The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Venus

  • US Open: Serena blows Venus away in all-Williams show

    Serena Williams roared through her 30th career meeting with her sister Venus on Friday, booking a US Open fourth-round berth with a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

    Serena was all business for the highly anticipated all-Williams clash under the lights on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

    Despite the emotional and tactical challenges of facing Venus, the 23-time Grand Slam champion said the match-up brought out the best tennis she has played since she came back from the birth of her daughter Olympia last September 1.

    “Absolutely this was my best match since I returned,” said Serena, who blasted winners off both wings — 34 in all — and fired 10 aces in the 72-minute match.

    Both players were subdued on court. There were no fist-pumps or “Come ons” and when Serena sealed it with a forehand winner the sisters met at the net for a hug and walked to their chairs before Serena acknowledged the crowd with a wave.

    “It’s not easy,” she said of facing Venus. “She’s my best friend. She means the world to me. Every time she loses I feel like I do.”

    Venus’s seven Grand Slam titles include a victory over Serena in the 2001 US Open final. But Serena has gone on to beat her in seven of eight major finals since then and now owns an 18-12 record over her elder sister.

    The third-round encounter marked their earliest meeting in a Grand Slam since Venus beat Serena in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open, the first time they met as professionals.

    “It’s not very easy, but it’s a tournament and we all know there’s more to life than just playing each other and playing tennis,” Serena said.

     

     

     

  • Happy Birthday Serena! Wish You Many More Happy Returns

    Happy Birthday Serena! Wish You Many More Happy Returns

    Happy birthday, Serena Williams!  The 23-time grand slam champion turns 36  today.

    There’s no question that Williams is a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the court.

    As a tennis player, there is no shortage of superlatives bestowed upon her—and older sister Venus’s—impressive wins through the years.

    Outside of the sports arena, Serena has shown her skills as an entrepreneur, heading up her own fashion line and aligning herself with endorsement deals.

    Plus, she has a new role as of this summer: mom. Williams welcomed her first child, a daughter named Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr., with fiancé Alexis Ohanian.

    Last year, the superstar showed off her new HSN collection at New York Fashion Week, saying, “I’m not going to play tennis forever. It’s always good to know that if I want to go into the office, I can do that.”

    She may best be known for her athleticism, drive, and big personality, but her fans on Instagram know she’s also got strong #selfie game!

    There have been out pour of love for the Tennis star as her fans across the world have been sharing her best snap to celebrate Serena’s big day.

    Venus Williams during the 2017 US Open Women’s Singles semifinals match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on Sept 6, 2017. PHOTO: AFPSerena Williams

    Meanwhile, Serena Williams may be out of action after giving birth to a baby girl earlier this month, but her family name will still feature in the season-ending eight-player BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global next month.

    Her elder sister Venus, who is enjoying a stirring year of revival, has qualified for the elite tournament at the Singapore Indoor Stadium from Oct 22-29. It will be the 37-year-old’s fifth WTA Finals appearance, but her first since 2009, when she lost to Serena in the final in Doha.

    The former world No. 1 had previously lifted the Billie Jean King trophy in 2008, defeating Vera Zvonareva.

    Venus has enjoyed a fruitful year after reaching two Grand Slam finals at the Australian Open and at Wimbledon. She also made the US Open semi-finals earlier this month.

    Those stellar performances gave the American enough rankings points to qualify for the WTA Finals singles event this week along with three other players – Romania’s Simona Halep, Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina and Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova.

    World No. 1 Garbine Muguruza of Spain had gone through two weeks ago, leaving only three singles spots to be filled in the coming weeks.

     “Each of these players has had incredible seasons, positioning themselves for the opportunity to compete at the year-end finale and hold the prestigious Billie Jean King Trophy,” said Steve Simon, WTA chief executive officer and chairman.
  • Venus reacts to fatal crash: ‘I am devastated and heartbroken’

    Venus reacts to fatal crash: ‘I am devastated and heartbroken’

    TENNIS player Venus Williams posted publicly Friday night for the first time since she was found at fault in a car crash that resulted in the death of a 78-year-old man.

    “I am devastated and heartbroken by this accident,” Williams said in a Facebook post. “My heartfelt condolences go out to the family and friends of Jerome Barson and I continue to keep them in my thoughts and prayers.”

    Barson died June 9 when the Hyundai Accent sedan his wife Linda was driving collided with Williams’ Toyota SUV in an intersection in Palm Beach Gardens. He suffered injuries to the head and spine and was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where he died on June 22.

    Williams was found at fault for violating the sedan’s right of way in a police report on the accident, which was first made public Thursday.

    An attorney for Williams released a statement that day saying the athlete expressed “her deepest condolences to the family who lost a loved one.”

    Barson’s wife and daughter Audrey Gassner-Dunayer filed a wrongful death lawsuit Friday asking for a jury trial in Palm Beach County court. The complaint, which says Linda Barson also sustained a broken right arm and wrist in the crash, asks for Jerome Barson’s lost earnings from the time of the accident until his death, the loss of his future earnings and damages against Williams.

