Serena Williams Sexy Bikini Swimsuit

Serena Williams dominates Venus withdraws

2011-09-05T06:07:00.000-07:00

Williams sisters: Serena dominates, Venus withdraws

While Serena continued her summer comeback, defeating her first three opponents in straight sets on way to the round of 16, big sister Venus withdrew on Day 3 Wednesday due to Sjögren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease that she said has been causing fatigue and joint pain.

Despite her No. 28 seed, Serena came in as the consensus favorite and proved to be just that, dropping only three games in her first two matches against Serbia’s Bojana Jovanovski and the Netherlands’ Michaella Krajicek, respectively. In the third round, the 29-year-old three-time Open champion looked poised to take a fourth, knocking out the No. 4 seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus, 6-1, 7-6(5).

Next up, Serena will face No. 16 seed Ana Ivanovic of Serbia, the 2008 French Open champ, who has also breezed through her matches in straight sets. The road from there should only get tougher as five top-10 seeds remain: No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki, No. 2 Vera Zvonareva, No. 7 Francesca Schiavone, No. 9 Samantha Stosur and No. 10 Andrea Petkovic.

As for Venus, after calling it quits before her second-round match against Germany’s Sabine Lisicki she said she hopes to return to the court "soon." A two-time Open champ, the 31-year-old beat Vesna Dolonts of Russia in the first round.

Serena & Entire Top 20 In Toronto Field

2011-08-09T02:27:00.001-07:00

Serena & Entire Top 20 In Toronto Field

TORONTO, Canada - The entire Top 24 plus a legendary player trying to work her way back up the rankings will descend on Toronto this week for the prestigious $2,050,000 Rogers Cup, held at the Rexall Centre in Toronto.

Watch Toronto all week on WTA Live powered by TennisTV!

World No.1 Caroline Wozniacki leads the field as the top seed, and will look to get back on track after early losses at Roland Garros and Wimbledon - as well as at her only tournament since the grass court season in Bastad, where she had to retire from her second round match due to a right shoulder strain. One year ago Wozniacki went all the way to the title here and after a bye begins her defense against either Yanina Wickmayer or Roberta Vinci.

World No.2 Kim Clijsters has only played two tournaments in the last four months due to a series of injuries (shoulder, wrist, ankle) but is back on the courts and ready to make her first appearance of the summer in Toronto. Like Wozniacki, Clijsters has also raised the trophy here before, winning it in 2005. Also the recipient of a first round bye, she kicks off with a qualifier.

Vera Zvonareva, Victoria Azarenka, Maria Sharapova, Li Na, Petra Kvitova and Francesca Schiavone are seeded No.3 through No.8. French Open champion Li and Wimbledon champion Kvitova will be playing their first tournaments of the summer hardcourt season, as will Schiavone.

Schiavone is doing an ESPN live chat Monday at 3pm ET - click here!

Marion Bartoli, Sam Stosur, Andrea Petkovic, Svetlana Kuznetsova,Agnieszka Radwanska, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, Jelena Jankovic andDominika Cibulkova are seeded No.9 to No.16, respectively.

Another star in the draw will be Serena Williams, who returned from a year-long injury and illness lay-off before Wimbledon. Although she is ranked down in the 70s, she has even fewer tournaments on her points total with three, and just over a week ago made an emphatic run in Stanford, winning the first WTA title of her comeback (beating Sharapova, Sabine Lisicki and Bartoli in the last three rounds). She begins against former Top 20 player Alona Bondarenko.

Serena Williams winner's trophy Bank of the West Classic tennis tournament in Stanford, Calif

2011-08-04T01:33:00.000-07:00

Serena Williams, of the United States, poses with the winner's trophy after beating Marion Bartoli, of France, 7-5, 6-1 in the final of the Bank of the West Classic tennis tournament, in Stanford, Calif

Serena Williams final of the Bank of the West Classic tennis tournament in Stanford, California

2011-08-03T02:13:00.000-07:00

Serena Williams, of the United States, watches a return to Marion Bartoli, of France, during the final of the Bank of the West Classic tennis tournament in Stanford, Calif.

Serena Williams of the U.S. follows through with a serve against Marion Bartoli of France during the Bank of the West tennis final at Stanford University in Stanford, California.

Serena Williams of the United States hits a return against Anastasia Rodionova of Australia during the Bank of the West tennis at Stanford University in Stanford, California

Serena Williams hits a forehand against Maria Sharapova, of Russia, during the Bank of the West tennis tournament in Stanford, Calif.

Girl Power gone mad at Wimbledon as women serve up snoring Saturday

2011-06-27T02:44:00.000-07:00

Girl Power gone mad at Wimbledon as women serve up snoring Saturday

Beyoncé will not get away with a 45 minute set when she headlines Glastonbury tonight.

Kelly Smith will not be playing 30 minutes each way in England's opening game of the womens' football World Cup, against Mexico tomorrow.

Tennis is a little different.

Men and women have the same prize money, but different shift patterns.

Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova and top seed Caroline Wosniacki, leading contenders for Wimbledon's £1.1million winners' cheque, each lost precisely five games yesterday.

It may be politically incorrect to support the august members of the All england Club's order of Play Committee, but they have a point.

In terms of entertainment, the womens' game lacks natural rivalries, compelling storylines, and recognisable names.

Complaints about lack of exposure on Wimbledon's show courts do not really stack up.

Ironically, those rallying behind the mildewed flags of past sex discrimination battles are doing Serena a disservice.

The diversion unintentionally belittles her spirit, the resolve required to win a third successive Wimbledon singles title after a 49-week absence.

The background to her attempt, which gathered momentum with a 6-3 6-2 win over maria Kirilenko, is no less compelling for its sudden familiarity.

Two scars, a blemish on the inside of her left foot, and an ugly weal across the top of her right, are the legacy from an accident in a munich restaurant, four days after Wimbledon last year.

Two operations followed, but were not as remotely traumatic as the "near death experience" of finding blood clots on both lungs.

Serena must still inject herself with anti-coagulant before any flight.

even operating at 60 per cent capacity, she has the athleticism, self-belief, and strength of serve to make her a legitimate contender.

She said: "I wouldn't bet against me. I'm here, I'm alive, and I don't take any moment for granted."

Her serve was, on average 20 mph faster than that of Kirilenko, an identikit russian making her eighth Wimbledon appearance at the ripe old age of 24. The ball sounds so much crisper when it leaves her racquet. once Serena acquires match sharpness, it will be all over for the ovas.

She has won 13 Grand Slam titles, only two fewer than the other 127 members of the original draw.

Apart from the Williams sisters, Sharapova is the only active member of the WTA tour to have won Wimbledon.

She's a mini corporation, with annual income of £20m.

Nice work if you can get it, when the likes of Klara Zakopalova, beaten 6-2 6-3 yesterday, do not detain her unduly.

Wozniacki was similarly untroubled against Jarmila Gajdosova. The Centre Court provided the statutory standing ovation - but this was in honour of servicemen, sitting in the royal box.

