EYES ON THE PRIZE; SERENA WINS, TAKES AIMS AT TOP SPOT.Byline: Joe Stevens Staff Writer Serena Williams Serena Jameka Williams, (born September 26, 1981) is an American former World No. 1 ranked female tennis player who has won eight Grand Slam singles titles and an Olympic gold medal in women's doubles.[1]. intends to be the world's No. 1 tennis player. Williams beat Julie Halard-Decugis Julie Halard-Decugis (born September 10, 1970) is a former professional female tennis player from Versailles, France. Halard-Decugis lived in La Baule, France during the initial stages of her career and later moved to Pully, Switzerland. 6-1, 6-4 in 1 hour, 21 minutes Sunday to win the Acura Classic The Acura Classic was a WTA Tour affiliated professional tennis tournament for women, held every summer at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California. It was classified on the WTA Tour as a Tier I tournament from 2004 until its final year in 2007. at Manhattan Country Club. Although Williams is ninth in today's WTA WTA Washington Trails Association WTA Women's Tennis Association WTA World Transhumanist Association WTA Willingness to Accept WTA Winner-Take-All WTA Winner Takes All WTA World Toilet Association (Singapore) rankings, the highest of her career, a jump to No. 1 doesn't look feasible this year. But Williams insists she is on the way up. ``I wasn't joking at all,'' Williams said. ``I'm trying to be the best I can be. I'm serious. I definitely feel it's in reach.'' After a two-month layoff and a win on Sunday, Williams might feel anything is within reach. Halard-Decugis broke Williams' serve just once, in the second set, to tie it 4-4. Williams responded by breaking Halard-Decugis' serve the next game, even though Halard-Decugis started the game with a 40-0 lead. Halard-Decugis double-faulted and made three consecutive unforced errors off her forehand forehand the head, neck, shoulders, withers and forelimbs of the horse. . ``She's playing like she's No. 1,'' Halard-Decugis said. ``She beat No. 1 last night, played Martina Hingis Martina Hingis (pronounced: hɪŋˈɡɪs) (born September 30, 1980 in Košice, Slovakia) is a former World No. 1 Swiss tennis player. and other top players. And she's playing like No. 1.'' One obstacle that could prevent the 17-year-old from reaching the top spot - aside from Hingis, Lindsay Davenport Lindsay Ann Davenport (born June 8 1976 in Palos Verdes, California) is a former World No. 1 American professional female tennis champion. She has won three Grand Slam singles tournaments: the 1998 U.S. Open, 1999 Wimbledon, and the 2000 Australian Open. and her older sister Venus - is her schedule. The Acura Classic was only her ninth tournament this year. Next year she plans to play in 17 tournaments but will also devote a chunk of time to college at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale (lô`dərdāl), residential, commercial, and resort city (1990 pop. 149,377), seat of Broward co., SE Fla., on the Atlantic coast; settled around a fort built (c.1837) in the Seminole War, inc. 1911. . Williams and Halard-Decugis, both power players, each made 24 unforced errors. But Williams had 25 winners to Halard-Decugis' 12. Williams also served better, leading 7-0 in aces. ``For sure against Serena, you have to serve very, very well,'' Halard-Decugis said. ``For sure, she makes a lot of pressure on your serve. She makes me tense.'' Halard-Decugis hadn't lost a set in the tournament until she faced Williams. She beat Davenport 6-3, 7-5 in the semifinals and said Williams played better than No. 2 Davenport, who was off her game. Williams was the tournament's sixth seed and hadn't played singles since the French Open in June. She lost one set this week, in her first-round match against Russian Elena Likhovtseva Elena Likhovtseva ( Елена Лиховцева (jelena lixɔvtseva; born 8 September 1975 in Alma-Ata, Kazakhstan) is a Russian tennis player, She turned professional in January 1992 at the age of 16. . Then she advanced fairly easily past Patty Schnyder, Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario and No. 1 Hingis. The finals were almost anti-climactic because both Williams and Halard-Decugis played better in their victories against Hingis and Davenport. Did Williams expect to win the tournament? ``I'm not surprised,'' she said. ``I'm never surprised. I've been working at this since I was 4. I think I should have more tournaments under my belt by now.'' Another tournament she is aiming for takes place later this month, the U.S. Open. Again, Williams is confident about her chances there and boasted she could win. Halard-Decugis didn't make such a statement but said she hopes to build off her L.A. performance and fare well in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . As usual, Williams was loquacious lo·qua·cious adj. Very talkative; garrulous. [From Latin loqu  x, loqu about many topics, except for
playing tournaments when Venus does not and her beginnings in Compton.
PAST CHAMPIONS Year Winner 1999 Serena Williams 1998 Lindsay Davenport 1997 Monica Seles 1996 Lindsay Davenport 1995 Conchita Martinez 1994 Amy Frazier 1993 Martina Navratilova 1992 Martina Navratilova 1991 Monica Seles 1990 Monica Seles 1989 Martina Navratilova 1988 Chris Evert 1987 Steffi Graf 1986 Martina Navratilova 1985 Claudia Kohde-Kilsch 1984 Chris Evert CAPTION(S): Photo, Box PHOTO (Color) Serena Williams, who won the Acura Classic 6-1, 6-4 over Julie Halard-Decugis, says she intends to be the world's No. 1 tennis player. Williams is ranked ninth in today's WTA rankings. David Crane/Staff Photographer BOX: PAST CHAMPIONS (see text) |
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