played some unbelievable tennis. She reached some balls like
I've never seen a person reach... and she would even hit it harder
back to me," said the overawed Frenchwoman.
"She served 120 miles (an hour) on first serve. Sometimes it hurt my
wrist so bad, because the ball was coming so fast to me.
"So, I really tried my best, and played a great match, but at the end
she was just too good."
Bartoli added: "I'm a competitor and I hate to lose.
"Of course, tomorrow I won't be that disappointed because I will
realise what I achieved, which is already awesome... and everybody
will tell me that."
Actor Pierce Brosnan, who watched her thrilling win over Henin,
missed the final, but was with her in spirit even if he could not
inspire another upset.
"He left me a bouquet of flowers this morning with a letter in my
locker-room, which I thought was really, really nice," said Bartoli.
<<<
>>>
Wimbledon lifts Venus to great heights again
By Martyn Herman for Reuters
>>>
Summertime arrived apologetically late at Wimbledon on Saturday, just
as Venus Williams burst once again from the shadows to walk off with
the silverware.
As she did two years ago when she came in at number 14, the imposing
American made a mockery of a low seeding to prove that, when fit and
healthy, not many can tame her on grass-courts.
The spirited Marion Bartoli tried her best, but ultimately the French
18th seed was ill-equipped to deny the 27-year-old Williams a fourth
Wimbledon-title, losing 6-4 6-1.
"I feel fantastic. My sixth Slam... I want some more," said Williams,
who began the year ranked 48th in the world and missed the Australian
Open with a wrist-injury.
Her younger sister Serena, who was watching from the stands, won that
Australian Open ranked 81st, and Venus said her achievement there
spurred her for Wimbledon.
"When I saw her win in Australia, I knew I could do it. We love each
other and inspire each other like that," Venus, whose last Grand-Slam
title came here two years ago, said.
Bartoli said she had been inspired by former 007 actor Pierce Brosnan
sitting in the Royal Box when she caused one of the great Wimbledon-
shocks by beating world number one Justine Henin in the semi-final
less than 24 hours earlier.
He missed the final, but with serves and groundstrokes exploding off
the Williams-racket, the Frenchwoman needed all of James Bond's
powers of self-preservation, while a few of his sneaky gadgets would
have come in handy too.
Bartoli did bring her unorthodox grass-cutting double-handers to the
battle, but was left standing time after time as Venus blasted 22
baseline-winners and at least as many unplayable firecrackers.
"Venus played some unbelievable tennis," said Bartoli, who learnt her
game on a basketball-court.
"She served 120mph on first serve. Sometimes it was hurting my wrist
so bad because the ball was coming so fast.
"Nobody can beat her when she plays like this on grass. It's not
possible."
MEXICAN WAVE
At least she appeared to enjoy her first Grand-Slam final. In one
lengthy interlude midway through the second set when her opponent was
having strapping applied to her left thigh, she joined in with a
Mexican wave.
Venus, who broke her own record as the lowest seed (23) to win
Wimbledon since computer-rankings began in 1975, had only one moment
of alarm in a largely predictable contest.
After striding into a 3-0 lead, she was pegged back to 3-3 as
Bartoli's low, skimming shots began to find the corners and keep
Venus lurching along the baseline.
Normal service was resumed with Bartoli serving at 4-5 in the first
set, however. Two scorching Williams backhand winners, followed by a
Bartoli double fault, gave her set-points, and she pounced in
ruthless fashion.
Bartoli's final flourish came in the second game of the second set,
when she matched her American opponent shot for shot in a sequence of
mesmerizing rallies.
At deuce, Williams leapt athletically to angle away a high backhand
volley off an attempted topspin lob, and she eventually sealed the
decisive break with another backhand bullet.
The players traded injury-timeouts at 3-0, Bartoli having her foot
taped, and Venus having repairs on her thigh.
On the resumption, Bartoli held serve but Williams was simply
unstoppable.
Serving with two breaks at 5-1, she finished the contest in merciless
fashion. One bone-crunching first serve, clocked at 125mph, bent back
Bartoli's wrist, and she clinched victory with another one that
nearly cut her opponent in half.
Bartoli's defeat ended French resistance in the Wimbledon singles
after Richard Gasquet had earlier been brushed aside 7-5 6-3 6-4 by
Swiss world number one Roger Federer, who set up a second successive
Wimbledon-final against Rafael Nadal.
<<<
Venus treasures trophy but unlikely to put it by her bed
By Sonia Oxley
>>>
LONDON, July 7 (Reuters) - Venus Williams said her fourth Wimbledon-
trophy was special because she had overcome so much to win it, but
that she was unlikely to swap it with her 2005 one which she keeps by
her bed.
Williams got off to a wobbly start at this year's championships when
she was taken to three sets in her first and third round matches.
The former world number one also had to contend with an unfamiliar
seeding of 23 because of a series of injury-setbacks.
"This win, it's so much different from the others, because the other
ones I felt like I was playing in championship-form from minute one,"
she told a news-conference after defeating Marion Bartoli 6-4 6-1 on
Saturday.
"Here, I really had to focus on my game, you know, overcome a lot of
challenges, including obviously being seeded low, those kinds of
things."
Two years ago she also had a lower-than-usual seeding of 14, and
saved a match-point against Lindsay Davenport in what was the longest
women's final at the All England Club.
"The last time I won, it was a really outrageous way to win. I keep
that trophy by my bed. That's the only one I keep close to me. I
don't know if it [this year's] can replace that trophy, but it's so
wonderful," she said.
Her sister Serena's Australian Open title this year, when ranked 81
in the world, had inspired Venus to go for it at Wimbledon, and she
said her latest victory would now encourage Serena to come back with
another.
"We motivate each other to get more. When she sees me win here, she's
just going to go for it," she said.
"When I saw her win in Australia, I knew I could do it."
She said her main goal now was to stay fit and start adding to her
collection of Grand-Slam titles.
"My sixth Slam -- I want some more," she said.
<<<
'No one picked me to win': Venus Williams claims 4th Wimbledon title
By Howard Fendrich, AP Tennis Writer
>>>
Improbable as this Wimbledon-title might have seemed, Venus Williams
knew it could happen.
