Williams soap opera still makes top viewing
Serena and Venus both through to third round Women outnumber the men on show courts
The Fourth of July is not the day for Americans to fluff their lines and the Williams sisters paid due homage to the celebratory script when coming through their second-round matches.
Not without an early struggle in the case of Venus against the Romanian qualifier, Alexandra Dulgheru, to indicate that this soap opera storyline of success, illness, marriage, birth, return, renewal and defiance of age shows no signs of approaching its final episode.
Serena prevailed in straight sets against another who had ploughed through the qualifying process, Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova, 6-1, 6-4. As for Venus, she recovered from the loss of the first set to overcome Dulgheru 4-6, 6-0, 6-1.
As a measure of the impact these two huge personalities have had on the sport, the burghers of the All England Club saw fit for the first time in 25 years to place more women’s than men’s matches (11-10) on the six Wimbledon show courts. Serena was on Centre Court for the first time this year and Venus headed the roster on Court No1.
“I was overjoyed when I saw the schedule,” said Venus. “We have a lot of equal play on the main courts in the three other slams. It was fantastic to see Wimbledon follow suit and hopefully for that to continue.”
Serena echoed that view. “It’s wonderful,” she said of the initiative. “I’m proud to be here at a tournament that can recognise that.”
There have been trailblazers before them but there is little doubt that the feats of the sisters have transcended the sport, with Serena’s time-out to have her child, Alexis Olympia, 10 months ago and subsequent return to the fray, lending even greater projection to tennis. It is not just the longevity of the sisters that is extraordinary, it is, of course, also their success, and the very real prospect of it continuing.
Serena was granted dispensation by Wimbledon in the seedings, slotting in as 25th in what might be considered an undue favour in other realms but appears now as an undervaluing of her present status.
She laboured in her first-round win but played with far more conviction and finesse against the spirited 23-year-old Bulgarian in what was only her ninth match in 18 months. There is far more ground to make up after her absence, and age might, but only might, catch up with the 36-year-old, as was seen at Roland Garros, when she was forced to withdraw only an hour before her fourth-round match against Maria Sharapova with a pectoral injury.
But the signs are encouraging. The comeback is on. Other seeds may be falling by the wayside but the Williams sisters are not for wilting.
“I am happy I’m going in the right direction,” said Serena. “I’m not there yet but I expect to get there. [Competitive passion] is something I was born with. I just don’t want to be sated with one result. It’s just who I am.”
Serena soon found her range, some of her trademark zingers even causing the pesky flying ants to look for cover, before a late and lively riposte from Tomova forced her to dig deep, coming through in 1hr 6min. By then, Venus was already back at base following a grafting victory. The oldest competitor in the ladies’ singles, a five-time champion and a beaten finalist last year to Garbine Muguruza, is intent on adding to her portfolio as she chases down her 50th career title.
Yet, rather like the skittish skies over SW19, uncertain whether to maintain the heatwave or cede to a rain shower, Venus could not quite decide herself if she was full-bore committed to the fight or whether she might have preferred a languid afternoon at home with her feet up. Dulgheru, took the first set but the tide turned and the force was with Williams. Gone was the sluggish character of the early exchanges and the familiar authoritative figure assumed centre stage to close out the match for her 89th win at Wimbledon. You would certainly not bet on it being the last.