The search for other heroines is similarly dispiriting.

Victoria Azarenka, the fourth seed, is apparently big in Minsk. She has an inconsistent serve and sounds like Minnie Mouse succumbing to torture.

It doesn't take much imagination to envisage Serena and Venus facing each other in Saturday's final, for the third time in four years.

Serena's vulnerability - the tears and the tenderness with which she treated cancer victim Jack marshall earlier in the week - has not given her universal popularity.

But, as Marion Bartoli, her fourth-round opponent, admitted "she is the ultimate competitor." Almost too good, in fact for her sport.

Serena Williams Alexandra Willis

2011-06-25T07:30:00.001-07:00

Alexandra Willis

Serena Williams, the most dominant female player of the past decade, is an extraordinary anomaly: A decade-long winner in a sport where longevity has often gone the way of wooden rackets and white balls.

The younger of the two Williams sisters, who famously entered her first professional tournament without her father knowing bceause he didn't feel she was ready, made her first impact at Wimbledon in 1998, winning the mixed doubles title alongside Max Mirnyi. Few could imagine what she would go on to achieve. Missing the 1999 tournament because of injury, in 2000 Serena swept all the way to the semi-finals, only to fall foul of her sister Venus. In 2001, Jennifer Capriati was her conqueror, this time in the quarter-finals. Serena seemed to be going backwards.

But all that changed in 2002. Arriving at Wimbledon on the back of her second Grand Slam title, at the French Open, Serena came past first Amelie Mauresmo and then sister Venus, winning the title without dropping a set. Taking the world No.1 ranking, she went on to complete 'the Serena Slam' - holding all four Grand Slam titles at once, the first player to do so since Steffi Graf in 1988. It is an achievement that has not been repeated since.

Having won Wimbledon again in 2003, Serena suffered a surprise loss to Maria Sharapova in the 2004 final, lost in the third round to Jill Craybas in 2005, and missed the 2006 tournament entirely. With rumours swirling about her absence from the game, Serena entered the 2007 Australian Open ranked just No.81 in the world, and pulled off one of the performances of her career to win the title. Although her success in Melbourne did not translate to Wimbledon, exiting the tournament at the hands of Justine Henin, the following three years saw the Williams sisters reclaim their hold on the Venus Rosewater Dish. A finalist in 2008, Serena won back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.

Not only that, the younger Williams is also a tremendous doubles player. She and sister Venus have completed a career Slam of the four Major doubles titles, winning the Wimbledon ladies' doubles on four occasions, when every time, one or other of the sisters had won the singles trophy earlier in the day.

There is no doubt that Serena is intimidating. When she gets that banshee wail going, double-fisting left, right and centre from all corners of the court, hooped earrings flying all over the place, most of today's opponents simply stop and stare. And you can't blame them. But reputation alone does not make you a world-beater. Nor does talent. No matter how well Serena wallops the ball, she has beaten far more talented ball-strikers than herself. And for that, she has to thank her approach to the sport.

Half the battle in tennis is staying healthy, but staying interested is most of the rest. The Williams sisters, first Venus, and then Serena, have always played sparingly, which lent them a certain mystique long before they were champions. Everyone knew about the Williams sisters, they just didn't know what made them tick. Since then Serena and (to a lesser extent) Venus, have picked and chosen when to be immersed and when to step back. Few athletes have the self-assurance to do that and to handle the inevitable fallout. But Serena has it in spades. No matter how much you may like or not like her, there's no denying that Serena has a passion for life, and a passion for tennis. That unusual ability to combine the two seems to be her secret. We wish her all the best on her road to recovery, and hope to welcome her back to The Championships to defend her title in 2011.

Singles Champion:2002, 2003, 2009, 2010

Doubles Champion:2000, 2002, 2008, 2009

Mixed Doubles Champion:1998

--
Mahi

Wimbledon 2011 Serena Williams wins support from head of WTA over Court 2 'exile' claim in sexism row

2011-06-24T04:14:00.000-07:00

Wimbledon 2011: Serena Williams wins support from head of WTA over Court 2 'exile' claim in sexism row

Defending champion Serena Williams has been backed by the head of the women's tour after complaining about being forced to play on Court Two at Wimbledon.

Williams believes she and sister Venus, who played her first-round match on the same court, are getting a raw deal in comparison to the elite men.

Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Andy Murray's matches have been played exclusively on Centre and Court One so far.

The 29-year-old Williams overcame an early scare to beat Romanian Simona Halep 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 on the court situated in the corner of the All England Club closest to Wimbledon Village.

And then she expressed dissatisfaction with the scheduling, notably with the fact the top men are rarely asked to leave the main two show courts.
"Yeah, they're never moved across," said Williams, who will play Russian 26th seed Maria Kirilenko in the third round.

Wimbledon Championships, Wimbledon Championships 2011.

Vera Zvonareva shakes hand with Serena Williams at second round single tennis

2011-06-17T01:24:00.000-07:00

Russia's Vera Zvonareva, left, shakes-hand with U.S.'s Serena Williams at the end of their second round single tennis match at the Eastbourne International grass court tournament in Eastbourne, England

Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during her singles tennis match

2011-06-15T03:18:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during her singles tennis match against Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria at the Eastbourne International grass court tennis tournament in Eastbourne, England

Curvy tennis star Serena Williams gets her beach wiggle on... but her tiny bikini is barely fit for purpose

2011-04-21T02:00:00.000-07:00

Curvy tennis star Serena Williams gets her beach wiggle on... but her tiny bikini is barely fit for purpose
Serena Williams looks in great spirits as she confidently shimmies down the beach in a mis-matched bikini.

The Wimbledon tennis champion put on a little dance as she relaxed with friends in Miami today.

But the 29-year-old came close to a double fault - her strapless bikini top clearly struggled to contain her ample bosom.

Check me out: A confident Serena Williams relaxes with friends on the beach in Miami today and was spotted dancing around, appearing to be in a very cheerful mood

Getting better all the time: The tennis star is recuperating from emergency surgery in February to have a blood clot removed from her lung

Roll with it: Serena Williams busted some moves on the Miami beach
Williams has been recuperating in Miami following emergency surgery two months ago. She is recovering from an operation to remove a blood clot 'the size of a grapefruit' found in her lung in February.

News dailymail

Serena Williams Bikini Pictures In Miami

2011-04-20T07:21:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams Bikini Pictures In Miami

Tennis celebrity Serena Williams relaxes on the beach in Miami, Florida on April 16, 2011 with friends.
Enjoy the pics!

--
Mahi

Serena Williams not engaged to Common

2011-01-17T03:51:00.001-08:00

Serena Williams not engaged to Common

Los Angeles, Jan 16 (IANS) Tennis ace Serena Williams has shot down reports that she is engaged to rapper Common.

The couple began dating in 2007 and reunited late last year after a brief split and recent reports suggested that they are set to take their romance to next level.

However, Williams representative has denied the rumours, saying they are "not true at all", reports aceshowbiz.com.