Far away as that trophy might have appeared only last week, Williams
knew she had the game and the grit to grab it.
Oh, how her serves and strokes sizzle on the grass of Centre Court.
With a dominant run through the latter rounds, Williams became the
lowest-ranked woman to win Wimbledon, beating Marion Bartoli of
France 6-4 6-1 Saturday for her fourth championship at the All
England Club.
"I was really motivated because no one picked me to win. They didn't
even say, 'She can't win.' They weren't even talking about me," said
Williams, who reached No. 1 in 2002 but entered Wimbledon ranked No.
31. "I never would doubt myself that way."
Even after missing time with a left-wrist injury? Even after being
two points from defeat against a teenager ranked 59th [Alla
Kudryavtseva] in the first round? Even after trailing 5-3 in the
final set against someone ranked 71st [Akiko Morigami] in the third?
There really wasn't a smidgen of surprise that she once more got to
clutch the Venus Rosewater Dish, as the Wimbledon-champion's plate
happens to be known?
"For me? No," she said. "I just have to go out there and execute.
I have the experience and everything to do it."
It was similar to the performance turned in by Williams' younger
sister Serena in January, when she won the Australian Open while
ranked 81st. Clearly, rankings mean nothing when it comes to the
Williams-siblings. Nor does recent form.
If they are in a tournament, they can win it.
"As long as we're fit," the 27-year-old Williams said, "we just have
so much more to give on the court."
Bartoli, who hits two-fisted forehands and backhands, learned that
lesson quickly.
She hadn't faced Williams anywhere, let alone on grass - where balls
skid more than they bounce - and Bartoli quickly discovered it was
like nothing she'd ever experienced on a tennis-court.
By the end, she was flexing her wrists and shaking her hands, trying
to alleviate the sting from Williams' serves at up to 125 mph.
"I'm not playing against girls every day hitting the balls like
this," Bartoli said. "I mean, it's not possible to beat her. She's
just too good."
Williams was forced to play her last four matches without a break,
and she dropped a grand total of 22 games while beating No. 2 Maria
Sharapova in the fourth round, No. 5 Svetlana Kuznetsova in the
quarterfinals, No. 6 Ana Ivanovic in the semi-finals, and Bartoli.
It was a remarkable display of shotmaking, court-coverage and
consistency, match after match. Not only did Williams whip perfectly
placed strokes from all sorts of angles, she repeatedly tracked down
opponents' apparent winners and got them back.
Against Bartoli, she compiled a whopping 27-9 edge in winners, and
won 13 of the 18 points that lasted at least 10 strokes.
"I know how to play this surface," said Williams, the first woman to
receive the same paycheck as the men's champion at the All England
Club. "If there's a surface to pick, grass at Wimbledon's not a bad
choice."
Right from the start, Williams took it to Bartoli, going ahead 3-0.
But Bartoli, who upset No. 3 Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round and
No. 1 Justine Henin in the semi-finals, made things interesting by
breaking back with the help of a double fault and two groundstroke-
errors by Williams.
All the while, Bartoli stuck to her routines. Before each of her
serves, she would walk to the baseline and hop high once, then bounce
a couple of times, something she said relaxes her legs. Before most
of Williams' serves, Bartoli would turn her back to the court and
take two big cuts, a forehand and a backhand, like a batter in the on-
deck circle.
After 37 minutes, things were even at 4-4. But Williams held at love,
then broke to end the first set with a swinging backhand volley.
That pretty much ended the competitive portion of the proceedings.
Perhaps because the sun finally emerged from the clouds and the
temperature was suddenly in the 70s - ball kids held umbrellas at
changeovers to provide shade - both finalists needed medical timeouts
with Williams up 3-0 in the second set.
Bartoli had her left foot treated, while Williams got down on the
court to have her left leg worked on. The American played the rest of
the way with a thick bandage under her white spandex shorts, which
she began wearing in the second round because the skirt she planned
to use was too big.
"She's a fighter," said her boyfriend, golfer Hank Kuehne. "She's one
of those people that definitely has the ability to elevate her game.
If that's on one leg, then she's going to do that."
As the break stretched to 10 minutes, Bartoli went to the baseline,
then noticed that bored fans were doing the wave. Clearly enjoying
her first Grand Slam final, she joined right along, raising her arms.
After the next point, a fan shouted, "Come on, Tim!" - the familiar
rallying cry for Tim Henman - and Bartoli, who was about to serve,
dropped her arms to her side and laughed. Then she turned and wagged
a finger.
Williams was playing in her 12th Grand Slam final - sixth at the All
England Club - and winning her sixth major title. Bartoli was in her
sixth tournament-final, and never before had been beyond the fourth
round at a major.
"You walk into that court," she said, "and you know you're a part of
history."
When they walked off that court, the one Williams knows so well, they
passed the board that lists the past champions. Already stenciled in,
below similar entries for 2000, 2001 and 2005, was Williams' name,
next to 2007. Clutching a bouquet of flowers, Williams stared at it,
her mouth agape.
At about that time, her father was recalling that when Venus was 9,
she would talk about how many Wimbledon-titles she wanted to win one
day.
"I think she can win three more," Richard Williams said, "and I would
be disappointed if she didn't."
At this point, who would doubt it?
<<<
Bartoli thrilled by Grand Slam final, even in defeat
By Stuart Condie, AP Sports Writer
>>>
Wimbledon runner-up Marion Bartoli wouldn't have wanted to play
anywhere else.
Not even in front of her home-fans.
"I love the French Open because, first of all, I love Paris," Bartoli
said after losing to Venus Williams 6-4 6-1 Saturday in her first
Grand Slam final. "But, you know, Wimbledon is so special because of
all those traditions."
Bartoli upset top-ranked Justine Henin and No. 3 Jelena Jankovic to
reach the final at the All England Club, surpassing her previous best
of fourth round at Roland Garros this year.
The 22-year-old Frenchwoman said she was sad to lose, but she was
still smiling while talking about the lift she got from the Centre-
Court atmosphere.
"Tomorrow I won't be that disappointed, because I will realise what I
achieved, which is already awesome," Bartoli said. "But right now,
because I want it so bad, yes of course I'm disappointed."
