- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Venus Williams survived her trip to Wimbledon’s notorious court number two today.
But the defending champion emerged from the famous “graveyard of champions” fuming over Wimbledon organisers’ decision to banish her from the tournament’s major show courts, which she clearly regarded as a major snub for a player gunning for her fifth singles title at the All England Club.
Williams moved a step closer to that objective by beating fast-rising Russian teenager Alisa Kleybanova 6-4 6-3, setting up a quarter-final meeting with Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn, who upset Serbian second seed Jelena Jankovic.
Afterwards, the American made it clear she had been surprised that organisers had not found space on either Centre Court or Court One for either her own fourth-round match of her sister Serena’s last-16 meeting with Bethanie Mattek.
“There is not too much I am going to say about that in the press,” she said frostily. “Obviously we know wherever we play we have to play well and that is pretty much all I’m going to say about that.”
Despite that claim, Williams went on to agree with a suggestion that men’s champion Roger Federer or his main rival Rafael Nadal would not have to put up with similar treatment.
“You said it,” she said. “It is true.”
One of the reasons put forward for the high number of upsets on court number two is that the surface is allegedly less even than on the bigger show courts.
But Williams said she was more unsettled by the proximity to the crowd.
“I’m actually really tall, so I feel a little cramped. There is a lot of back (on the court), but there is less side.”
Although Williams was never seriously under pressure, Kleybanova, 18, demonstrated why she has climbed into the world’s top 50 in her first full season on tour with a battling display on what was her first appearance in the second week of a grand slam tournament.
After Williams had claimed a break in the eighth game of the match to take control of the first set, the Russian was always fighting a losing battle as she attempted to write a new chapter in the court’s history.
But she fought gamely to the end, saving four match points when Williams served for the match at 5-2 in the second set before earning herself three break points on Williams’s next service game.
The American retained her focus and saved all three and finally closed out the match with a trademark display of her extraordinary reach at the net to send a backhand volley down the line.
Williams admitted she had been given a testing workout.
“The reality is that every player is ready to play. Everyone comes out with double vengeance and you have to be ready. Every match is not a given – you have to go out there and work for it.”
With twice former champion Serena later walloping Mattek 6-3 6-3 in their all-American fourth-round match, the Williams sisters now look firmly on track for another women’s final showdown on Saturday.
Whether it’s aces or races, try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp for great odds and a great punting experience. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.