--
Mahi

Serena Williams Her Big Booty! in Sexy Bikini Videos

2010-12-17T00:29:00.000-08:00

Tennis star Serena Williams was spotted in a bikini dancing and shaking her famous assets on Miami Beach. She was seen enjoying her time on the beach with her friend and also later spotted with her on-off boyfriend Common.

Serena Williams in Sexy Bikini Swimsuit

2010-12-17T00:22:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams Lacy Bikini Cool Off!

Serena Williams in Sexy Bikini Swimsuit

When Preity met Serena Williams

2010-09-03T09:44:00.001-07:00

When Preity met Serena Williams

New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) Bollywood actress Preity Zinta says she enjoyed a dinner with Tennis ace Serena Williams during her US trip.

Preity posted a picture on her microblogging site Twitter and wrote: "At Dinner with Serena Williams! She is absolutely wonderful and full of life. Love her style."

"Meeting Serena was definitely inspiring! Must confess I am a huge fan! It takes a lot to be No.1," she added.

The actress also got an opportunity to meet late singer Michael Jackson's brother Jermaine and his wife as she was in New York for the India Day parade at Times Square to celebrate India's Independence Day.

She has posted a picture of that too saying: "Met Jermaine Jackson and his beautiful wife Halima for dinner."

--
Mahi

Serena Williams loves heels

2010-08-26T03:52:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams loves heels

London, Aug 25 (IANS) Ace tennis player Serena Williams makes a fashion statement even in the tennis court, but says she gets close to tears if she can't wear high heels.

Williams hates getting injured because it hampers her from wearing stylish footwear, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

"When I'm injured it's devastating because I know I won't be able to wear heels. I'm practically in tears," said Serena.

The world's number one tennis player wonders how she became a sportswoman, especially because she has a very delicate, girly side to herself.

"I'm the complete not-normal athlete, and I often wonder how I got into sports because I hate working out. I hate running. I hate all that stuff. I love doing my nails, reading, going to the movies and wearing high heels - the higher the better actually," she added.

--
Mahi

Serena Williams and Christina Milian Dinner with No Ring Photos

2010-07-28T06:57:00.001-07:00

Christina Milian And Serena Williams Dinner with No Ring

POSTED BY:BlogXilla 7/27/2010 | 18,864 Views

SOURCE:globalgrind.com

Serena Williams

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

--
Mahi

Serena Williams In Spandex and Hangin With Selita Ebanks

2010-07-28T02:35:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams In Spandex & Hangin' With Selita Ebanks

Serena Williams and Selita Ebanks are Telemundo Women of Tomorrow. The two were all smiles at Telemundo's event while posing for pictures and looking like Mama's biscuits in designer clothes.

In other Serena Williams news the line judge in the outburst incident is speaking out about Serena's rant.

Talking about the Serena incident for the first time at Indian Wells, five-foot Shino Tsurubuchi revealed that the 12-time grand-slam champion "said a bad word. A very bad word."

Was she scared when Serena began jabbing a finger at her?

"A little, yes. If you look at the people behind me in the stands, they were scared," SOURCE

Serena Williams wrote about the incident on her blog exclusively here at Globalgrind.com.

Serena Williams

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

--
Mahi

Swingers are Made in the USA

2010-07-27T04:36:00.001-07:00

swingers are Made in the USA

serenajwilliams

Omg fun times! I need to go to sleep!!! RT
Message: #Swingers @Serenajwilliams @travisgarland

http://tweetphoto.com/35183087

Serena Williams

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

--
Mahi

Serena Williams blames Common for split

2010-07-09T08:29:00.001-07:00

Serena blames Common for split

London, July 8 (IANS) Tennis ace Serena Williams has blamed rapper Common for their break-up.

Williams, who dated the singer for two years, insists their busy careers often got in the way of spending time together. But she claims it was Common who refused to put in the extra effort to make their relationship work, reports contactmusic.com.

"His schedule is worse than mine. He didn't want the responsibility. It's really tough," she said.

Pick: Serena Williams

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

--
Mahi

I m honored that I was selected for the CA Hall of Fame by Gov

2010-07-07T07:55:00.001-07:00

I'm honored that I was selected for the CA Hall of Fame by Gov

Currently ranked the number one female tennis player in the world, Serena Williams has transcended sports to become a pop culture icon who devotes her considerable energy to improving children's lives.

Born in Michigan, Williams moved to California as a baby and, along with her older sister Venus, learned to play on the public tennis courts of Compton, a suburb of Los Angeles. She was just five years old when she first picked up a racquet under the guidance of her father, a tennis coach. She began playing professionally in 1995, and at seventeen she won her first major singles title when she defeated No. 1 Martina Hingis in the U.S. Open final.

Since then, her many wins have placed her in the top spot in women's tennis five times. She currently holds thirteen grand slam singles titles (meaning a championship in one of the Majors – Wimbledon and the U.S., Australian, and French Opens) – the most of any player active today – along with eleven grand slam doubles titles and two in mixed doubles. She has won more prize money than any other female athlete in history. She also has two Olympic gold medals, won with Venus in doubles in 2000 and 2008.

Noted for her unique style both on and off the court, Williams launched her own brand of designer apparel in 2004, and recently added a line of signature handbags and jewelry.

She has thrown herself into philanthropy with a passion, using her wealth and celebrity to advance a variety of charitable causes, from funding breast cancer research to providing tennis clinics for at-risk youngsters. Her foundation has two main goals: supporting youth who have been affected by violent crime and furthering education for underprivileged children around the world. To that end, she has underwritten scholarships in the U.S. and has helped found two schools in Kenya.

In recognition of her philanthropic work, business acumen, and outstanding tennis career, TIMEmagazine named her as one of the world's top 100 most influential people for 2010.

Pick: Serena Williams

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

News
--
Mahi

Serena Williams wanted lean figure like Venus Williams

2010-07-07T07:42:00.001-07:00

I wanted lean figure like Venus: Serena Williams

London, July 6 (IANS) Tennis ace Serena Williams says she always desired for a lean figure like her sister Venus.

"I was 23 when I realised I wasn't Venus. She's totally different. I'm super-curvy and she is tall and looks like a model," contactmusic.com quoted her as saying.

"While growing up I always wanted to be like her, to look like her and I was always used to try in her clothes, but then one day I couldn't.

"Since I don't look like every other girl, it takes a while to be okay with that. But different is good," she added.

--
Mahi

Serena Williams routs Zvonareva for 4th Wimbledon

2010-07-03T08:44:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams routs Zvonareva for 4th Wimbledon

By STEPHEN WILSON , 07.03.10, 11:11 AM EDT

WIMBLEDON, England -- Serena Williams swept Vera Zvonareva in straight sets Saturday to win her fourth Wimbledon title and 13th Grand Slam championship, extending the Williams family dominance at the All England Club.

The top-ranked and defending champion American overwhelmed the 21st-seeded Russian 6-3, 6-2 in a one-sided final that lasted just 67 minutes and showed why Williams is considered one of the greatest players of all time.