The fans on Centre Court cheered when Bartoli broke Williams to make
it 3-3 in the first set. They were happy again when she joined them
in the wave as it passed through the stands while Williams received
treatment to her leg.
"It's like you have the crowd so close to you, you feel it," Bartoli
said. "You almost feel the people are cheering for you. That you
really do not feel in the French Open that much, or maybe the US
Open, which is even a bigger stadium."
You also don't always get a gift from a famous actor.
After beating Henin, Bartoli said she was inspired by seeing Pierce
Brosnan - who used to play James Bond - in the stands. He paid her
back on Saturday: She found a bouquet of flowers and a letter from
him waiting in the locker-room.
EQUAL PAY: Venus Williams took home the biggest paycheck for a Grand
Slam singles champion - and it's the same amount Roger Federer or
Rafael Nadal will get on Sunday.
Wimbledon is paying equal prize-money to men and women for the first
time this year, so Williams received $1.407 million along with her
title.
Williams was among the proponents of equal prize-money, publishing an
op-ed column on the issue in The Times of London during the
tournament last year.
The headline read, "Wimbledon has sent me a message: I'm only a
second-class champion," and Williams wrote, "How can the
words 'Wimbledon' and 'inequality' be allowed to coexist?"
She mentioned the subject during Saturday's trophy-ceremony, paying
tribute to Billie-Jean King's decades-long rôle in the fight for
equal pay, and prompting a roar of delight from the crowd.
"Thank you, All England Club: we're playing under equal terms,"
Williams said.
Later, she said: "We were ready and willing to do what it took to
have equality on all levels. It was just very important for us.
People heard us. People believed in us."
<<<
Venus backs sister tennis act to keep on running (8th July 2007)
by Angus MacKinnon for Agence France Presse (AFP)
>>>
Venus Williams believes her fourth Wimbledon-title could herald the
start of a new period of dominance for herself and her sister Serena
in women's tennis.
Both sisters endured injury-blighted years in 2006, and there were
plenty of pundits willing to predict that their time at the top of
the women's game was nearing an end.
Those predictions were confounded when Serena came from nowhere to
win the Australian Open in January, a triumph that her elder sister
hailed as the inspiration for her own return to the top at the All
England Club.
A 6-4 6-1 victory over surprise-package Marion Bartoli of France in
Saturday's final was not as one-sided as the score suggests.
But there was never really any serious doubt that Venus, who had
demolished Maria Sharapova and Svetlana Kuznetsova on her way to the
final, would add to her 2000, 2001 and 2005 titles, taking her tally
of Grand Slam titles to six - two behind Serena's haul of eight.
She said: "When it comes to Wimbledon I have more, but in the overall
count I have a couple less. When I saw her win in Australia, I knew I
could do it. We just love each other and inspire each other like
that."
Having missed the second half of last year with a career-threatening
wrist-injury, Venus had had to endure being written off as a spent
force at the age of 27.
But she insisted: "I never doubted myself that I could come back.
There was a lot of work behind the scenes. I started in January, I
finally got to play in February, and step by step I was getting
healthier and stronger, getting back to physically the way I was.
"My family know what I went through," she said. "It has been a long
road back, but I am so happy to have brought it all together here.
"I definitely think Serena and I can play more finals against each
other, as long as we have a chance to prepare and stay fit.
"I feel fantastic after my sixth Slam, and I want some more. It would
have been wonderful if Serena [who lost to Justine Henin in the
quarter-finals here] had also got to the final, and I think it could
happen again, for sure."
Bartoli joked that she had lost because she did not have ex-James
Bond actor Pierce Brosnan cheering her on.
The 22-year-old, who had attributed her semi-final win over Henin to
the presence in the crowd of one of her favourite movie-stars,
revealed that she had received a pre-match bouquet of flowers and a
letter of encouragement from Brosnan.
But even that gesture could not give her the ammunition to match
Williams's firepower.
"Venus just played some unbelievable tennis," Bartoli said. "She
reached balls like I've never seen anyone reach balls on a tennis-
court, and she even hit them back harder.
"I can't see a player who can beat her on grass when she plays like
this. She's just too good, you know.
"When you receive the ball at 120mph, you get a shock in the wrist,
and I'm not used to it."
Despite the disappointment at losing out in her first Grand Slam
final, Bartoli said she would leave London with no regrets.
"It is not because of my nerves that I lost this match," she said. "I
really played the best that I could play. Considering all the fatigue
and that this was my first final, I think I did a pretty good job
overall."
Bartoli, who had never previously gone beyond the fourth round at any
Grand Slam tournament, had come back from a set down in the wins over
Jelena Jankovic, Michaëlla Krajícek and Henin which had carried her
to the most unexpected of final-appearances.
But there was to be no repeat of those heroics against Williams.
Williams becomes only the fourth woman in the Open era to have won
four Wimbledon-titles, following in the footsteps of Martina
Navrátilová, Steffi Graf and Billie-Jean King.
The win also ensured that Williams became the lowest-seeded Wimbledon-
winner in the women's singles, beating her own record of winning as
14th seed in 2005.
<<<
Sampras plays a big part in Williams' success (8th July 2007)
By Frank Malley, Special to PA SportsTicker
>>>
Venus Williams served so hard to win her fourth Wimbledon singles-
title that opponent Marion Bartoli was left nursing a painful wrist.
Williams' power was epitomised by the winning shot, a 126 mph
unreturnable serve straight into the midriff of the 22-year-old
Frenchwoman.
Williams later revealed that Pete Sampras was the inspiration behind
it all.
Venus and sister Serena studied tapes of Sampras in his prime, when
he was recognised as the world's most consistent server. And as they
practised in Compton, California, they vowed that they would dominate
the women's game as he did the men's game.
"Serena and I were inspired by anything and everything, and we always
tried to have something to be an example to us," Williams said after
she defeated Bartoli 6-4 6-1 in a final to parade her fourth Venus
Rosewater Dish around the Centre Court.
"We would always say we needed to hold serve the way he [Sampras]
did. Look, he didn't lose serve all summer. C'mon, why are we losing
serve? We would pump each other up, do whatever it took to get to the
next level. For a few years when he was playing, obviously, we would
try to study it."
