USA TODAY International Edition
Williams, Vandeweghe see themselves in final
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA It’s not often a sports superstar stays in the game long enough to receive accolades as the oldest to achieve a great milestone.
At 36, Venus Williams created that scenario on a glorious Tuesday afternoon when she became the oldest women’s player to reach the Australian Open semifinals. For the record, if sister Serena, 35, also advances into the semifinals Wednesday, she will become the second- oldest.
No. 13 seed Venus moved on in grand style with a 6- 4, 7- 6 ( 7- 3) quarterfinal win against 24thseeded Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia. If the fans were impressed, Williams was thrilled, flashing a smile as bright as the summer sun that was shining.
“I’m just trying to live the dream,” Williams said. “To me, the semifinals is a steppingstone, just like the other rounds. It’s an opportunity to advance. The tournament is by no means over. It’s definitely down to the business end. I feel like I’m playing the kind of tennis I want to produce, the results that I want.”
The seven- time Grand Slam tournament champion is into the semifinals here for the first time in 14 years. She’ll be working the first stage of the “business end” of the tournament against fellow American Coco Vandeweghe, 25.
Unseeded Vandeweghe advanced to her first Grand Slam semifinal with a 6- 4, 6- 0 upset of reigning French Open champion Garbine Muguruza of Spain.
“What a wonderful result,” Williams said of the matchup looming Thursday. “It’s a great win for the U. S. “To have that thought that there’s going to be at least one U. S. player in the final is great for American tennis.”
Williams is not at all delusional and doesn’t anticipate Vandeweghe just willingly stepping aside. She understands that at the moment Vandeweghe is feeling a bit invincible, having already wreaked havoc on the draw. Vandeweghe not only put out Muguruza, but she also sent shock waves through the tournament when she cast aside world No. 1 Angelique Kerber in a straightsets showing in the fourth round.
“I’m sure she’s going to want to be in her first final,” said Williams, who won the only match she has had against Vandeweghe. “I’m going to want to be in only my second final here. So it’s going to be a well- contested match.”
There’s no question Vandweghe, a member of the Vandeweghe family known as basketball royalty via her late grandfather Ernie and uncle Kiki, has her designs on a shot at the title. “I want to keep going, keep playing,” she said. “There’s more things to do out on a tennis court that I’m hoping to achieve.”
Vandweghe, ranked 35th in the world, is known as a streaky player, but when she kicks her game into gear she often operates on overdrive. Courtesy of the Kerber and Muguruza wins, Vandewghe now has beaten 10 players ranked in the top 10 during her career.
“Maybe I play better nervous and scared,” Vandeweghe said. “I think I don’t shy away from a challenge. I never have. Growing up, I’ve always just been wanting to prove people wrong in a lot of different regards.”
But just like Vandeweghe, Williams has plenty to prove in this Australian Open. A five- time Wimbledon and two- time U. S. Open champion, Williams reached the Australian Open final once, in 2003, where she clashed with Serena, who grabbed the first of her record six Australian Open trophies.
It’s been a long while since Williams won her last Grand Slam title, at Wimbledon in 2008, which is also the last time she ventured to a Grand Slam final. But after earning her place in the semifinals, she isn’t satisfied enough to feel ready to go home.
“Why shouldn’t I?” she said when asked if she thinks she can win an eighth Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. “I try to believe. Should I look across the net and believe the person across the net deserves it more? This mentality is not how champions are made. ... The mentality I walk on court with is, ‘ I deserve this.’ ”