Williams served nine aces, broke three times and never faced a break point in nine service games. She finished the tournament without dropping a set.

After converting an overhead smash to finish the match, Williams tossed her racket away, bent backward, looked to the sky, shook her fists and screamed.

Williams, who improved to 13-3 in Grand Slam finals, added to the Wimbledon titles she won in 2002, 2003 and 2009. However, this was the first time she defeated someone other than her sister Venus in the final.

The Williams sisters have now won nine of the last 11 Wimbledon titles. Venus beat Serena in 2008 for her fifth title here.

Serena Williams

Rank	Points	Record
1	8475	27-4

Country: United States	Height: 5-9	Born: 9/26/1981
Handedness: Right Handed	Weight: 150	Birthplace: Saginaw, Michigan

http://www.serenawilliams.com/serena-tv.php

Pick: Serena Williams

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

--
Mahi

Live Analysis Wimbledon Womens Final

2010-07-03T06:52:00.001-07:00

Live Analysis Wimbledon Womens Final

WIMBLEDON, England – Serena Williams of the United States and Vera Zvonareva of Russia are miles apart (1st and 21st) in the world rankings and Wimbledon seedings, and so are the statistical records of their matches as they marched through the main draw to the finals.

Williams's serving numbers eclipse anything Zvonareva has achieved. Against her six opponents at the All England Club, Williams has served 80 aces and only 12 double faults. Zvonareva has hit 23 aces and 22 double-faults.

Even more remarkable are the number of Williams's serves that opponents touched with a racket but couldn't return. Of the 329 serves she has hit, nearly half (166) never made it back over the net or fell outside the lines. Of the 327 serves Zvonareva hit, a mere 95 were unreturnable.

But even though the statistical signals suggest that the Russian won't have the strength to withstand the American's power and determination, the match is likely to have its own dynamic.

Williams has, at times, managed to lose concentration and control in important tournaments, including last year's United States Open, when she lost her temper and her semifinal match to Kim Clijsters.

Zvonareva has defeated Williams only once in the six times they've played. That was four years ago in Cincinnati at a rare moment when, through inactivity, Williams's ranking had dipped to 139th in the world. Since then, Williams has raised her ranking all the way back to the top.

Perhaps only one set of statistics suggest any parity between the finalists. Numbers compiled for AELTC show that in reaching the final, Zvonareva won her serve 52 times and lost it only 5 times. Williams has an edge, but it's paper thin: She won her serve 52 times and lost it only three times.

Pick: Serena Williams

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

--
Mahi

Wimbledon 2010 Betting Path Gets Easier And Easier For Serena Williams

2010-06-30T06:44:00.001-07:00

Wimbledon 2010 Betting – Path Gets Easier And Easier For Serena Williams

Wednesday, June 30, 2010 11:48 AM ET

By: David Lawrence |

Defending Wimbledon Champion Serena Williams is the last big name left on the women's side of the draw after sister Venus was ousted in the quarterfinals.

In the last two days of women's tennis, Serena Williams has caught a ton of breaks. Her biggest competitors have been exiting Wimbledon disappointed like fans of Tom Cruise's Knight and Day, and Williams is left with a cakewalk to defend her trophy.

On Thursday, the women's draw at Wimbledon will hit the semifinals and Williams, who is the No. 1 seed and defending champion, will face one of two unseeded women to make it this far, Petra Kvitova

The other semi finds No. 22 seed Vera Zvonareva against unseeded Tsvetana Pironkova. Zvonareva pushed Kim Cljisters out of the tournament (3-6, 6-4, 6-2) while Pironkova dropped Venus Williams in straight sets (6-2, 6-3).

If you had a chance to bet Serena in the quarterfinal round, you made a smart play. Her tennis betting odds have shot up as she was a -125 favorite already, but now she's at -380 to win Winbledon.

Should We Believe In The Unseeded Women?

Pironkova and Kvitova have exceeded expectations at the most prestigious tennis grand slam. They have regularly been underdogs throughout the tournament and have collectively taken out a number of quality opponents.

Combined, they have removed the following players from the Wimbledon draw: No. 2 Venus Williams, No. 3 Caroline Wozniacki, No. 5 Francesca Schiavone, No. 11 Marion Bartoli, No. 14 Victoria Azarenka and No. 23 Jie Zheng.

These girls are apparently no fluke.

But at the same time, upsets happen regularly on the women's side and if anything, it should open Serena's eyes to make sure she doesn't underestimate either of them.

Pironkova is a 22-year-old Bulgarian who has never made it past the second round of any grand slam. She's no rookie either as this is her fifth go at Wimbledon.

Meanwhile, Kvitova might be a bit more on the rise after making the fourth round of the US Open in 2009 and now the semis at Wimbledon, but even so, she hasn't won anything on the WTA Tour.

They have been impressive and are playing beyond their means, but neither can really beat Serena.

Betting Zvonareva?

Shockingly, Zvonareva is the only other seeded player remaining and she is all the way down at No. 22. The 25-year-old Russian is usually ranked in this range and she does have five WTA titles to her name. She's a much better doubles player as she has a few mixed doubles grand slam wins.

Right now, she is playing as well as she has ever played and you'd have to think that if anyone can pull the upset, it would be her. She made the semifinals at the Australian Open earlier this year and has now made her deepest run at Wimbledon.

But at the same time, she's always been mediocre in grand slams and could simply be the next seed that Pironkova takes out.

Head-to-head against Serena, she has been pretty much smoked every time that Serena has been interested in the match. Overall, Zvonareva has lost five of six meetings.

Outlook & Pick

You'd have to stick with Serena at this point. There are times to bet underdogs, but this is not one of them. It has been a Wimbledon full of surprises on the women's side but to expect the No. 1 seed to lose to someone unseeded is not realistic at this point.

Pick: Serena Williams

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

--
Mahi

Serena Venus Williams doubles match against Switzerland at Wimbledon

2010-06-28T02:33:00.001-07:00

Serena Venus Williams doubles match against Switzerland at Wimbledon

Serena Williams, right, and her sister Venus Williams talk during their doubles match against Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky and Tahiana Garbin of Italy at the All England Lawn Tennis Championships at Wimbledon
Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

--
Mahi

Serena Williams of the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club in London.

2010-06-23T06:44:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams of the US returns to Michelle Larcher De Brito of Portugal during their first round match for the Wimbledon Championships at the All England Lawn Tennis Club, in London.

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

--
Mahi

Common confirms split from Serena Williams

2010-06-11T08:47:00.001-07:00

Common confirms split from Serena Williams

Los Angeles, June 11 (IANS) Rapper Common has confirmed his split with tennis ace Serena Williams, insisting he is "definitely" single.

"I am single. I am a single man, definitely," foxnews.com quoted Common as saying.

The hip-hop star was rumoured to have split from Williams last month, but he recently dismissed the claims and insisted he had plans to visit his girlfriend of two years in Paris, where she was competing in the French Open Championships.