The power Williams generated is all the more remarkable considering
she had been months out of the game with a damaged wrist last year,
and struggled in the first half of this year to regain the form which
once made her the most intimidating player on the women's tour.
She had even struggled in her earlier matches at Wimbledon.
"She served 120 miles [per hour] on first serve," Bartoli
said. "Sometimes it was hurting my wrist so bad because the ball was
coming so fast to me.
"It was a little tight, because when you receive a ball at 120 miles,
you get some shock into the wrist which I'm not used to, because I
don't play against girls every day hitting the balls like this."
That's because, other than Serena, no other woman comes close to
Venus' power on a regular basis.
The intriguing question now is whether Williams, who joined the four-
time Wimbledon-champion club inhabited by Martina Navrátilová, Steffi
Graf and Billie-Jean King in the Open era, can go on to win more
Wimbledons and more Grand Slams.
At 27, she is young enough, given health and fitness, but the desire
and concentration has sometimes been lacking in the Williams-sisters.
At times, they have appeared to get bored with tennis, and been
unwilling to do the hard yards required of a champion, preferring
instead to pursue other challenges such as acting and fashion.
Venus, however, insisted that possessing more Wimbledon-titles than
Serena, who has three, will act as an incentive for them both.
"It's not necessarily a competition," Venus said. "But we do motivate
each other to get more. When she sees me win here, she's just going
to go for it.
"When I saw her win in Australia, I knew I could do it. We inspire
each other like that."
As it was, Venus saved her best tennis for the final, her telescopic
arms and legs allowing her to get to the punishing groundstrokes of
an opponent who battled for every ball.
The first set might have gone either way until Williams pulled out a
brilliant 10th game and one sublime backhand drive-volley.
The second was when Williams dominated, before and after the bizarre
11-minute medical timeout at 3-0, during which both players had
treatment from the trainer: Williams for a strained adductor-muscle,
and Bartoli for blisters.
When they returned, it was routine for Williams, who received a
generous tribute from her opponent.
"When she plays like this on grass, it's not possible to beat her,"
Bartoli said. "She's just too good."
<<<
http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/3/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=1508
>>>
Against All Odds, Venus Prevails
Despite her three previous titles at the event, she was largely
unheralded coming into the Wimbledon-fortnight this year. But she
never counted herself out; on Saturday afternoon, Venus Williams beat
tournament-darling Marion Bartoli to add her name to the
appropriately-named Venus Rosewater Dish once again.
Having sat out the better part of eight months between last July and
this February with a left-wrist injury and put together somewhat up-
and-down results since her return, the former No.1 briefly dropped
out of the Top 50, and came into the tournament ranked No.31. Though
raised in the seedings by the All-England Club, her No.23 seed hardly
gave her a favourable draw. For the first time in years, Williams was
a dark horse.
In the early rounds, Williams definitely looked like a long shot.
Russian teenager Alla Kudryavtseva held a 3-1 third-set lead on her,
while Japan's Akiko Morigami had her 5-3 in the third; but the
American didn't buckle, eventually stringing together wins over No.2
seed Maria Sharapova, No.5 seed Svetlana Kuznetsova and No.6 seed Ana
Ivanovic to reach her sixth final in the last eight Wimbledons.
"At 3-5, there's nothing else to do except win that game; I had to do
it," Williams said. "In a way, maybe I was destined to play Morigami,
because by the time I played Bartoli, I was ready for those flat,
short, low balls. I had already seen that shot. For me, it was great
to have played Morigami, because it helped me today."
Meanwhile, Bartoli was putting together an even more shocking run as
the No.18 seed, an easy win over No.16 seed Shahar Pe'er in the third
round opening the floodgates for a 3-6 7-5 6-3 win over No.3 seed
Jelena Jankovic in the fourth round, a 3-6 6-3 6-2 win over No.31
seed Michaëlla Krajícek in the quarters, and a stunning 1-6 7-5 6-1
win over No.1 seed Justine Henin in the semis. Those wins propelled
her into her first Grand-Slam final.
Despite being the two lowest-ranked players in WTA-Tour history to
get to the title-match at The Championships, Williams and Bartoli put
on an impressive display of power-tennis; but the agility of Williams
was something of a deciding-factor, carrying her into net 17 times,
and helping her retrieve that much better during the rallies; and
after a somewhat tight first set, she pulled away from Bartoli,
ending the 6-4 6-1 win with a 124mph unreturnable serve into the body.
"Obviously I feel on top of the world," Williams said. "This is a
great surface for me. I know when to play it high or when to play
low - I know how the ball's going to bounce. If there's a surface to
pick, grass at Wimbledon isn't a bad choice."
"Venus played some unbelievable tennis; she reached some balls I've
never seen a person reach like that on a tennis-court, and she hit it
harder back to me," said Bartoli. "I really tried my best and I
played a great match, but at the end she was just too good. I can't
see a player beating her when she plays like this on grass."
In 2005, Williams was the lowest-ranked player ever to win Wimbledon,
and now she breaks her own record. It reaffirms that no matter what
the state of her game going into the event, her aura redefines itself
at the All-England Club.
"This win is so much different from the others, because the other
ones I felt like I was playing in championship-form from minute one;
here, I really had to focus on my game and overcome a lot of
challenges, including being seeded low."
In spite of her breakout-run, Bartoli was visibly disappointed after
the final.
"I wanted this title so bad. For me to win the trophy and hold it in
my hands would be the best reward you could ever imagine. To be able
to go to the ball and wear the dress and be with the men's champion,
just everything that happens in this tournament. I wanted it so bad
and I lost. I'm a competitor, and I hate to lose. Tomorrow, I won't
be that disappointed because I will realise what I achieved, which is
already awesome, of course. But right now, of course, I'm
disappointed."
Williams and Bartoli weren't the only headline-makers of the
Wimbledon-fortnight. A few of the players pegged to make deep runs
here, like defending champion Amélie Mauresmo, former champion
Martina Hingis and 's-Hertogenbosch champ Anna Chakvetadze, were sent
home earlier than expected, while some newer faces like Michaëlla
Krajícek, Tamira Paszek, Nicole Vaidišová and Ana Ivanovic all made
career-best runs on the slick lawns of the All-England Club.
