Hi Steve. Nice write up on ReRe. However that match with Steffi was IW in 1999. ReRe lost to Vee in three sets at KB in the same year after winning IW.

Awesome youtube of Serena, great picture too. And a wonderful story! Steve you made me happy. Keep up the good work!

I disagree. Serena is much more consistent now than she was then... and she also has a lot more variety.

Great post idea steve! It looks like S was faster back then, but he shots have more penetration now. funnily enough, I was having a discussion with tennis teammates this evening (I live in Germany) and they reckoned Graf would still be competitive at the top. I think this clip shows why she wouldn't be: the backhand is always a relatively safe place to go to, and sets up S's hammer blows to Graf's forehand. Graf would still be an exemplary mover now though.

Steve,

Thank you so much for this post. Love Serena and Love Steffi!!!! Really appreciate the YT links...so nice to see!

I doubt Serena could ever match Graf's record. Sorry.

Steve,
That win at IW by Serena followed by Venus at KB told the WTA that the Williams Sisters are the present. Year was capped off by Serena winning the US Open over Martina Hingis. Unfortunately, injuries, family issues, and off court life slowed this talented person. However, she still managed to win 10 Slams and today, her motivation is stronger than it was the earlier part of this decade.

I've been a fan of Venus and Serena for many years and have always rooted for them to win (I am a white American female). My friends would often question my support for them over so many other women on tour. They would talk about Richard Williams and then the IW boycott and their outside interests, etc... What I never understood was how anyone could watch them play a match and not be impressed by their amazing abilities and sheer will and determination to win. They were, and still are, among the most exciting players on tour to watch.

My children cheer for Serena and Venus (and Andy and James and the Bryan Brothers) because they are Americans (we are also big Rafa fans for so many other reasons). They don't know the history - all they know is that for as long as they've watched tennis we have cheered for Serena and Venus because they are Americans and because they are champions.

I think for many years the "excuses" made it easy for some fans not to challenge their own issues of race and class in a sport that is not historically known for welcoming non-white players into its fold. Not every female player can be blonde, beautiful and thin. I think many professional writers have to ask themselves if race has not gotten in the way of how they've covered Serena and Venus.

Thank goodness the WTA has Serena and Venus now - they pull in the crowds and they are clearly ambassadors of the sport. They have been, and continue to be, great for the sport. I hope they continue to play at such a high level for many more years. I am proud to be a fan.

I do think Serena's shots definitely have more penetration than before. May be she is a tad bit slower but I think now she is still deceptively fast when she is moving. I say deceptive because somehow you expect her not to reach some balls because she is bigger than when she was 17 but she still reaches them. She does not have the long stride of Venus but she has quick short steps.

The williams sisters brought in the kind of hideous ball bashing that so many tennis journalists bemoan now. Seles and Capriati were powerful and considered mindless bashers in their early days but they could go through entire matches making less than 10 unforced errors. Win or lose the Williams sisters never do that. It's huge haymakers and quite a lot of frame shots. I think this is because they are supreme athletes rather than ballstrikers in the league of Davenport and Seles (who were both way less athletic)
you could make the case that Serena was better back then but it depends on what clips you're looking at. She shanked plenty then too. She has become more poised though. She wouldn't lose to Sharapova 4 and 4 in a Wimbledon final now.

I remember when Serena was that young, but I didn't remember that match. It was a great match, and I still think Steffi would be a great player against alot of the girls playing today.

That was a nice hand shake from Steffi at the net..she really was/is a great champion.

If memory serves me, in her early days on the tour, Serena often suffered from muscle pulls and strains to her legs. She still does on occasion, but back then it seemed to be a constant problem.

eek, it's strange to think that the Williams sisters have been established for so long...part of me still thinks of them as a pair of radical agents shaking up the WTA. :)

And I do think that some of that ambivalence is still around. *shrug* Can't put my finger on it - just an entirely subjective feeling. It's a pity.

I love watching them play, even each other.

mw, agree with u on steffi's handshake....one doesn't realize until you watch steffi again what a classy athlete she is. saw clip of her on-court interview after her final wimbledon loss to davenport, still all smiles and positive words. when asked whether she would return the next year, she simply said with a smile, "i don't think so, bill." and that was that.

Thanks Steve.

Nice read, Its a rare occasion when something written about the sisters doesn't have some sort of negative spin on it. I remember that match against Steffi, Serena had that killer instinct from day one. I think Steffi was kinda surprised by how ferocious Serena was so early in her career.