Now he has confirmed that the couple is no longer together.

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

Serena Williams quarterfinal match for the French Open tennis tournament

2010-06-03T02:54:00.001-07:00

USA's Serena Williams reacts as she plays to Australia's Samantha Stosur during their quarterfinal match for the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris.

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

Venus Williams Serena Williams USA semifinal womens doubles match French Open tennis tournament

2010-06-03T02:52:00.001-07:00

USA's Venus Williams, right, and Serena Williams jubilate after defeating USA's Liezel Huber and Spain's Anabel Medina Garrigues during a semifinal womens doubles match for the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris.

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

Serena Williams fourth round match for the French Open tennis tournament in Paris

2010-06-01T03:34:00.001-07:00

USA's Serena Williams returns the ball to Israel's Shahar Peer during their fourth round match for the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris.

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos

Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during her match at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris

2010-05-31T01:46:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during her match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris

Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos
Serena Williams Wallpapers

Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

Is it splitsville for Serena Williams Common?

2010-05-28T07:06:00.001-07:00

Is it splitsville for Serena Williams, Common?

London, May 26 (IANS) Rapper Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr and tennis ace Serena Williams have called off their two-year-old relationship, according to a US report.

Nypost.com quoted a source as saying, the two "just grew apart".

Lonnie Rashid Lynn Jr, a.k.a Common claimed earlier this month that he wanted to get married and have kids with Serena.

"I definitely want to get married. I would love to get married and have kids," said Common.

Serena Williams Latest Photos
Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos
Serena Williams Wallpapers
Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

Serena Williams speeds through French Open win over Julia Görges

2010-05-28T05:35:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams speeds through French Open win over Julia Görges

Serena Williams gave herself plenty of recovery time for the third round of the French Open by racing through today's postponed clash with Germany's Julia Görges.

Williams's second-round meeting with Görges fell victim to the weather yesterday, but today's outing in glorious sunshine proved little more than a practice match, the 28-year-old American spending just 55 minutes on Suzanne Lenglen Court as she triumphed 6-1, 6-1.

Williams, who because of the delay will miss out on a day's rest before she plays either the 29th-seeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova or Jill Craybas tomorrow, could not have wished for a more straightforward first set. Unlike during her opening win over Stefanie Vögele, she was almost never troubled, breaking Görges to love in game four before securing a double-break at the third attempt two games later.

Facing Williams for the first time, world No77 Görges's serve disintegrated at the start of the second set, the 21-year-old double-faulting four times to gift the American a double break. She ended a nine-game losing streak by saving break point in game five but she was just delaying the inevitable, dropping serve again to Williams, who has only once failed to reach the last 32 of a grand slam.

Serena Williams Latest Photos
Photos 1 2 2 3
Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams Videos
Serena Williams Wallpapers
Serena Williams Photos

on Twitter

Serena Williams Nadal swiftly advance in Paris

2010-05-28T05:32:00.001-07:00

Serena, Nadal swiftly advance in Paris

PARIS -- Serena Williams waited a day to play, then won before lunch Friday at the French Open.

Rafael Nadal also went to work early and clocked out quickly.

With almost mistake-free tennis, the top-ranked Williams won nine consecutive games and advanced to the third round by beating Julia Goerges 6-1, 6-1.

Four-time champion Nadal lost serve only once and beat Horacio Zeballos 6-2, 6-2, 6-3.

A schedule backlog caused by rain forced Nadal and Williams to wait until the sixth day of the tournament for their second-round matches. They took the court on a sunny, cool morning and engaged in brisk workouts.

Williams won in 55 minutes. Nadal took 1 hour, 45 minutes and has lost only 13 games through two rounds.

Four-time champion Justine Henin needed only four games to advance. In the completion of a suspended match, she beat Klara Zakopalova 6-3, 6-3. Play was stopped Thursday because of darkness with Henin leading 3-2 in the second set.

Competing at Roland Garros for the first time since 2007 following a retirement, Henin extended her French Open winning streaks to 23 matches and 39 sets.

Williams, bidding for her first title at Roland Garros since 2002, played aggressively and still committed only four unforced errors to 20 for Goerges. Williams often moved two steps inside the baseline to smack returns, and she won 15 of 19 points on Goerges' weak second serves.

Williams held every service game and sprinted forward several times to finish off points with swinging volleys.

The 12-time Grand Slam champion has won 41 consecutive second-round matches in major tournaments since losing in that round in her Grand Slam debut in 1998 to her sister Venus.

Nadal won with steady play from the baseline, committing only 12 unforced errors, and he also won 16 points at the net.

Seeded second, Nadal improved to 33-1 at Roland Garros, with his lone loss a fourth-round upset against Robin Soderling in 2009. He is 17-0 on clay this year.

No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez lost 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 to unseeded Alexandr Dolgopolov Jr. of Ukraine, playing in his first Grand Slam tournament. No. 9 David Ferrer, led 6-2, 6-2, 2-0 when Xavier Malisse retired. No. 19 Nicolas Almagro and No. 31 Victor Hansecu won in straight sets.

In women's play, Russian qualifier Anastasia Pivovarova, ranked 187th, upset No. 25-seeded Zheng Jie of China 6-4, 6-3. Unseeded American Jill Craybas lost to No. 29 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-4, 6-1.

Andy Murray's second-round match took two days to complete and was interrupted again after resuming Thursday, but he was pleased to beat the darkness and Juan Ignacio Chela 6-2, 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2.

"Rain delays -- I've not really had many in my career," Murray said. "It was a good experience for me, one I could have dealt with maybe a little bit better."

His match was suspended Wednesday night at 3-all in the second set and, following a 4½-hour delay before play began Thursday, Murray started slowly. He found himself down a break in the third set before rallying.

"I just felt a little bit tense at the start," he said. "Then I actually felt fine as soon as I went behind. That's a bit strange, but that's how it was. I started to play a lot better as soon as I got broken in the third set."

Rain made a mess of the schedule Thursday, but the only significant upset was No. 13 Gael Monfils' 2-6, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4, 9-7 loss to Fabio Fognini. The match had been suspended because of darkness Wednesday at 5-all in the fifth set.

Three seeded women lost: No. 8 Agnieszka Radwanska, No. 21 Vera Zvonareva and No. 32 Kateryna Bondarenko.

Ana Ivanovic hit another low in her slide since winning the French Open two years ago, losing in the second round to No. 28 Alisa Kleybanova 6-3, 6-0.

Serena Williams Latest Photos

Photos 1 2 2 3

Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris

2010-05-26T01:39:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams of the US slips as she takes on Stefanie Voegele of Switzerland during their first round match for the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros in Paris.