Then, of course, there was the incredible fight from the eventual
champion's young sister Serena Williams, who valiantly battled
through leg-cramps to win her fourth-round match with Daniela
Hantuchová, then pushed Henin to three in the quarters while
suffering from a thumb-injury. Needless to say, the Williams
Wimbledon-legacy was as strong as it has ever been, with Venus
getting the last word in.
"I always imagined winning lots of Wimbledons. But when you start
doing it, you realise how blessed you are to be able to do what you
do, and it's just amazing, it really is. I don't take anything for
granted anymore. I appreciate being healthy, being able to have a
chance just to play. I'm just trying to do my personal best."
<<<
Venus Claims Her Fourth Crown
Written by Ronald Atkin for www.wimbledon.org
>>>
Venus Williams and the Venus Rosewater Dish were reunited on Centre
Court today when the 27-year-old collected her fourth Championship
with a 6-4 6-1 victory over France's Marion Bartoli that was harder
earned than the score would indicate.
Never before in Wimbledon's modern era had the women's final been
contested by players so lowly-ranked. Williams, ranked 31 after an
injury-hit year of little activity, was awarded the 23rd seeding on
the strength of her previous record here, while Bartoli was seeded
18th.
Williams collected Ł700,000 for her one hour and 30 minutes victory,
the first year of equal pay for men and women at Wimbledon, but her
delight at the end showed that the money meant little to this
millionairess whose prospects of another title here had been largely
discounted.
Venus had proved, and how, that she is still a Grand-Slam contender,
despite having arrived at Wimbledon with just seven tournaments this
year and one victory, at Memphis in February.
The 22-year-old Bartoli's high moment had come in the semi-finals on
Friday evening, when her rocketing groundstrokes pole-axed the world
number one and top seed, Justine Henin. Today those were less
effective because of Venus's longer reach and speed around the court.
The way the Centre Court crowd got behind Bartoli was clear
indication that they feared a one-sided contest. That this did not
happen was due to a combination of Bartoli's dogged determination to
give no ground to such famous opposition, and to the fact that Venus
had one of her less accurate days.
She certainly started impressively enough, breaking Bartoli in the
second game thanks to a double fault from the Frenchwoman. That was
elevated to 3-0 before the fightback began, although Venus had a
point for a 4-0 lead (on another double fault).
Then Bartoli settled, buoyed by the crowd's support, stretching
Williams from side to side with her flat, raking groundstrokes from
her double-fisted grip.
She broke Williams when Venus sent a wild forehand sailing over the
baseline and then levelled the match at 3-3, courtesy of two more
poor Williams backhands. Could this become another thriller, like the
Henin match?
As it turned out, no. Bartoli, gallantly though she played, always
looked the inferior performer against such classy opposition, and
when her fifth double fault of the match presented Venus with two set-
points, Bartoli was able to fight off only one of them before
Williams stroked away a sweet backhand volley. The set had lasted 45
minutes.
The second set followed a similar course, with Williams breaking
serve in the second game and going 3-0 up, at which Bartoli took time
out for treatment to her left foot. Williams then also asked for
treatment to her left leg, leading to a stoppage in all of 11 minutes.
When play resumed, Bartoli won the first game to love, but that was
effectively the end of her resistance. Venus sailed through the next
three games, ending with a thunderous serve.
Bartoli, clearly delighted with having reached this stage of the
tournament, congratulated Williams, calling her "the best player on
grass in the world." Today she proved that.
<<<
Consolation Bond Bouquet for Bartoli
Written by Ronald Atkin for www.wimbledon.org
>>>
There were consolations for Marion Bartoli in today's defeat in the
women's final of the 2007 Championships. Things started well when the
James Bond actor, Pierce Brosnan, who had watched her semi-final win
over Justine Henin on Friday evening, left the 22-year-old
Frenchwoman a bouquet of flowers and a letter in the locker room
before she went on court for the final.
And her runner-up prize money of Ł350,000 ($700,000) is almost half
her total career-earnings. There will be consolation, too, in the
knowledge that when the new rankings are issued on Monday, Bartoli
will be at a career-high 11. Had she beaten Venus Williams, she could
have been inside the top 10.
She was also handed a bottle of c********, which she passed on to her
father and coach, Dr. Walter Bartoli, to whom she paid full
tribute. "I have worked with my dad for 16 years, and he always
believed in me, whatever I was doing," she said. "Before tennis, I
was doing some classical dance, some ballet. In this tournament, I
was able to show everybody what I was able to do on a tennis-court,
and this happened because of him."
However, Bartoli could not banish the disappointment she felt. "I
wanted this title so bad. To win this trophy and to hold it in your
hands is the best reward you can imagine in tennis. I'm a competitor
and I hate to lose - really hate to lose.
"But tomorrow I won't be that disappointed, because I will realise
what I achieved, which is awesome of course. And everybody will tell
me that."
Though she reiterated her loyalty to her "home" Grand Slam, the
French Open, Bartoli said she considers Wimbledon special because of
its traditions. "To walk on Centre Court, to see the trophies, to see
the Prince coming on court, you know you're a part of history. All
this stuff makes this tournament really, really special. I mean, it's
going to be forever that I will be the finalist of Wimbledon '07."
Tomorrow it will be back to what she calls "reality" for Bartoli. "I
will be in my garden, alone with my cat, and everything will be back
to the usual. I think it's a very good thing to bring you back to
earth, to get back to work."
But, as she points out: "If I keep this up, I will be in the top ten
for sure."
<<<
All Hail Valiant Maid Marion
Written by Kate Battersby for www.wimbledon.org
>>>
If there is a living embodiment of the word "charm" at Wimbledon this
year, then its name is Marion Bartoli. Just one week ago, few on the
Centre Court could have put a name to her face.
Today they called out their love for her, laughing when she conducted
them in a Mexican Wave to pass the time while Venus Williams had her
left thigh strapped by the trainer at courtside. "Come on, Maid
Marion!" called out one wit in the crowd. Bartoli smiled at that one,
but wagged her index finger in mock disapproval when another in the
crowd selected the old joke of calling encouragement to a player not
present on court: "Come on, Tim!"