Speaking of Serena/Steffi. If Serena wins Key Biscayne, she will win the most titles there breaking a tie with Steffi.

thanks Steve for a great post.

and Tennis Fan 2: an eloquently expression post of why tennis fans remain ambivalent about the sisters. i had thought at this stage of their career--after all the comebacks and off court set-backs--that they would have become favourites, the way Navratilova did. but perhaps race is a more powerful barrier than even sexuality?

Thanks Great Gams! I agree with your Navratilova comment. I hope tennis fans will wake up and appreciate Serena and Venus while they are still playing.

This tennis fan needs no prodding - I've loved them since they first came onto the scene, and have never once doubted them. There have been times when the joy seemed to be missing, but then one or the other wins a tournament and jumps around like an excited child, which is a glorious thing to behold.

And I don't have time right now to get into the wonder of Navratilova, someone I've admired as a player and a woman since before her bold defection from Czechoslovakia.

I spoke with two fans in Stadium 1 last week at IW about the Williams' sisters, as we watched TMF lose to Murray. Their vitriolic comments came quickly and steadily. These two, who said they represented many other voices from fellow tennis fans and players in the area, didn't care if the sisters ever came back. They were totally convinced that Papa Williams controlled the outcome of the girls' lives, their match decisions, and therefore the fans experiences at IW. That, more than anything, angered people.

However, this desert spot didn't seem to have many blacks buying tickets for the event. And, I didn't see many outside the venue, either. I thought that was strange, but I come from an multi-cultural area. Whether I can conclude with any certainty that prejudice is a common thread in their population is up for discussion. Not enough data.

BTW... Serena looked better in the videos than she does now, from a playing standpoint. She was quicker off the split-step and looked fitter. I agree that she was probably hungrier and, of course, had not expanded her career horizons to the point she has today, which made a difference in her match performance.

Honestly, their presence in the game reveals my own set of prejudices, which I am not proud of but aware of from a sense that I should keep tabs on them, stay open to changing them, and exercise some compassion for those who have learned, through socialization, that it is an international game having nothing to do with race or ethnicity.

Embug, the same fans that are quick to criticize the Williams family totally buy into and embrace the wonderful stories of Serbs practicing in a pool, Marion Bartoli and her father's ambition for her to be a professional (having her do all sorts of crazy things to practice her game, and all the other feel good stories involving white players) but can't cheer for the parents who brought up two champions against incredible racial (and economic) barriers. Richard Williams may be a quirky character but there is no doubt that the Williams' parents succeeded in bringing up two amazing atheletes (who by the way couldn't have been happier when they won their doubles gold medal at last year's Olympics, representing the U.S. and the same fans who question their game and integrity and scoff at their Dad).

TennisFan2 - well put. You're right. Those feel good stories warm their hearts, as they do everyone's heart. The IW locale is so ideal for fans of the sisters, too, being a quick two hours east of LA and Compton. They have contributed to tennis and women's sports beyond what current history can tell. They make the difference in a draw. When they don't enter an event, winners are scrutinized and measured: Would they have done as well if Venus and Serena had played? All contrary opinions about them could be eliminated, when those conversations begin because the comparison shows their imprint on the sport.

Steve, I was at this match. Based on that viewpoint, I would take exception to your claim that Graf's inside-out forehand had met its match. We simply can't tell from this match. Graf never took her chances to hit her inside-out or inside-in forehand. She had many chances. She just didn't seem to have the confidence that day.

Graf was still very much on the comeback trail from the second of two knee surgeries. She was not playing at or near her peak. Her level of play in this match was no better than it had been in her quarterfinal win over Venus in Sydney at the start of the year. Watch that match. It's also on youtube.

Frankly, given how poorly I saw Steffi play that day, I was surprised that she didn't lose in straight sets. But, here's the rub. Playing like this, Steffi had beaten Serena before, in Sydney, at the start of the year. If that is the case, what does it say about Serena's game that she couldn't beat Steffi in straight sets both times she faced a Steffi who was playing this poorly? I'll let you think about that.

Had an interesting conversation this evening with USTA mixed doubles teammates about the Williams'. Most agreed that Serena Williams is the "best ever women's player" but they "did not like her." Why, I asked? "Just don't - isn't gracious to her opponents; doesn't concede victory well...." Really, I ask....does any champion concede victory well?!? Should a champion concede well? Is the picture of Roger Federer crying unabashedly a better picture than Serena saying she played poorly - not that the her opponent played a better match?

Well, I always say that humility is overrated. I think that the people who think Serena is ungracious are overrated.

