WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- The parents of Venus and Serena Williams completed their divorce Tuesday.
The divorce won't affect the advisory roles Richard and Oracene Williams play in their daughters' tennis careers, said Raymone Bain, a publicist for Oracene and Serena Williams.
The Williamses married in 1980 and separated about 18 months ago, Bain said.
``I was very honest with our children that a reconciliation would not happen,'' Oracene Williams said in a statement. ``They've accepted our divorce and love us, as we both love them. Richard and I will continue to work together for the good of our girls, and I truly wish him well.''
Richard Williams declined to comment.
The settlement was a no-fault divorce, Bain said, but financial terms were kept private. The case was filed in state circuit court.
The sisters and their parents will continue to live in Palm Beach Gardens, Bain said.
Richard Williams began grooming his daughters as preschoolers to become tennis stars and is still their coach. Mrs. Williams, who plans to revert to her maiden name Price, also has been influential in her daughters' careers.
Serena and Venus have won four Grand Slam titles apiece. Serena has won the past three majors and is ranked No. 1 in the world.
Serena Williams kiemrültség miatt visszamondta a filderstadti, a zurichi és a linzi tornán való részvételt. A szezont záró, Los Angelesben megrendezésre kerülő WTA Championships viadalon viszont indul.
A teljes cikk:
Serena withdraws from three events
World number one Serena Williams has withdrawn from a trio of tournaments in Filderstadt, Zurich and Linz later this month due to fatigue but will play at the season-ending Tour Championships, the WTA said on Friday.
Extensive travelling in the weeks since winning her third consecutive grand slam title at the U.S. Open on September 8 has finally caught up with the 21-year-old, a statement by the organisers of women's tennis said.
"The past five months have taken my career to new heights, but this has also been a physically and mentally taxing experience," Serena, younger sister of world number two Venus, said.
From New York, Serena flew to play the Toyota Princess Cup in Tokyo, where she won the singles title and played doubles with Martina Navratilova.
Last week, she flew 16 hours to arrive in Leipzig, Germany where she picked up her season-leading eighth singles title and also won the doubles event in tandem with Alexandra Stevenson.
Serena finally arrived back at home in Florida on Monday and made Friday's decision based on fatigue and needing to rest and recover for the next three weeks.
Serena fully intends to be ready for the season-ending WTA Tour Championships, held at Staples Center in Los Angeles, from November 6-11, where she is already the top qualifier in the 16-woman singles field.
"Winning the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open and then honouring my commitments to play in Tokyo at the Toyota Princess Cup and in Leipzig at the Sparkassen Cup has taken more out of me than I would have imagined," she said.
"I am committed to giving my best effort during competition and when I get to the point where I don't feel like I can give 100 percent, I know it is time to rest and let my body recover. I am now at that point," she added.
"After playing so many consecutive matches the risk of injury and fatigue becomes much greater and this is something that I take very seriously.
"I regret that I will miss the remainder of the season in Europe but look forward to playing for the fans in Filderstadt, Zurich and Linz in the future.
"My goal right now is getting my body prepared to defend my title at the Championships which begins in nearly one month."
Leipzig, Germany (Sports Network) - World No. 1 Serena Williams breezed past sixth-seeded Anastasia Myskina in straight sets Sunday to capture the $585,000 Sparkassen Cup tennis event.
Myskina, who upset two-time defending champion Kim Clijsters in the semis Saturday, was pasted by Williams, 6-3, 6-2, in one hour, 16 minutes.
The American Williams, who turned 21 on Thursday, titled in Tokyo last Sunday and has won six of her last seven tournaments. She has claimed 36 of her past 37 matches, a streak that includes Grand Slam championships at the French Open, Wimbledon and U.S. Open.
Williams pocketed $93,000 for her 19th career victory.
Myskina was participating in her fourth final this year.
Serena beats Clijsters to lift Princess Cup
World number one Serena Williams beat third seed Kim Clijsters 2-6 6-3 6-3 in the final of the Toyota Princess Cup to win her seventh WTA tour title of the year on Sunday. Williams wrapped up the match in one hour 35 minutes to tie sister Venus for the most singles titles on the Tour in 2002.
Serena Williams (C), Anna Kournikova (L) and Andre Agassi laugh during Arthur Ashe Kids Day festivities at the National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York August 24, 2002. First round play of the 2002 U.S. Open begins on August 26. REUTERS/Jeff Christensen
"Szerintem nem csupán a tenisz, hanem úgy általában a sport legnagyobb csodái ők. Nincsenek csapattársaik, akik segíthetnék őket, kizárólag magukra számíthatnak” – Lindsay Davenport elismerő véleménye a Williams lányokról.
"Serenát valamivel jobbnak tartom, elég, ha megnézzük az idei eredménylistáját, illetve a meccsnyerési indexét. Ráadásul meg sem fordul a fejében, hogy bárki ellen veszíthet, mondom mindezt azután, hogy a három szettlabdámnál előbb beütött két remek első adogatást, aztán meg egy bombaerős tenyerest” – folytatta az elődöntőben Serenával szemben elvérző Davenport.