Serena Williams pose with trophies their Argentinian Gisela Dulko and Italian Flavia Pennetta in their womens doubles final

2010-05-17T03:23:00.001-07:00

US tennis players Venus (L) and Serena Williams pose with their trophies after defeating Argentinian Gisela Dulko and Italian Flavia Pennetta in their women's doubles final match of the Madrid Masters tennis tournament at Caja Magica Tennis Center in Madrid, Spain

Serena Williams knocked out of Madrid Masters

2010-05-13T01:44:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams knocked out of Madrid Masters

Top-ranked Serena Williams was knocked out of the Madrid Masters, falling 4-6, 6-2, 6-3 to Nadia Petrova of Russia in the third round.

Petrova, who has won 19 doubles titles, yesterday frustrated Williams into making 41 errors by hitting accurately from the baseline. The 16th—seeded Petrova served 10 aces to advance to the quarterfinals.

Williams had looked out of form in a marathon match against Vera Dushevina on Tuesday, which lasted 3 hours, 26 minutes. It was the longest match of her career.

Last year, Williams was beaten in the opening round in her first appearance at the Madrid Masters.

"I wasn't moving my fastest but all I could do was try and do the best. I don't know. I definitely wasn't at my best," said Williams, who criticised the tournament for its scheduling. "This isn't a player—favourite tournament, just to be honest. None of the players are really gung—ho about playing here."

Nadal advances

Second—seeded Rafael Nadal advanced to the third round with a 6—4 6—3 win against Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandr Dolgopolov Jr.

Nadal broke early to take control of the first set, although Dolgopolov pressured the Spaniard's serve in the second with some blistering ground strokes.

A superb forehand down the line by Nadal gave him a breakpoint which he converted to go 4—3 up in the second.

Dolgopolov saved a match point serving at 5—3 down but Nadal still broke to close out the match.

Nadal was in the Madrid Masters on the back of tournament wins in Monte Carlo and Rome. The 2005 champion and 2009 finalist is hoping to extend the record for ATP World Tour 1000 titles of 17 he shares with Andre Agassi.

At 21, the 62—ranked Dolgopolov is the youngest player in the ATP top 100.

"He is very unusual and very difficult to play against.

He is very fast with his shots and he has a fast serve too," said Nadal.

"It was an important victory for me because for a moment the match wasn't under control."

Earlier, fifth—seeded Andy Roddick withdrew from the tournament before his second—round match against Feliciano Lopez due to illness. Lopez instead played and beat Spanish countryman Oscar Hernandez, who failed to qualify.

"In the end it's positive not having to play against Roddick, although I was looking forward to playing him, it would have been a fun match. But now I just have to be happy to be in the next round," said Lopez.

Serena Williams Latest Photos

Photos 1 2 2 3

Bikini Photos 1 2

Serena Williams Videos

Sexy Serena Williams Photos

Serena Williams against Russian Vera Dushevina during a Madrid Masters

2010-05-11T03:42:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams hits the ball against Russian Vera Dushevina, during a Madrid Masters 1000 tournament's first round match at Caja Magica (Magic Box) Tennis Center, in Madrid, Spain.

Serena Williams greets Jelena Jankovic at Italian Open tennis tournament

2010-05-10T04:06:00.001-07:00

Serbia's Jelena Jankovic, left, greets U.S. Serena Williams at the end of their semi final tennis match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome.

Serena Williams at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome

2010-05-06T01:37:00.001-07:00

U.S. Serena Williams returns the ball to Germany's Andrea Petkovic during their tennis match at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome

Serena Williams match at the Italian Open tennis tournament

2010-05-05T02:55:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams of the US returns the ball to Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky during their match at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome

I m so tired Serena Williams

2010-04-29T08:51:00.001-07:00

Morning guys I'm doing what my profile pic is doing. I'm so tired

Serena Williams AT premiere Date Night at Ziegfeld Theatre

2010-04-14T04:07:00.001-07:00

Actor/rapper Common and tennis player Serena Williams attend the premiere of "Date Night" at Ziegfeld Theatre on April 6, 2010 in New York City.

Serena Williams to launch nail collection

2010-02-18T06:21:00.001-08:00

Serena Williams to launch nail collection

London, Feb 18 (IANS) Tennis ace Serena Williams is training to become a nail technician and says she will launch her own nail collections in collaboration with HairTech.

"I am coming out with a nail collection with a company called HairTech. I also intend on being the most fashionable! Don't be surprised if you hear about a part time job I've picked up at a local nail salon," she said, reports imdb.com.

"No one likes getting their nails done more than I do. As a matter of fact I go every four days to get a manicure and every seven days for a pedicure. So, I had a brilliant idea to get certified to be a nail tech."

Williams, who is dating American rapper Common, enjoys pampering herself so much she is determined to be the best nail student at the Florida school where she has signed up.

Serena Williams of the United States speaks next to the winner's trophy during a press conference

2010-02-01T01:47:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams of the United States speaks next to the winner's trophy during a press conference, after beating Justine Henin of Belgium to win the Women's singles final match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia

Serena Williams US holds the winner trophy Women's singles final match at the AOTC

2010-02-01T01:45:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams of the United States, left, holds the winner's trophy next to runner-up Justine Henin of Belgium during the awarding ceremony of the Women's singles final match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia.

Serena Williams of the United States, right, talks with Justine Henin of Belgium during the awarding ceremony after Williams won the Women's singles final match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia.

Australian Open tennis championship Photos

Serena Williams dashes Henin's hopes

2010-02-01T01:37:00.000-08:00

Dennis Passa

Melbourne, Australia — The Associated Press

Published on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 9:07AM EST

Last updated on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010 9:03AM EST

Serena Williams won her second straight Australian Open championship, ending Justine Henin's hopes of a Grand Slam title in her return from retirement with a 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 victory Saturday.

Williams withstood a determined challenge from Henin before securing her fifth Australian Open title overall and 12th Grand Slam singles championship, tying Billie Jean King.

King was at the stadium on Saturday night to take part in a pre-match ceremony to honor the 40-year anniversary of Margaret Court's four Grand Slam tournament wins in 1970.

“Billie, we are tied,” Williams said. “So I've reached my goal.”

Williams' five Australian titles is the most by any woman in the Open Era, since 1968, surpassing the four held by Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong Cawley, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles. Court holds 11 Australian Open titles overall, most coming before 1968.

Henin, who had most of the crowd support at Rod Laver Arena, couldn't match her fellow Belgian Kim Clijsters' feat of winning in her Grand Slam comeback tournament. Clijsters won last year's U.S. Open in her return from a two-year retirement after getting married and having a daughter.

Williams won the last four games to clinch the championship in just over two hours, falling on her back in celebration after match point.

“It was definitely a tough match mentally and physically,” Williams said. “We were both out there to prove something, and I think we did at the end of the day.”

It was an impressive run by Henin. She lost in the final of the Brisbane International tournament to Clijsters two weeks ago.

The unranked and unseeded Henin then beat four seeded players en route to the Australian Open final, including No. 5 and Olympic gold medalist Elena Dementieva in the second round.

“It's been a very emotional two weeks for me,” said Henin, who put her hand on her heart as she thanked the crowd for support. “I thought it would never happen to me again. I'd like to congratulate Serena. She's a real champion.”

