“I actually didn’t know the score, I thought that it was 5–2,” Venus said at a press conference after the match. “I really don’t know how I lost track. So I was confused, but I guess that’s just focus.”
“I thought, ‘she’s really happy about this break.’ I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve never seen her this happy, but I’ll go with it.’ “
Serena couldn’t understand why her sister was so subdued after the win:
“Yeah, I thought, ‘OK, this is exciting. We defended our title and she was like, ‘What’s going on?’ I’m like, ‘The match is over. We’re done now.’ It was funny.”
Venus was grateful for the confusion:
“I guess it’s easier to hold at 3–2 instead of 4–3. I thought it was break point,” she said. “I didn’t know it was match. I need to play all my matches like this without knowing the score. I think it would help.”
Venus, 29, and Serena, 28, took down the world No. 1 pair, Cara Black and Liezel Huber in a two-setter, 6–4,6–3, that lasted just under one and a half hours. It was a bit of a breeze — for the second year in row. Should it be that easy to take down those at the top of the heap?
The sisters are arguably the best doubles team on the World Tennis tour, but it’s not reflected in their ranking, which is no. 3. Not too shabby, but certainly not indicative of their dominance. What the defeated Black and Huber have over them, though, is consistency; they play doubles exclusively, whereas the Williams play doubles in addition to singles.
Both sisters were in the running for the women’s singles title at the tourney as well, but only one has emerged to play in the final, little sis, serena. Venus was defeated in her quarterfinal match by opponent Li Na, whom Serena overcame to earn her spot in the championship match. She will play rival Justine Henin, who just returned to the game, in top form, after a long hiatus.
It’s their 11th Grand Slam doubles title and third at the Australian open. –gerald radford