I was just reading an article on how well Serena dealt with 2004 USO and the Justine "hand" situation, among other things.

A lot of what she says is taken out of context. I think she's always been rather blunt and not politically correct. So, it is a problem for some people.

She probably comes off as she has an attitude, but I think it's because she gets on the defensive from the press constantly asking about her interests and fitness.

Oh, and Ree is better now. Cahill made some interesting comments during the USO (I think) and I believe he's correct. Serena's tennis IQ has gotten better in a nutshell. Way more variety, beautiful angles, off pace shots, and a little slice at times.

She's really matured, not to mention her success off the court, philanthropically and business-wise. Great talent.

^^I don't mean people are "overrated" but that they over exaggerate.

I'd like to add, you can't watch early round matches (well most of the time) if you are to determine how Serena's game has changed/improved.

Just watched her play Glatch and as Lindsay said, the sheer pace of her shot and serve is enough to get the job done, as if it wasn't apparent.

Serena didn't need to over extend herself and she won't unless she is pushed.

Watch the USO SF/QF/F, and AO QF/SF/F

Watch Paris and Dubai matches. Great stuff from her early on which isn't normally the case.

I think Vee & Serena are great champions-- I admire the self- confidence, fearlessness & and ability to win big titles. Both gals are capital "C" Champions
By boycotting IW, I think they're are not setting a good example for young people or showing gratitude to the fans there who will probably never see them. I wish they'd find forgiveness and play the event. Every person in life gets criticized, ridiculed, unfairly judged or whatever-- what if we all avoided things that made us uncomfortable or people that made us angry?
holding a resentment never does me any good-- just poison to my soul.
I believe the IW crowds would embrace them. I'd love to see that

...you don't go where you don't feel safe...! ...that is all...

TennisFan2... the comments you heard from your USTA friends are generally what I've heard said about Serena. Her behavior on court displeases. Her outfits offended. Remember the cat suit! Then, she colored her hair. She disappears. She's not committed to the game. Then, she re-joins the tour and kicks a**.

We are full of expectations about how she should behave. We don't seem to have much tolerance for who she presents herself as -- as a personal choice.

I let my opinions of Steffi Graf get in the way of witnessing her brilliance. I got annoyed at her taciturn demeanor and lack of emotion. She never let us see Steffi, except that was Steffi. I wanted a different Steffi and who am I to dictate that! Talk about hubris.

Serena Williams MAY be the most talented female player of all time.

The Greatest?

No way.

She's a good ten Majors championships short of even being in that conversation.

Potential does not equal accomplishment.

And as far as the argument that Serena would be there if she had played more.

Considering her knee problems and her weight problems, she might already be off the tour with injury had she not taken so many breaks.

Steve - thank you for giving me a break from Federer drama (this from a Fed KAD!). What amazes me watching the clips is how few of the top 20 girls are truly great movers on the court. There are a lot of powerful good hitters, but not great movers (Williams sisters and Jankovic aside). Steffi is so light of her feet and almost always in position even when facing Serena (all those tiny little steps etc). Makes me miss Justine that more more. Who of the crop of up and coming youngsters do you believe to be the most athletic mover? Thank you!

Wow!!!! the 17-year olds out there are yet to show us that they can defeat without fear the Williamses.... Am kinda missing all the ferociousness of the sisters ten years ago. I loved it when they showed no respect at all to older champions, showing eventually their hunger to be on top of their game! And the sisters did it with authority and class!

...why do people act like doubles GRAND SLAM titles don't count in your tally of slams...? ...stop frontin'...add those in please and then realign your forcasts of S & V's final legacies compared to those players "they will not catch..."

To Donal Lynch:

When you start using words like "never" you should make sure your facts are straight. Serena defeated Safina in the AO final with only 7 unforced errors for the match, and her blowout of Sharapova 2 years before was with similar numbers.

Serena is a great woman player! But we must not forget that when she beat Graff, Steffi was already in the injured list for a long time.

When I make a comparison (if that would be possible) I try to visualize both players at their best and what each others best shots could eventually do as damage.

Steffi had one shot that no one hits today with the same quality and that was the slice backhand. The pickings that it would generate for "Fraulein Forehand" only the gods can tell!

Sadly I'll never be a Williams sister fan.

Too many of their matches were blatently fixed by Daddy in the early days. Point this out and you were accused of racism.

Then there's the playing style; mindless moronic bam bash tennis filled with unforced errors.