  • Serena Williams: Baby’s gender revealed

    Serena Williams: Baby’s gender revealed

    Tennis champion, Serena Williams is said to be expecting a baby girl.

    Her sister, Venus, spilled the beans during a short interview with Eurosport saying: ‘I want to be known as the favourite aunt’ at the French Open in Stade Roland-Garros, Paris, France.

    Venus was asked about the baby in the interview on Wednesday, where she referred to the baby as ‘she’ and said she wanted the tot to be named after her, according to Dailymail.

    Serena announced she is expecting her first child back in April . She also said she still did not know the gender of her baby.

    Talking at the Met Gala on May 1, she said: ‘We’re waiting. It’s a surprise. We call it “baby,”‘ she said.

    Serena recently revealed she had actually accidentally announced her pregnancy.

    The star confessed the Snapchat which revealed she was 20 weeks along was sent by mistake.

  • Serena triumphs over Venus to claim 23rd Grand Slam

    Serena triumphs over Venus to claim 23rd Grand Slam

     

     

    A year after being shocked by Angelique Kerber, Serena Williams reasserted herself at the top of women’s tennis by winning the private battle with her sister Saturday.

    The younger sibling both returned to world No 1 and moved ahead of Steffi Graf’s total of 22 Grand Slam titles when she subdued her beloved Venus 6-4, 6-4 in 82 minutes.

    Unlike 12 months ago it was not a classic contest, with the most riveting drama being in the early stages when the eventual champion struggled to keep her calm in the face of a spirited challenge.

    For Serena it was a seventh win in Australia and puts her within one Major win of Margaret Court, who accumulated them at a time when Melbourne was a lesser currency, unlike now.

    After a relatively fallow 2016, when Wimbledon was the highlight, she has resumed normal service and in some style, having not dropped a set all fortnight.

    At the end, after failing to return a forehand driven into the corner, Venus came round the net to hug her sister. She had arguably surprised even more in this tournament.

    There were early signs that she could get a dividend from this, with Serena struggling for her rhythm as, expectedly, both players played close to the edge at almost maximum power.

    Serena’s uptight mood was given away in the third game when, after early breaks had been exchanged, she slipped when trying to scamper in for a netcord and smashed her racket into the court during the stumble.

    British umpire Alison Hughes saw the intent and immediately issued a code violation for racket abuse. All four initial service games were breaks, but then two holds were followed by another break from Serena when she hit a backhand down the line.

    Although 36, Venus still moves like a ballerina – better than Serena – and if anything looks more sprightly than she did at 30. That has served her well this fortnight against lesser players but gradually her sister’s penetration was starting to tell.

  • Third Williams sister to avoid Serena Venus clash

    Third Williams sister to avoid Serena Venus clash

     

     

     

     

    When you have two sisters who must fight for a winner to emerge and you love them both, what will you do?

    For elder sister to both Serena and Venus Williams, Isha Price, the best solution is to avoid going to the arena but stay put in the hotel and watch on television. The 41 year old lawyer would rather be told the result than watch both sisters battle for honours in Melbourne after defeating opponents to make it an all william sisters affair come Saturday.

    Isha Price, daughter of Oracene Price from her first marriage, says it is better for her to stay away because she wants both sisters to win unfortunately only one must emerger victorious on Saturday.

    She may not be as well-known as her younger sisters Venus and Serena who will arrest the attention of the world as the battle on the centre court, but it seems Isha Price is not immune to being caught up in their sibling rivalry.

    ‘I don’t, I don’t, I won’t be there,’ she replied, adding: ‘It’ll be amazing. I will be at the hotel,” she said when asked by 7 News.

    Serena and Venus will face each other in a Grand Slam final for the first time since 2008 when they meet on Saturday night in Melbourne.

    On that last occasion, at Wimbledon, Venus emerged the victor but overall Serena leads the rivalry with 22 Grand Slam titles to Venus’s seven.

    The pair have a lengthy history when it comes to the Australian Open as well – with the tournament providing their first ever professional match back in 1998 when they met in the second round, with Venus advancing.

    Their last meeting at the final of the tournament came back in 2003, when Serena triumphed in three sets, 4–6, 6–4, 6–2.

  • The Venus Bushfires presents Future Nostalgia

    The Venus Bushfires presents Future Nostalgia

    AWAY from what she is known for, Nigerian singer/songwriter, Helen Isibor, a.k.a The Venus Bushfires, has made her debut with a fashion collection tagged Future Nostalgia for Spring/Summer 2014.

    In putting the collection together, she said she collaborated with her cousin who makes the pieces using African fabrics from their great aunt’s store.

    The collection features her as a model adorned in African prints, capes, jackets, trousers with print inserts, head ties against an oriental- themed background.

    The Venus Bushfires is known for her artistic abilities, which include songwriting, spoken word, poetry, social commentary, creative arts and charity.