|
|
| |
| ||
| ||
|
|
 Empty promises Despite insisting otherwise, Williams yet to alter baseline style
Posted: Monday June 29, 1998 06:11 PM
LONDON (Reuters) -- Venus Williams exposed a little white lie at Wimbledon on Monday as she refused to compromise her natural style in the search for a first grand slam title. The 18-year-old American eased past compatriot Chanda Rubin 6-3 6-4 to secure a fourth-round place. Williams progressed without making any move toward the net, despite her insistence earlier in the tournament that she would try to serve and volley. "I have made empty promises," she admitted. "I said I was going to be at the net and nothing was going to stop me, but it's not quite worked out like that. "I seem to be serving and volleying less and less and I've just insisted on staying at the baseline. A lot of people have thought you need to come in in the past, but I don't think it's so important." Williams and her 16-year-old sister, Serena, were on course to meet in the final 16, but Serena's retirement earlier Monday with a calf injury while trailing Spaniard Virigina Ruano Pascual ended that enticing prospect. Venus, who was knocked out in the first round in her Wimbledon debut last year, now appears full of confidence. "I think I'm definitely at the point where I can do this now," she said. "Last year I was not, but now, things are different. "Serena was definitely the toughest player out there. She's fast and strong and getting better with every tournament. "I know people want to put us together as the Williams sisters now," she added, "but we're two very separate people with different hearts and different minds and sometimes different motives." Venus will play Spaniard Virginia Ruano-Pascual for a place in the last eight. "Things are certainly different," she added. "Last year I lost in the first round -- there, I'm admitting it now. "But I feel better for it and I'm getting used to the grass. If a person doesn't feel they can win every tournament they play, they shouldn't even bother."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