Later, Henin said there was a feeling of disappointment, but accomplishment.

“It's just more than what I could expect, I just have to remember that,” Henin said. “Even if it's quite soon after the match now, I'm sure there will be a lot of positive things I can think about in a few days. It's been almost perfect. Just the last step, I couldn't make it.”

And she's certain now about her decision to come back on the tour.

“I was curious about what my level would be and how I was going to deal with just the atmosphere on and off the court, how it would feel,” Henin said.

“I felt I took the right decision, so it's good enough for me already. I got the results also in the last four weeks — two finals. So I can be really happy about that.”

Henin saved two break points to hold for 3-3 in a four-game run in the second set, winning 13 of the last 14 points in a dominant finish to the set. She maintained the superiority early in the deciding set, increasing that to 18 of 19 points before Williams held serve to even the third set at 1-1.

Williams, with her right thigh and left knee heavily taped as it had been for much of the tournament, broke Henin to go up 2-1. The two then traded breaks, with Williams going up 3-2, a lead she never relinquished.

“I thought I was just giving it to her at that point,” Williams said. “I didn't want to go out like that. I literally said to myself, 'I need to man up and start playing better.”'

Williams used an ace on her second serve to hold for a 4-2 lead, then broke again to move within a game of the title.

“It's good to have her back, it's exciting,” Williams said of Henin. “She can definitely be No. 1, especially with our ranking system, if she keeps doing well.”

The American holds an 8-6 edge in career meetings between the pair, including a 6-2, 6-0 win in Miami in 2008. At the time, it equaled the worst loss for a reigning No. 1, and Henin quit tennis two months later.

Henin won the Australian Open title in 2004. She quit during the 2006 final with stomach problems while trailing Amelie Mauresmo 6-1, 2-0.

Williams' next goal is to reach the 18 majors held by Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

“Honestly, I'm just doing what I can. I obviously enjoy playing in Melbourne, clearly,” Williams said. “I never thought I could catch up with Martina, because she's such an amazing champion.”

American twins Bob and Mike Bryan won their fourth Australian Open doubles title, defeating Daniel Nestor of Canada and Serbian Nenad Zimonjic 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-3 in the final.

The brothers have won the title four of the past five years. They have eight Grand Slam doubles titles, including two at the U.S. Open and one each at the French Open and Wimbledon.

The men's final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray will be held Sunday night, where Murray will attempt to become the first British man since Fred Perry in 1936 to win a Grand Slam major.

The Australian Open is Murray's 17th Grand Slam tournament, which is how many attempts Federer needed before winning for the first time at Wimbledon seven years ago against Mark Philippoussis.

Murray was beaten 6-2, 7-5, 6-2 in the U.S. Open final in 2008.

Two years later, the 22-year-old Murray thinks he knows how to end the 74-year drought.

“I'm going to need to play my best match ever,” Murray said. “That's what I plan on doing. If I do, I've got a good chance of winning.”

Federer played in all four finals last year and will be appearing in his 22nd Grand Slam final overall, a record. He acknowledged that the pressure will be on Murray.

“I know what it takes (to win) and how to do it, which is definitely an advantage,” Federer said. “I don't feel like the pressure's really on me having to do it again. I think he really needs it more than I do.”

Australian Open tennis championship Photos

NEWs

Serena Williams sister Venus Williams United States during the final of the Womens Doubles AOTC

2010-01-29T03:46:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams of the United States, left, and her sister Venus Williams prepare to receive serve from Cara Black of Zimbabwe and Liezel Huber of the United States during the final of the Women's Doubles at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne

Serena Williams of the US Women's singles semifinal AOTC in Melbourne

2010-01-28T01:21:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams of the United States returns to Li Na of China in their Women's singles semifinal match at the Australian Open tennis championshipt in Melbourne, Australia

Serena Williams of the U.S. reacts during her quarter-final match against Victoria Azarenka of Belarus at the Australian Open tennis championshipt in Melbourne

Serena Williams of the USA serves to Samantha Stosur

2010-01-27T03:00:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams of the USA serves to Samantha Stosur of Australia in their round four match at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia

Serena Williams of the United States returns to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus during their Women's singles quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia.

Venus Williams of the United States reacts after losing a point to Li Na of China during their Women's singles quarterfinal match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia

Serena And Venus Williams of the United States celebrate

2010-01-25T07:10:00.000-08:00

Serena (L) and Venus Williams of the United States celebrate after defeating Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic at their women's doubles third round match at the Australian Open Tennis Tournament in Melbourne, Australia

Serena Williams of the United States serves to Petra Kvitova

2010-01-22T06:31:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams of the United States serves to Petra Kvitova of Czech Republic during their Women's singles match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia.

Britain Prince William with Serena Williams of the US and her mother Oracene Price

2010-01-22T06:29:00.000-08:00

Britain's Prince William (C) posing with Serena Williams (R) of the US and her mother Oracene Price (L) at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia

Serena Williams at the Australian Open tennis championship

2010-01-21T07:20:00.000-08:00

Serena Williams of the United States reacts during an exhibition tennis match in Melbourne, Australia.

Roger Federer of Switzerland, left, and Serena Williams of the United States celebrate a point during an exhibition tennis match in Melbourne, Australia

Serena Williams of the United States returns the ball to Poland's Urszula Radwanska during their Women's first round singles match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia.

Serena Williams of the United States looks to return the ball to Poland's Urszula Radwanska during their Women's first round singles match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia.

Serena Williams at the Sydney International tennis tournament

2010-01-12T03:19:00.000-08:00




American Serena Williams plays a shot in her match against Maria Jose Martinez Sanchez of Spain at the Sydney International tennis tournament in Sydney, Australia

Serena Williams at Glamour Magazine 2009 Women of the Year Awards

2009-11-10T01:49:00.001-08:00

Professional Tennis player and honoree Serena Williams attends the Glamour Magazine 2009 Women of the Year Awards at Carnegie Hall in New York.

Serena Venus Williams hold their trophies after the WTA Tour

2009-11-02T23:56:00.001-08:00

Serena Williams (R) of the US and her sister Venus Williams hold their trophies after the WTA Tour Championships final tennis match in Doha.

Serena Williams ingles final against Venus Williams US WTA Tennis Championships in Doha Qatar

2009-11-02T02:18:00.001-08:00

Serena Williams of the US celebrates winning the singles final against Venus Williams of the United States at the WTA Tennis Championships, in Doha, Qatar.

Serena Williams, right, of the United States holds the trophy after winning the singles final against Venus Williams, left, of the United States at the WTA Tennis Championships, in Doha, Qatar

Serena Williams at a press conference WTA Tennis Championships in Doha Qatar

2009-10-27T05:24:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams of the United States is seen in front of a poster of herself at a press conference ahead of the WTA Tennis Championships in Doha, Qatar.