Then there's the pasionless and mind numbing tedium of an all Williams match; spectators should ask for their money back.

I could go on more about the fashion sense, the complete lack of comittment to the tour, the lack of respect to opponents but you get my drift...

No, actually, I don't get your drift at all, roGER.

Stay a hater, I'm sure no one gives a ff anymore, but come off the ridiculous, off-repeated excuses you give for hating them.

That's all I ask of anyone who continues to spew the hate-filled rhetoric of yesteryear. Trump your rascist idiocies for the world to see.

Clearly you're right on point, Tignor. You don't even have to wonder, your regular readers provide all the insight you'll ever need. But, just in case you needed a little more proof, go back to Venus' first two major wins. Some of the incredible commentating done by the women is so insensitive and rascist you won't believe your ears.

Steffi had met her match, unfortunately, she was taken from the game prematurely. Seles was the original Williams. No, the movement wasn't quite as crisp, but, with more fitness, Seles would have had much more to say about a certain someone's 22 major titles.

Kenneth,

If I am a racist, how come I have nothing but respect and admiration for the likes of Arthur Ashe (my fave player back in the 70s until Borg came along), numerous black footballers (soccer players) and Lewis Hamilton in Formula 1 motor racing?

No, I assure you it's not racism - it's just a deep and abiding dislike (not hate; how can I hate people I've never met?) of the Williams sisters and they way they aproach tennis. For the reasons I've outlined above. Now do you get my drift?

roGER: You are the definition of a racist. Have you ever heard "I am not racist, I have a black friend". When a black person hears that it infuriates the hail out of them - that is the most condescending, disrespectful statement you can make to a black person. Wake up roGER, you have a lot to learn about yourself. I suspect you are one of the people who giggle when the commentators degrade the WS during tennis matches.

As for the WS just bashing tennis balls - have you ever seen Sharapova play? If her bashing is not working - she is solidly beaten - yet none of her worshipers have a bad thing to say about her style of playing. Also, talk about bad attitude - check out Sharapova. But I guess she is the "image" most people like to see so her behavior is acceptable. AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHH!

"spoke with two fans in Stadium 1 last week at IW about the Williams' sisters, as we watched TMF lose to Murray. Their vitriolic comments came quickly and steadily. These two, who said they represented many other voices from fellow tennis fans and players in the area, didn't care if the sisters ever came back."

And somehow people are still hating the WS for boycotting IW. Are they not human beings? Anyone of the haters would have done the same thing if they were treated like the WS were - but somehow they are supposed to just turn the other cheek and take the degradation.

I also wonder how much of the hatred for the WS is attributable to their being females in sports? I note the relative willingness of much of the public to "accept" black males in sports, but to withhold such "acceptance" from black female athletes (especially since most aren't "natural" blondes). I think tennis fans have a much easier time dealing with an Arthur Ashe (it's always easier to accept someone from the past, especially someone of the generation that had learned how to "tow the line") and James Blake (since he has neither Federer's nor Nadal's status in the game). Yet I think that even if James did achieve a higher status in the game he would be better accepted by tennis fans due in part to his being male, but he'd have to be careful not to show the "arrogance" of Federer and downplay regularly beating the favorite like Nadal does to Federer (as Nadal does by apologizing to Federer and reassuring him that he's still the greatest player of all time). I can't think of a black female athlete who has or has ever had the level of acceptance of a Tiger Woods, for example, no matter how dominant she is in her sport.

LDVTennis: I don't quite understand your question. Are you saying that because Serena didn't beat Steffi in earlier matches, but then beat her in a later match (as Serena continued to mature both physically, emotionally and in match experience), that the later win is negated? By analogy, because Nadal didn't beat Federer at Wimby 2006 and 2007, this negates his Wimby 2008 victory? I.E., that Nadal only won because Federer played badly or didn't serve as well as on other occasions? Wow. It's amazing to read what people say, and then still claim not to have a bias.

...listen, i'm open to the theory that Richard "fixed" matches, but where's the PROOF or facts of such...? OR is it a case of projection from certain people? Afterall, whites certainly benefited from a system "fixed" against non-whites, (...and that's not stated here to unecessarily inflame the discussion, it's rooted in historical fact), is that the logic behind this still disproven theory of Richard supposed cheating? ...I firmly believe that if oracene and richard had produced one champion daughter it would be more acceptable to those who go out of their way to denigrate the WS...but TWO such champions from the same family is just to much for them to handle...It's INTOLERABLE, plus, they are never going to hear the end of it, yikes! ...this is not to say everyone has to LOVE the WS, that is not even the point and to think so is downright disingenious...but hey, just like countless others, V&S will be given the full amount of respect they have earned only after they are long gone, at least no one has to pity them as their legacies have long ago been cemented in tennis history as evidenced by their great handfuls of accomplishments which can't be invalidated by anyone...even those who put out so much time and effort to try and do so...

roGer, I think you are deeply committed to your beliefs about the Williams family and it's unfortunate because you will never appreciate how great Venus and Serena are for the sport.

