Williams Produces a Silencer

The chanting was constant and must have been annoying.

“An-na, An-na, An-na.” The cheers were loud for Anna Kournikova and barely perfunctory for Venus Williams in the first set Wednesday.

“An-na, An-na, An-na.” When Kournikova, the 18-year-old who has cultivated and reveled in the attention she receives because of her looks, seemed clearly in charge of a discombobulated Williams, the chanting grew even more enthusiastic.

But Williams, the 19-year-old who has been known to lose her composure--as she did last year, losing to Jana Novotna in the quarterfinals and leaving the court in tears--paid no attention to the crowd.

Assessing the first set as “probably not a good idea,” Williams improved her aim and overwhelmed Kournikova with her power. Williams raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set and finished off Kournikova with a 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 fourth-round victory.

Afterward Williams said of the crowd, “You want them involved. If they’re silent, then it’s not a good thing. I didn’t really have a distraction at all.”

Williams next will play seven-time Wimbledon champion Steffi Graf in a quarterfinal today. Graf needed only eight minutes Wednesday to complete a rain-delayed 6-2, 6-2 win over 16-year-old Belgian qualifier Kim Clijsters. Williams hasn’t been past the quarterfinals at Wimbledon and hasn’t won a Grand Slam tournament, yet Graf, who owns 22 Slam singles titles, expressed some fear of Williams.

“I think it would be better to play Anna,” Graf said before Williams’ victory. “With Anna you’re able to play. With Venus, if she serves well, it’s very difficult.”

Also winning fourth-round matches Wednesday were 1998 finalist and eighth-seeded Nathalie Tauziat, who beat 15th-seeded Dominique Van Roost, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3; Mirjana Lucic with a 7-5, 6-3 win over Tamarine Tanasugarn, and San Diego qualifier Alexandra Stevenson, who recovered from a shaky first set, beating Lisa Raymond, 2-6, 7-6 (10-8), 6-1.

In today’s other quarterfinals, third-seeded Lindsay Davenport will play defending champion and fifth-seeded Novotna; Stevenson will play another qualifier, Jelena Dokic; and Tauziat plays Lucic.

Kournikova, in words unusually gracious for her, gave credit to Williams, saying her opponent “was just stronger mentally” and “was just better at the end.”

In the final two sets, Williams’ serves, often more than 110 mph, kept Kournikova playing defensive tennis and unable to construct thoughtful points. “She started to get her rhythm in the second set,” Kournikova said.

No less a Wimbledon expert than three-time champion Boris Becker said he expects to see Williams ranked No. 1. And soon.

It is exactly what she expects of herself, she said, though Williams has not won any of the four major tournaments.

Against Graf, whom Williams has beaten twice in a row, Williams said: “I’m ready to compete. She has had seven [Wimbledon] wins, so I’ve got to try to take something for myself this time. Steffi, she loves the game and when you love something you have to work hard to be the best at it.”

There it was, that respect thing again, from one of the cocky teenagers who have not often expressed much appreciation for anyone but themselves. Lessons are being learned, it seems. Watching top-ranked Martina Hingis underestimate Graf’s talent and resolve in the French Open final a month ago, watching Hingis melt down on the court, perhaps has impressed itself in some other young minds.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Today’s Women’s Quarterfinal Matches

* Venus Williams (6) vs. Steffi Graf (2), Germany

* Lindsay Davenport (3) vs. Jana Novotna (5), Czech Republic

* Nathalie Tauziat (8), France, vs. Mirjana Lucic, Croatia

* Jelena Dokic, Australia, vs. Alexandra Stevenson