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Significance over style Williams' duel lacks aesthetics, but will be remembered
Updated: Sunday September 09, 2001 12:11 AM
By Albert Lin, CNNSI.com NEW YORK -- The match ended, 69 minutes after it began, in a most fitting manner: with Serena Williams hitting a ball into the net. Years from now, this U.S. Open final probably will still be remembered for its sociological impact; the anticipation of a battle between sisters Venus and Serena Williams brought out the likes of Robert Redford, Katie Couric, Candice Bergen, Diana Ross, the Jacksons, Chris Tucker and Sean (He'll Always Be Puffy to Me) Combs, among many, many others (the USTA handed out a "celebrity list" afterward). But this night most certainly will not be lauded for its tennis. Though they said they weren't nervous, both Williamses had a hard time finding the court with the ball. Points were more than twice as likely to end on an unforced error than on a winner. Venus was credited with only seven winners on 65 total points, while she made 19 mistakes; 36 times Serena handed Venus a point, against just 16 putaways of her own. However, the biggest concern -- that they would have problems playing a sibling -- never materialized. Both said they overcame that awkwardness after their first meeting. The only unusual occurrence Saturday night was that they switched ends after the first game of each set via opposite sides of the net. "I wanted to win more than anything; Serena did, too," said Venus, who completed her Wimbledon-U.S. Open double for the second straight year. "We understood that." Early in the second set, however, Serena caught the tape on a volley and the ball failed to get over. Venus stopped and found her sister's eyes, empathizing. At that moment emotion caught up to her, and for the rest of the match she seemed aware that this was no regular opponent across the way. Still, that didn't slow her down. "When I lost a couple points I wasn't sorry anymore," said Venus, who didn't drop more than seven games in a match during the entire fortnight. The second set was extra sloppy. There seemed to be three or four errors for every winner. Serena was broken at love to open the frame, three of the four points coming on unforced errors. ("I was happy to get free points, that's for sure," Venus said.) As the set unfolded, the sisters alternating games, the crowd began to root for the younger sibling, wanting to see a third set and have the evening extended. But once Venus broke to 5-4 and held match point, the cheers returned to her favor. "This is our first Grand Slam final together," Venus said. "Really, that's the way we like it to be. Then both of us win in a way. "I don't exactly feel like I've won. If I were playing different opponent, I'd probably be a lot more joyful." Though experience prevailed, youth ruled at the onset. Serena started out stronger, winning six of the first seven points of the match, going up 2-1 and playing more aggressively. She drew aaahs from the crowd when she blistered a 119-mph ace (the only one of the match) in her second service game and when she deftly switched from backhand to forehand on a net cord. Once Venus warmed up, however, it was no contest. As hard as Serena hit, the ball seemed to explode off Venus' racket. Both sisters were blitzing the ball, causing heads to spin at a dizzying pace. But all too often, an "out" call stopped play. That kept the match from being a classic, like the Pete Sampras-Andre Agassi quarterfinal. "I couldn't seem to stop the errors from coming," said Serena, who pointed the finger at a swirling wind. "In the past I would've been disappointed, but I've grown as a competitor more than anything. I've realized you take them as they come. I didn't take my chances, I didn't get my moment." As anticlimactic as the tennis was, this matchup -- further affirmation of Richard Williams' dream -- gave a tantalizing glimpse of what the women's game could be. If Venus and Serena ever devote themselves full time to the sport -- even for just a calendar year -- it's difficult to conceive of anyone who could prevent them from ascending to the top two spots in the world rankings, in whatever order.
And that would be worth remembering.
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