Venus Williams is on her way to the Sony Ericsson finals, for the first time since 2001. She dominated Marion Bartoli 6-3, 6-4 to clench her spot in the final showdown that will take place Saturday, April 3 in Miami. She will face Kim Clijsters.
With five-time champion Serena supporting her sister from the photo pit, Venus mowed over Bartoli, who beat her once last year, needing only 11 strokes to win the first eight points. A shaky Bartoli double-faulted four times to lose the sixth game, and said her legs felt tight because Williams’ power put so much pressure on her.
“I’m very pleased to be in the final, but it’s not enough,” she said. “I want to take the title.”
Venus is on a 15-match winning streak, after having won tournaments this year in Acapulco and Dubai in February. She won the title in 1998, 1999 and 2001, in what she considers her hometown event.
The battle with Clijsters on Saturday will likely be an uphill one, as the former world No. 1 and No. 14 seed in the tournament has been playing in close to top form since her return to the sport; she edged fellow Belgian Justine Henin 6-2, 6-7 (3), 7-6 (6) to earn her spot against Venus, who has a winning record against her (6-5).
“We’ve had some good battles,” Clijsters said. “If she’s playing her best, she’s really tough to beat.”
–gerald radford