Yet this was not a crowd turning its back on Venus. Her star is
rising again, and the Centre Court's admiration for her was plain.
How curious that this ungainly, unlikely pair should find themselves
lining up for the Wimbledon final.
When 22-year-old Bartoli lost the first set, no one gave it much of a
thought – by now the magnificent comeback was expected of the
Frenchwoman, after her feats against Justine Henin and Jelena
Jankovic. But this was a match too far for the player who had never
been beyond the fourth round of any Grand Slam tournament before this
one.
Perhaps she was thrown by the unaccustomed experience of actual
warmth from the sun this Wimbledon. Maybe it was the absence of her
Friday inspiration Pierce Brosnan from the Royal Box. The name of the
former James Bond actor appeared on the official guest-list for an
unusual second successive day, but he never appeared. No doubt he was
indeed at a wedding, as he had said he would be. Perhaps she was
fazed by the sheer size of Venus, and the fact that she was giving
away six inches (15cm) in height and reach.
In any case, this time Bartoli could not come back, and a fourth
Wimbledon-title belonged to Venus. In previous years the older
Williams sister has capered about the court in wild celebration at
her moment of victory, arms windmilling. Not today. This was an
older, more reflective Venus, who simply couldn't stop smiling.
"Four!" she called out to her father Richard, holding up four fingers
in celebration of her Wimbledon collection. A few yards away Bartoli
sat on her chair at courtside, smiling no more, and quietly wept.
Sweetly, just before the match began, she told the BBC: "I'm just so
exciting [sic] to be here." Truly, there are few sounds more charming
to the British ear than to hear slightly imperfect English in a
French accent. But in the immediate moments after her defeat, that
earlier excitement was pushed aside. Defeat is bitter, especially on
the greatest stage.
She was emotional in her speech, generously acclaiming Venus as the
best player on grass in the world. Then as her voice shook, she said
she had "one person to thank and one person only – my dad". Dr.
Walter Bartoli, who introduced his daughter to tennis at the age of
six, nodded at her from the players' box, and then covered his eyes
as his loving pride in his daughter overtook him.
The 2007 Official Media Guide to Professional Tennis helpfully tells
us that Bartoli's most memorable tennis-experiences have been winning
the US Open juniors and playing Lindsay Davenport on the Arthur Ashe
Stadium. Possibly she might want to list a new most memorable
experience in next year's guide.
Of course, the day belonged to Venus. She, too, was big-hearted to
her opponent, praising Bartoli's astonishing achievement in reaching
the final. As ever she thanked her "team" in the relatives' box – her
mother, father, and of course Serena "who inspires me – I want to be
like her". There may be a lot wrong with modern sport, but we can't
quite be facing Armageddon when sport's highest achievers make it
plain that family is at the root of all triumph.
<<<
Venus Takes The Fourth
By Tennis Week <
http://www.sportsmediainc.com/tennisweek/>
>>>
The Centre Court roof was removed as part of part of Wimbledon's
remodelling, but by the end of today's women's final it was tennis'
top interior designer who transformed tennis' most treasured
landscape into a regal setting for her stunning self-reclamation
project.
Empowered by the strong sense of self-belief that was as evident in
her eyes as the sweat that poured from her pores, 23rd-seeded Venus
Williams resurrected her career as a Grand-Slam champion by
reclaiming the Wimbledon-championship for the fourth time with
today's 6-4 6-1 victory over France's Marion Bartoli.
Untouchable on serve for much of the match, the lowest-seeded woman
to win Wimbledon in history continued a remarkable rise to her first
career Grand-Slam championship with a spontaneous ascent. When
Williams unloaded a 124mph missile down the middle to conclude the 90-
minute match, she soared in the sky and landed on the most
prestigious patch of grass in the sport wearing a wide smile of a
winner.
Then Williams embraced the famed Rosewater Dish with the heart-felt
hug of a woman reunited with a long-lost family heirloom.
"It's so exciting we've done so well here the last eight years," said
Williams, who ruled Wimbledon in 2000, 2001 and 2004. "Each time is
more special than the other, and this time was more special. I was
the lowest seed and no one expected me to win, of course, but I
always expect to do very, very well, so it's so exciting."
On the 50th anniversary of Althea Gibson's historic triumph as the
first African-American to win Wimbledon, Venus returned the Rosewater
Dish to the Williams-sisters' trophy-collection. The sisters who
learned to play on the cracked public courts of Compton, California,
own the film-rights to Gibson's life-story, and have scripted
memorable Grand-Slam stories in combining to collect two of the three
majors this season. Venus and Serena, who started the season with an
audacious run to the Australian-Open championship, have collected 14
Grand-Slam singles-championships between them, including six of the
last eight Wimbledon-titles.
The 27-year-old Venus joins Martina Navrátilová and Billie-Jean King -
who were both in the Royal Box watching the final - and Steffi Graf
as the fourth woman in Open-Era history to win four Wimbledon-crowns.
"[Althea Gibson] was a beautiful person, and she achieved so much, so
people like Althea Gibson and Billie-Jean King made such a difference
in me being here, doing what I do," Williams said.
It was a remarkable run to the title for a woman largely written off
as a legitimate title-contender. Williams, who had not reached a
major final since she saved match-point to defeat Lindsay Davenport 4-
6 7-6(4) 9-7 victory in a thrilling 2005 Wimbledon final, teetered on
the edge of elimination in both the first and third rounds of this
fortnight.
Playing with grit, while trying to find consistency on her forehand
and second serve, she gutted out a 2-6 6-3 7-5 win over Alla
Kudryavtseva in the opening round. Three points from elimination in
the third round, Williams roared back to win the final four games to
fight off Akiko Morigami, 6-2 3-6 7-5.
Her strong self-determination carried her through those matches until
she found the range and rhythm on her serve and strokes in the second
week. Then, she blistered three of the biggest hitters of the game in
succession: second-seeded Maria Sharapova, fifth-seeded Svetlana
Kuznetsova and sixth-seeded Ana Ivanovic.