"Nem tudom, lesz-e még ekkora esélyem ellene. Többször elnyertem az adogatójátékát, ezért úgy gondoltam, a hajrában is lesz rá lehetőségem, nem is egyszer. Aztán nem így lett. Sajnos, amikor igazán nagy bajba került, bejöttek az első szervái” – fogalmazott a bravúrközelben járó Amélie Mauresmo, miután háromjátszmás meccsen kikapott Venus Williamstől.
"Általában mindent látok, ami körülöttem zajlik, így például azt, hogy mennyi képet készít rólunk. Egyáltalán nem zavar, jó érzéke van a fotózáshoz is, viszont ha szoros a mérkőzés, egy helyben marad, mert tudja, ha ide-oda mászkálna, folyton arra figyelnék, és nem a labdamenetekre. Ismer engem, és én is ismerem őt. Egyébként pedig mindent tud, amit a teniszről tudni kell, kifejezetten jó játékos, pár éve még rendre elvert engem is és Venust is” – Serena Williams az édesapjáról, Richard Williamsről.
Serena Knocks Venus Out of Orbit to Win Title
by Matt Cronin
Sunday, September 8, 2002
Clearly dominating her sport like no other player has done in five years, top seed Serena Williams ran over her older sister Venus 6-4, 6-2 to win her second US Open title on Saturday.
Playing a confident, powerful and heady contest, Serena emphatically proved to the world that she is the best player in her family, and on the planet, out-serving, out-stroking and out-gutting Venus on a star-studded night at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
"I'm just happy to win here again," said Serena, who won her first US Open in 1999 and also won Roland Garros and Wimbledon this year. "It's been a long time since '99. I almost forgot how it felt. I'm more mature and relaxed now. I'm a better player and I have more fun than I used to. I'm not as stressed out."
While Venus appeared to be nervous and unsure of her strategy much of the night, Serena was focused and confident from the get go, attacking Venus' serve and nearly breaking her in the contests' opening game.
"Normally, I don't think anyone can return my serve, not even Serena, " Venus said. "But sometimes people are just in the zone...She hasn't been able to play her best in every match, but it's the sign of a champion when you can pull out the best times."
But Venus fought off four break points with a series of stinging winners and appeared to be ready to fight to the last ball. But in her first service game, Serena showed that she wasn't going to waver, hitting her spots in the box, dominating the court with her huge forehand and hanging comfortably with Venus in backhand rallies. Venus again fought off three break points to go ahead 3-2 with heavy winners but in the seventh game, Serena struck, breaking her sister with an inside out forehand winner.
But Venus broke her right back with a backhand swing volley down the line. Instead of holding the fort on her next service game, Venus grew shaky, double faulting at deuce and then badly missing on a forehand approach shot to hand Serena a 5-4 lead. Serena served out the set with a wicked 105-mph slice serve out wide.
"My serve went very well," Serena said. "It's been working for me the whole tournament. Once my serve is on, my game goes up a level."
A desultory Venus was broken to 2-1 in the second set when she double faulted on game point, while Serena continued to pounce. She broke Venus again to 4-1 when she climbed all over her sister's serves and watched Venus park a backhand at game point.
"I just have a method. I just hit it," Serena said of her return. "Like Andre, I just kind of get it and hit it back."
Venus then changed tactics and attempted to unearth Serena by rushing the net more and broke her back to 4-2 when Serena missed two forehands. But Serena came roaring back and broke Venus to win the contest on her third match point, when she ripped a backhand down the line that Venus couldn't handle and dumped into the net.
Serena smiled widely and bent over in joy.
"I did the best I could," said Venus, who committed 33 unforced errors and whacked only 19 winners. "I made a lot of errors and it makes it tough to win. Serena was the best player this year. I have to give it to her. My game went down after the fourth round. I just couldn't do anything to bring it back. After that, I posed and pretended that I was doing well, but I wasn't doing as well as I would have liked."
Venus was disappointed by her failure to defend her title, but praised Serena for her standout year.
"The last couple of years haven't been her best years, so she was really rejuvenated and motivated to come out and play well this year. She had a lot to play for," Venus said. "My level is about the same. Mentally I'm not there as much. Serena's level is up. I just have to go home."
Serena became the first woman since Martina Hingis to win three Slams in a year and joined a pantheon of great to do so -- Graf, Seles , Navratilova, King and Court.
"It's unbelievable,' Serena said. "Those are the people I grew up admitting and hoping that maybe I would even be on that level. I'm 20, kind of young. It's exciting."
Serena is so confident right now that she's aiming to do what would have appeared impossible for her two years ago when she was struggling to stay with the elite -- win a calendar year Grand Slam in 2003.
"I have that focus," Serena said. "As long as I'm physically ready and as long as I'm able to win the matches, I don't think I'd have any problems mentally. It's something I'd work towards."
Szerintem engedi,méghozzá annyira hogy a győztes nem más,mint:Aneres Smailliw
Amíg Máris kollega bulizik,addig buzdítom a pártfogoltját,nehogy kikapjon!
GO Siréna!!
Top-seed Serena Williams and No. 4 Lindsay Davenport will meet at the Open for the fourth year in a row in this afternoon's second women's semifinal. Davenport, the 1998 champion, has lost only one set so far in the tournament, while '99 champ Williams has not dropped any, losing only 14 games in her five matches.