To expect perfection on and off the court from all of our atheletes is ludicrous. Cut them some slack - No One is Perfect. None of us will ever know or truly appreciate what it was like for Venus and Serena to play a predominantly white sport in front of predominantly white fans and be bashed by commentators for style, commitment, communication, etc... for over a decade AND STILL PERFORM AT THE TOP OF THE GAME AND WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS! No other white woman has had to contend with as much - so YES - Serena and Venus' accomplishments should be regarded not as much for how many but how hard it probably was (especially in the beginnng) and still is for them. I have no problem with their IW boycott.

Kenneth, Kaygee and Sandra have some great points. roGer, maybe you should re-read some of their comments with a more open mind!

I'm sorry but I've already explained why I dislike the Williams sisters, I've attempted to refute the predictable accusations of racism, and I've attempted to do so in a civil way.

Perhaps everyone should accept that the Williams sisters remain immensely polarising figures, and are likely to remain so. James Blake, the late great Arthur Ashe, Tiger Woods, Lewis Hamilton, to name but a few aren't and never were. It isn't about race, it's about behaviour and attitude and personality.

It seems some people will never accept that argument. Maybe they need to be more open minded...?

...i'm not interested in whether you are racist or not roger, however, forgive my persistence, but i'm very CURIOUS, maybe i'm missing something: You stated, "Too many of their matches were blatently fixed by Daddy in the early days." ...where is your facts or PROOF of such a 'blantently' thing happening? ...forget race, why do claim and persist that these women and their mother and father are liars and cheaters?

If there was 100% concrete proof of collusion or match fixing I very much hope the Williams sisters wouldn't be allowed to compete on the tour any more!

Joel Drucker does a good job of reporting the various rumours in this article here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/columns/story?columnist=drucker_joel&id=3952939

To which I can add the comments of Richard Williams at a Wimbledon press conference in 2001 or 2002 where he very foolishly strongly hinted that he got to choose the winner when the sisters played each other.

Does this constitute the 100% proof you demand? Of course not. But I believe (and so do many journalists and players) there was strong circumstantial evidence (Indian Wells is the most infamous example) of collusion and match fixing in the early days of the Williams sisters on tour. They are the only ones that know for sure...

roGer, thanks for providing the link. I started to read the article but to be honest he lost me after he quoted the National Enquirer as a source...

Oh what a pity you didn't persevere, TennisFan2.

If you had read on, you would have seen quotes from the LA Times, Reuters, The New York Times, USA Today, WTA Tour CEO Larry Scott, Charlie Pasarell the Indian Wells Tournament chairman, the Williams Sisters, Richard Williams and several other sources...

So, when you play scrabble or other game with your brother, your parents fix the matches? That is just how the so called Williams march fixing accusations sound! People project their own habits on to other people. I mean,how should we go by rumours, particularly of people who blatantly disvliked this fa,ily and wanted to pull them down at all costs?

While these clips show nicely "the changing of the guard." Steffi is no where near the top of her game. She was been through so much physically. She knew it would be her last year and wanted to go out on top not plagued by injury. Roland Garros final was something to watch - spoiled Martina. I really thought she deserved to win Wimbledon, but Lindsay was just too tough. Just shows how mentally tough Steffi was. For all the great things she had accomplished, to me this was her definitive championship year. Really the most mentally tough player ever IMO. Serena and Venus have it; they just don't have her discipline. Always fun to think about the what ifs. What if Monica Seles hadn't missed all those years. What if there was only one tennis-playing Williams sister. Such is sport.

What these clips really show is how well Serena Williams can get to a ball. For that, Steffi was not prepared. Phenomenal.

I think peope are upset because they win so much.... They seemed to be mentally and physically superior to the other girls on the tour Point blank. I personally think they are hot!!!! I am not in total tennis fan but, when those girls are on I tune in as the rest of my male friends. It seems to me Roger lol is a little envious that those girls have dominated a sport in which he had no chance. Aww Roger were you an outcast as a child?

Why the personal attack, Vincent?