"Determination [was the key]," Williams said. "I was determined. It's
something that kicks in, and I was so glad it kicked in. That's what
makes winning it so special: One day you're on the brink, and then
there you are holding the plate."
Grass accelerates the pace and accentuates Williams' assets: her
athleticism, power and ability to punctuate points with winners from
almost anywhere on the court. From 4-4 in the opening set, Williams
imposed her game on the smaller Bartoli in winning five straight
games to blow open the match.
"Venus play some unbelievable tennis. I mean, she reached some balls
like I never see one person reach some ball like that on a tennis-
court, and she would even hit it harder back to me," Bartoli
said. "She served 120 miles on first serve. Sometimes was hurting my
wrist so bad, because the ball was coming so fast to me. So I really
try my best I think, and I play a great match, but at the end she was
just too good. I can't say a player can beat her when she play like
this on grass. I mean, it's not possible to beat her. She's just too
good, you know."
The 18th-seeded Bartoli won eight of the last nine games to shock
World No. 1 Justine Henin in Friday's semi-finals and spoil the
prospect of a Wimbledon-final rematch between Williams and the woman
she beat to win her second Wimbledon-title in 2001.
At first glance, the 5-foot-6 Frenchwoman with hair that flows beyond
her shoulderblades looks as intimidating as your local librarian, and
until this year, her track-record at majors was largely a story of
futility. Bartoli had not surpassed the third round of a Grand-Slam
tournament in her first 21 major-appearances, but she reached the
round of 16 at last month's French Open, where she was blown out, 6-1
6-1, by Jelena Jankovic. Shaking that setback off as easily as a
woman shrugging off a stray strand of felt, Bartoli beat the third-
seeded Jankovic the fourth round of Wimbledon.
Continuing her campaign of creeping four feet inside the baseline to
terrorise opponent's serves with her two-handed compact strokes off
both wings, Bartoli haunted Henin with her positioning and probing
returns.
Addressing her attack at Williams' occasionally unstable forehand,
Bartoli battled back from a 0-3 deficit by coaxing Williams into a
double fault and a forehand error to break back for 1-3. Bartoli's
ability to take the ball exceedingly with her two-handed strokes is
reminiscent of her tennis role-model, Monica Seles, and though she
lacks the power of the woman who was also one of the Williams-
sisters' favourite players, she compensates with impeccable timing.
That skill briefly unsettled Williams.
Four feet from the net, she netted a backhand, and when Williams
misfired a backhand wide, Bartoli was back on even terms at 3-3. The
pair both held as the set escalated to 4-4 before Williams - who had
taken a bit off her first serve in an effort to diminish Bartoli's
looks at second serves - began to open up on her biggest weapon.
Unleashing searing serves into the body, Williams held at love for
5-4.
The serve was a key component to Williams' success: she connected on
70% of her first serves, won 77% of her first-serve points, faced two
break-points, and dropped serve only once in the match. In contrast,
Bartoli, who bounces on her toes rather than bouncing the ball before
her toss, landed 63% of her first serves, won 60% of those points,
and was broken four times by the bigger-hitting American.
Grunting with the force of a woman slamming shut a steel door in the
face of a wind-storm, Williams leaned into a backhand and lashed a
crosscourt winner to take a 0/30 advantage. Two points later, Bartoli
double-faulted to hand Williams two set-points. She drew Williams to
net with a short ball, then rifled a backhand pass crosscourt that
eluded Williams' expansive wingspan to save the first set-point.
But Bartoli missed her first serve, and Williams immediately moved
four feet inside the baseline to receive the second, sending a clear
signal through her positioning she was prepared to punish a short
second serve. Williams made good on her threat.
Unloading a vicious backhand return, Williams moved in quickly to
drill a forehand down the line, then cut off the angle of Bartoli's
defensive pass and smacked a swinging backhand volley-winner to
collect the first set with a clenched fist.
Gobbling up vast expanses of grass with each sizeable stride like a
long jumper soaring in mid-flight, Williams began to intimidate with
each step setting up every vicious swing. She swatted an inside-out
forehand winner to open the second set with a hold at 30.
Throughout the first set, Bartoli bounced around the court as if she
launching herself off a springboard embedded in the grass. But the
sheer power and physicality of Williams' play began to take a toll by
the second game. Bartoli hit her fifth double fault to face a break-
point.
Pausing for a moment to catch her breath, Bartoli started the point,
and the ensuing 21-shot slugfest saw Bartoli boldly take the battle
right at Williams as the pair traded biting baseline-blasts before
Williams blinked and missed a forehand wide. Bartoli would save a
second break-point when Williams lifted a forehand return deep, and
eventually earned a game-point, but it would prove to be a brief
reprieve.
At deuce, Williams approached and Bartoli responded with a well-
placed lob that sent the long-limbed American scurrying backward.
Against virtually any other women in the field, the lob would have at
least prolonged the point if not landed as an outright winner, but
lobbing Williams on this point was as easy as trying to transform Big
Ben into a pocket watch. In a sensational display of her athleticism
and explosiveness, Williams soared and snapped off a slick backhand
overhead winner. She drove a backhand down the line to break for 2-0.
Williams, who finished with 29 winners compared to seven for Bartoli,
simply possess more weapons and competed with the self-confidence of
a woman contesting her 12th major-final.
After Williams held for a 3-0 lead, Bartoli called for the trainer to
treat a two-inch blister on her left foot. Revived from the break,
she held at love for 1-3. Successive forehand errors from the first-
time finalist staked Williams to a 30/love lead, but Bartoli
responded with two thoughtful lobs in the next three points to creep
to 40/30. It was then that Williams put her foot down. From a deep
knee-bend, she quickly turned her shoulders and hips, and pounded a
crosscourt forehand winner to hold for 4-1.
"I thought after the first set, she step it up so bad. I mean, she
try to hit as hard as she could, and serve to my body 125 miles,
which against Justine I never had those kind of balls to return,"
Bartoli said. "I still had my chances in the second set, but in the
end she was just too good. But right now, still believe I could make
it. I didn't, but I had some chances to make it."
