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Needing improvement Venus advances to face Hingis in quarters
Posted: Monday July 03, 2000 10:12 AM
WIMBLEDON, England (Reuters) -- Fifth seed Venus Williams, heading for a quarterfinal showdown with Martina Hingis, was furious with herself on Monday for letting her concentration slip as she headed for victory over Belgian Sabine Applemans. The American was leading 5-1 in the second set and had three match points, but she then let Appelmans claw her way back into the match. It was the second round in a row she had "gone walkabout" and she confessed after her 6-4, 6-4 win: "Yeah, it is really annoying. But I can raise the level of my game. I just have to get my mind there. "There is no way these girls should be competing like that against me in these sets unless of course I let them." Williams realizes she will have to raise her game markedly for the ultimate challenge -- world number one Hingis in the last eight. Asked what the key was to playing Hingis she said: "The main thing is think about what you are doing, not concentrate on what your opponent is doing. Once you start doing that, it's gone." Williams, moving with power and grace after six months off with tendinitis in both wrists, won the first set comfortably enough with just one break of serve in the fifth game. The second set began with a mammoth service game for Applemans, ranked 27 in the world, which she finally lost on the 11th break point. That really broke her spirit and the Belgian slumped to 5-1. Williams held three match points. It looked all over. But the American's concentration snapped, her fluent service deserted her and the Belgian fought her way back into the match at 5-4. Williams, who had also slumped badly when set for another easy victory against France's Nathalie Dechy in the last round, regained her composure and served out for the match -- and retained her Wimbledon 2000 record of not dropping a set. Amid controversy over parents being over-bearing and over-protective on the tennis circuit, she praised the influence of her coach and father Richard and her mother Oracene. "I think there is more leeway for them to be honest ... The parents can tell it just how it is. One thing, they are never going to try to hurt you. They will always try to help you." Venus could meet her 18-year-old sister, the U.S. champion Serena, in the semifinals. She can't wait. "We would like to have that opportunity. At least one Williams would be in the final," she said. "She is a tough player. When the time comes, you have got to step up."
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
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