Serena Williams reacts after returning a ball to Russia Nadia Petrova

2009-10-09T03:42:00.001-07:00

USA's Serena Williams reacts after returning a ball to Russia's Nadia Petrova during their match in the third round of the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, China

US Serena Williams celebrates upon defeating Russia Ekaterina Makarova

2009-10-07T05:19:00.001-07:00

US Serena Williams celebrates upon defeating Russia's Ekaterina Makarova during second round of the China Open tennis tournament in Beijing, China.

Serena Williams returns shot against Kaia China Open Tennis tournament in Beijing China

2009-10-06T02:19:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams of U.S. returns a shot against Kaia Kanepi of Estonia during the China Open Tennis tournament in Beijing, China

Serena Williams at a cocktail party celebrating FFAWN in New York

2009-09-17T02:24:00.001-07:00

Singer Mary J. Blige, left, the host of a cocktail party celebrating the Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN), poses with tennis player Serena Williams and singer Alicia Keys at the Gucci store in New York.

Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player LeBron James and tennis player Serena Williams arrive the Foundation For the Advancement of Women Now (FFAWN) in New York.

Serena Williams Latest Photos

5 6 7 8

Serena Williams poses with Kelly Rowland and Star Jones party in honor Williams biography On the Line in New York

2009-09-16T01:35:00.001-07:00

Tennis player Serena Williams poses for photos with Kelly Rowland, left, and Star Jones, right, prior to a party in honor of Williams' biography, "On the Line in New York..

Serena and sister Venus Williams womens doubles final US Open Tennis Championship in New York

2009-09-16T01:32:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams of the US (L) and sister Venus Williams of the US (R) hold the championship trophy after defeating Cara Black of Zimbabwe and Liezel Huber of the US in the women's doubles final at the 2009 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York

Serena Williams of the United States speaks to reporters after losing

2009-09-14T02:35:00.001-07:00

Serena Williams, of the United States, speaks to reporters after losing her semifinals match to Kim Clijsters, of Belgium, at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York.

Serena Williams Semi Finals Against Kim Clijsters photos

2009-09-14T02:15:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 12: Serena Williams (L) argues with a line judge during her Women's Singles Semifinal match against Kim Clijsters of Belgium on day thirteen of the 2009 U.S. Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on September 12, 2009 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Clijsters defeated Williams 6-4, 7-5. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Serena Williams

Serena Williams Calls It Quits With Disgraceful Eruption

2009-09-14T01:48:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK -- Serena Williams is a quitter. Yes, we saw the temper tantrum, saw her drop the f-bombs and tell the lines judge that she could take "this (bleeping) ball'' and stuff "it down your (bleeping) throat."

That's humiliating enough. But it's all a diversion from Williams' cowardice. She knew the rules, knew that she was going to be bounced from the match, getting a point-penalty on match point. She was absolutely going to lose anyway. So she chose that form of embarrassment over the other form that she was already suffering.

Williams has shot off her mouth for months about being the best player in the world, and here was Kim Clijsters, back from 2 1/2 years of maternity leave, out-toughing a woman who takes pride in her toughness, coming from Compton. Williams was being out-toughed in the semifinals of the U.S. Open.

Clijsters, not having to play the last point, won 6-4, 7-5 to advance to Sunday's finals.

A bully being beaten. That's what Williams was. And the problem was not the rain, not a bad call (it was a good call; I was sitting low and right along the line), not an over-reaction from her tirade.

Don't let Serena change the subject, which is this:

She is a fraud.

She was getting her butt handed to her, and this was her way of sitting on the stool, saying "No Mas," and refusing to come out for the last round.

We saw Roger Clemens do the same thing years ago. Remember?

"What did I say?" Williams said. "You didn't hear? Oh."

Don't worry, Serena. It's going to come out. A kid cannot pick his nose on the school playground anymore without pictures of it showing up on YouTube.

"No, I didn't threaten," she said. "I didn't -- I don't remember anymore, to be honest. I was in the moment."

Oh please. Williams knows she made threats. And when tournament officials took the court and met with the chair umpire and the line judge, Williams walked up and said, "I didn't say I would kill you. Are you serious? Are you serious?"

The line judge nodded and said, "Yes."

Williams later said that she had misunderstood the claim, that the judge had not said that at all, and so Williams' response was about nothing.

Not true.

But here's even the bigger lie:

"Well you know, I'm just clearly not happy," Williams said. "But it was ... I don't know. Like, I mean, obviously I wanted to fight."

She was talking about fighting for the victory, not literally fighting.

"I always fight when I'm down and keep going. I planned on hitting a couple of aces, but I guess it didn't work out."

She had no intention of hitting aces. She was too afraid to try.

Two points from being tied in the game, four points from tying the set and taking it to the tiebreaker.

No, she wasn't going to come back, she knew it. And she couldn't take it.

Clijsters beat her into submission.

People are going to think something was missing from this win for Clijsters. But the truth is, it was one of the most impressive victories ever. It was so dominant that one of the greatest players of all time, couldn't bring herself to finish.

Listen, this tantrum was a disgrace. Poor sportsmanship and all. But we've seen Jimmy Connors call a line judge an "abortion," before. We've heard athletes drop f-bombs before. I don't think I've ever seen anything quite this bad, but tennis players are notorious for this garbage.

"All the people that, you know, kind of yell at lines people," she said. "I think it kind of comes sometimes. Players, athletes get frustrated. I don't know how many times I've seen that happen."

Yes, and this time it is only a diversion. Clijsters, traveling with her new baby, was too tough physically, too tough mentally for Serena Williams.

After 2 1/2 years away from the game, she has just walked back in the door to beat everyone.

Serena has bullied her way into humiliating Dinara Safina, who is ranked No. 1. Safina isn't the best player, but it turns out that Williams isn't, either.

Clijsters is the best player in the world. And how humiliating for Williams to have made such a fuss over her own greatness, and then have this happen to her.

She was down 6-4, 6-5, 15-40 when she chose to erupt.

And did you see the line judge? After Williams' second eruption, the line judge left her spot to say something to the chair umpire. When she came back, Williams was ready to charge over again, yelling more. The line judge, a tiny woman, didn't even sit down before turning and running back in fear to the chair umpire for cover.

Remember back at the French Open, when Williams accused another player of cheating her? She said that the woman had better not come to the net again.

It was Williams threatening that she would drill her with a shot.

"You guys heard that?" Williams said later. "Well, you know I am from Compton. So you know..."

I know that Serena is a quitter. On Saturday, U.S. Open officials released a statement saying absolutely nothing. It explained that Williams had smashed her racquet after the first set, drawing a warning, and when she "yelled something at the line umpire" she was assessed a point penalty.

In the interview room later, Williams' agent reminded her to smile and a few minutes later bullied the moderator into stopping the interviews. Williams had put on a happy face, pretended to be calm.

She said she had probably foot-faulted, but was upset because officials had only started calling it on her in the past two weeks.

No, Serena, the chair umpires and officials didn't throw you out of the match. You did it yourself.

On purpose.

Venus Williams Photos 1 2 3 4