When Bartoli's forehand volley stuck to the top of the tape like a
yellow magnet to the surface of a refrigerator-door before toppling
back on her side of the net, Williams had two break-points in the
sixth game. But the feisty French player was not done yet. Continuing
to step inside the court, Bartoli provoked three errors from Williams
to take the advantage. She had a clear look at an open expanse of
court, but missed a backhand down the line long. It would be her last
real shot at slowing Williams. Another Bartoli error gave Williams
break-point, and she broke serve with a backhand winner.
Another blistering backhand winner crosscourt brought her to triple
championship-point. There wasn't a trace of nerves in Williams as she
stared down the inviting green expanse of the service-box, and
launched herself into a thunderous 124mph serve down the middle that
sealed her fourth career Wimbledon-championship in stirring style.
Six months after sister Serena - then ranked No. 81 in the world -
dismantled Maria Sharapova in the Australian Open final, 6-1 6-2, to
capture her eighth Grand-Slam championship, Venus collected the
family's 14th major-championship as the sisters have combined to win
two of the three Grand-Slam titles this year.
Williams has been counted out as a major title-contender more times
than she cares to count, but continues to discount her critics as if
casting aside a break-point with a service-winner, and shows the
ability to summon her best tennis when it matters most.
Tennis has always been part of Venus' life, but never her sole
purpose in life. Responding to suggestions that her interest in
regaining her place among the game's elite has subsided as she
pursues other interests such as her interior-design business, V Starr
Interiors, Williams has long contended she's committed to her tennis-
career. She competes on her terms, and on a sunny Saturday on Centre
Court, she shed the curtains of doubt surrounding her status, and
once again revived her championship-status on the game's greatest
stage.
<<<
Venus wins fourth Wimbledon title
By Sophie Brown
BBC Sport at Wimbledon
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/6278796.stm
>>>
Venus Williams clinched her fourth Wimbledon singles title with a 6-4
6-1 victory over 18th seed Marion Bartoli.
After a nervy start, Bartoli, 22, matched Williams in a hard-fought
first set but finally cracked at 4-5 down.
Williams, 27, continued to pile on the pressure and broke again after
an epic opening game to the second set.
And despite needing treatment on a thigh-problem, Williams powered on
to victory and another title to add to those she won in 2000, 2001
and 2005.
"It's so exciting," 23rd seed Williams, whose season has been plagued
by a wrist-injury, told BBC Sport.
"It's been a long road and I've had some tough losses but I brought
it together here."
Bartoli said that she had been overwhelmed by the power of the older
woman.
"In the end, she was just too good," she said.
It was Williams' sixth final while Bartoli had never been beyond the
fourth round of a Grand Slam until her run this year at the All
England Club.
So it was not surprising that the French woman began nervously,
double-faulting on break point to concede her opening service game.
But she worked her way into the match and broke back to 2-3.
Williams kept trying to pressurise her opponent, rushing to the net
at every opportunity, but Bartoli was more than holding her own and
raking winners around the court.
But after holding out to 4-5, the French woman cracked again, double-
faulting twice to give the first set to the American, who had been
the overwhelming pre-match favourite.
The usually placid Williams' relief at coming through the first set
was evident as she pumped her fist after clinching it, and she again
stepped up the pressure at the beginning of the second set, breaking
in a lengthy opening game that proved pivotal.
The Centre Court crowd, always on the side of the underdog and
enjoying the French player's unorthodox style and evident enjoyment
of the whole occasion, tried to rouse Bartoli.
But Williams, who had an injury time-out to have her left thigh
strapped at 3-0 up in the second set, was into her stride and proved
too strong.
She broke again at 4-1 and then served out to take the championship
after exactly one and a half hours on court.
<<<
Williams inspired by early scares
By Sophie Brown
BBC Sport at Wimbledon
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/6280912.stm
>>>
Venus Williams said her rocky start to this year's Wimbledon helped
her beat Marion Bartoli to win her fourth title.
The American 23rd seed scraped through two of her early matches 7-5
in the final set but found her form in the latter stages of the
tournament.
"The other [titles], I felt like I was playing championship-form from
minute one," said the 27-year-old.
"But here I really had to focus on my game and overcome a lot of
challenges. I'm very tired, but I feel fantastic."
Williams had been a break down in the final set in her first-round
match against Alla Kudryavtseva and also in her third-round tie with
Akiko Morigami, whose style she said was similar to Bartoli's.
She said: "By the time I played Bartoli, I was ready for those short,
flat, low balls. I had already seen that shot.
"Playing Morigami helped me out today."
It was Williams' sixth Grand Slam win and puts her just two behind
younger sister Serena.
"We motivate each other to get more," said Venus.
"When I saw her win in Australia, I just knew I could do it here.
We just love each other and inspire each other like that."
Williams is the first women's champion to benefit from the All
England Club's decision to offer equal prize-money to the male and
female winners and she said that made victory even more special.
"It was the right thing to do," said the 23rd seed, who paid tribute
to equal-rights champion Billie Jean King after her victory on Centre
Court.
"It was just very important for us. We're role-models around the
world."
Bartoli said that Williams' power had been too much for her handle.
"I really tried my best. Venus just played some unbelievable tennis,"
said the 22-year-old.
"She served 120mph on first serve - sometimes it was hurting my
wrists because the ball was coming so fast to me.
"I think I played a great match, but in the end she was just too
good. It's just not possible to beat her when she plays like this on
grass.
"But I think I showed everybody what I was able to do on the tennis-
court."
The French player, who delighted the Centre-Court crowd with her good-
natured display, was tearful at the end of the match, and admitted
she had been desperate to win.
"I wanted this title so bad," said the world number 19.
"For me to win this trophy and hold it in my hand is the best reward
you could ever imagine in tennis. Wimbledon is so special because of
all the tradition.
"I really hate to lose. Of course tomorrow I won't be that
disappointed, because I realise what I have achieved, which is
awesome.
"Right now, because I wanted it so bad, yes, of course I'm
disappointed."
<<<
Game-by-game updates at BBC Sport:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/6278974.stm
--
Dr. Andrew Broad
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/
http://geocities.com/andrewbroad/tennis/seles/selesians.html
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