SERENA WILLIAMS' GOAL: I WANNA BE LIKE VENUS.Byline: Kristen Davis Daily News Staff Writer When 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]. , 15, is on the tennis court, thoughts of how her older sister Venus would handle a situation pop into her head. During Serena's qualifying match Monday at 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. , she was struggling. She eventually lost to Magui Serna but not without putting up a fight. ``Venus is one of the all-time greatest comebacks. When I was down love-40, I was thinking, `Well, Venus was (once) down two match points and she came back and won the match. I can do this,' '' said Serena, who lost 7-6, 4-6, 6-3 at the Manhattan Country Club. This was the best showing Serena (2-3 this season) has made. She won her two qualifying matches over the weekend before being eliminated Monday. Seventeen-year-old Venus was watching her sister's morning match. ``I don't think she played as well as she could play,'' Venus said. ``She's going to learn a lot. This is her fifth (pro) match ever. I'm real proud of her.'' The sisters, who have become known for their trademark beaded braids, grew up in Compton and have since moved to Florida. They both turned pro at age 14 but have their differences. Venus is 5-foot-11, a few inches taller than her younger sister. Serena has larger muscles but says Venus is stronger. ``Personally, everyone says I'm meaner, but I'm not quite sure,'' Serena said. It is just a matter of time before the sisters face each other on opposite sides of the court to see which attributes are most important. The first and last time they played each other was nearly 10 years ago in the junior finals. Venus beat her then-8-year-old sister. ``It would be both exciting and somewhat sad. I would want her to win, but my rankings are not where they need to be,'' Venus said. Venus is ranked No. 59 on the Corel 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) Tour, her best mark ever. Richard Williams, the players' father, limits the number of tournaments Venus and Serena play because they are still in school. Last year the father of four daughters said Venus would be No. 1 in the country by the time she was 18. Venus has 10 months to live up to that statement. ``I think I'm learning to play better matches. I think things are going very well. It's definitely achievable,'' Venus said. Venus played in six tournaments last season and made it past the first round in just two of the events. This season she is 19-7. In 11 tournaments this season, she has been ousted in the opening round just once, in her first Wimbledon appearance. Serena is said by their father to have more potential than her older sister, whose best finish is a quarterfinals appearance in the State Farm Evert e·vert v. To turn inside out or outward. evert to turn inside out; to turn outward. Cup in March. ``I'm still out there trying to make it. I still have a little ways to go,'' Serena said. Venus begins play in the Acura Classic today, when she faces Ann Grossman of the U.S. on center court during the evening session. Meanwhile, American Chanda Rubin Chanda Rubin (born February 18, 1976 in Lafayette, Louisiana) is a professional tennis player from the United States. Throughout her long career, she has been ranked as high as No. 6 in the world even though she has been plagued by injuries. continues to have problems. In Monday's evening match against No. 19 Sandrine Testud Sandrine Testud (born April 3, 1972) in Lyon, France is a former professional female tennis player from France. Career Testud broke into top 20 singles rankings in July 1997. , Rubin lost 6-4, 6-2. She committed nine double faults. ``I thought I started off the year pretty well,'' Rubin said. ``Right now I'm hitting the ball pretty well, but mentally I need to be a little tougher.'' ACURA ACTION Highlights: Venus Williams Venus Ebone Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980 in Lynwood, California) is an American professional tennis player. She has been ranked the world's No. 1 female tennis player. As of July 2007, she is the reigning Wimbledon ladies' singles champion. made her first talk-show appearance Monday when she was a guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno Jay Leno (born April 28, 1950) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, writer who is best known as the current host of NBC television's long-running variety and talk program The Tonight Show. Biography Leno was born in New Rochelle, New York. . Yayuk Basuki Yayuk Basuki (born November 30 1970, in Yogyakarta, Indonesia) is a former professional tennis player from Indonesia. She is the highest-ever ranked tennis player from Indonesia at #19 in the Women's Tennis Association. and Sabine Appelmans Sabine Appelmans listen (born April 22, 1972) is a former tennis player from Belgium. Career Appelmans started playing at the neighbour's court at the age of seven. , who are ranked No. 21 and 20 respectively, battled each other in one of the longest matches of the day at the Acura Classic at Manhattan Country Club. Appelmans won the first set 6-3 and was up 5-3 in the second. Basuki rallied back and won the two-hour, eight-minute match 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1. It only took No. 30 Anne-Gaelle Sidot one hour and 15 minutes to take care of No. 25 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. in a first-round match. She won in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. Today's best matches: Sixth-seeded Anke Huber Anke Huber (born December 4, 1974) is a former professional tennis player. She was the runner-up in women's singles at the 1996 Australian Open. Her career-high singles ranking was fourth, also in 1996. Huber was born in Bruchsal, Germany. of Germany, who reached the final last year, plays Anna Kournikova of Russia at 7 p.m. The match that follows features another promising young woman in Venus Williams, who plays Ann Grossman of the U.S. Top-seeded Martina Hingis and the second seed, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario, make their first tournament appearance. Sanchez Vicario plays in singles after the 10 a.m. match. Hingis pairs with Sanchez Vicario for doubles in the last afternoon match. CAPTION(S): Photo, Box Photo: (color) Serena Williams, little sister of Venus, hits a backhand against Magui Serna. David Sprague / Daily News Box: CURA ACTION (see text) |
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