It’s Time for Venus to Rise Once Again

If we are, indeed, headed for another Williams family feud on the hallowed grounds of Wimbledon on Saturday, it is worth pondering the premise that this time will be Venus time.

Yes, she and sister Serena still need to get past Belgians in the semifinals, just as they got past Tuesday’s quarterfinals against Lindsay Davenport and Jennifer Capriati. Thursday, Serena will play Justine Henin-Hardenne and Venus will play Kim Clijsters.

Yes, it took both sisters three tough sets to advance.

And yes, Serena Williams is seeded No. 1 here and ranked No. 1 in the world and is younger and seen to be a better player than Venus. She is also more outgoing, easier to be around and more likely to attract attention and media. Only part of that stems from her run of four consecutive Grand Slam event titles, starting with the French Open in 2002 and ending with her loss in the French semifinals this year to Henin-Hardenne.

The victim in that run of titles, in the French, Wimbledon, U.S. Open and ’03 Australian was, of course, sister Venus. Older sister Venus.

And so, the dynamics, as always, are fascinating. The Williams sisters are a perpetual story line.

That has been the case since the whispers began in the late ‘80s that there were two tiny sisters, hitting on the hard courts of Compton, who had the skills of players twice their age.

Venus, two years older and now 23, was first and best. Then, Serena became so, well before she was supposed to.

By 1997, Venus had become a force and made it to the final of the U.S. Open that year. Serena played very little that year, but enough to squeak in to No. 99 at year’s end.

In ‘98, Venus was in three Grand Slam quarterfinals and one semifinal, while Serena made it a couple of rounds in each.

By ‘99, Big Sister was dueling with Martina Hingis to become the best in the world, and only falling short because of Hingis’ drive to play nearly every event and keep gathering points for that top ranking. By the time of the U.S. Open, the rivalry was one of the best stories in sports, making their eventual matchup in the semifinals at Flushing Meadow one of the hottest sports tickets of the year.

There, almost overnight, it all blew up on Venus.

The mind’s picture remains vivid. There was Hingis, battling like a cornered tiger as she and Venus fought down the stretch. And Hingis, in full sprint, hitting a near-impossible shot around the net post at a crucial moment that seemed to destroy Venus, who seemed almost unable to push her second serve in late in the match, a match she lost.

Then there was the final. Hingis against Serena. Or, as the ever-caustic Hingis said after her match with Venus, looking forward to the final with Serena, “And now, another one.”

Again, the mind’s picture: U.S. Open final. Hingis versus Serena. Venus watching in the stands, mostly hidden under a parka, appearing to be unmoved, unemotional, almost as if she were in shock.

The tennis world certainly was. The first Williams family Grand Slam title was not won by the first Williams sister.

Now, Venus not only had her own disappointment to deal with, but the naive public expectation that she should be delighted for her sister, rather than devastated for herself.

Big Sister stayed Big Sister for the next few years, winning twice each at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open. But Little Sister, stronger of build and an easier read for the public, was working her way onto more magazine covers and into more TV studios. And then, along came the French Open in ‘02, where Serena began her run of four consecutive major titles, with Big Sister on the other side of the net in each final match.

Now, Big Sister had to deal with a Little Sister not only becoming a bigger celebrity, but a better player.

At first, when they played, there was suspicion that the result was less a competitive one than a predetermined one. Was Father Richard, a character who leaned toward such outrageous public comments that much of the press just stopped interviewing him along the way, deciding who would get the big trophy?

But that, too, has run its course, as Serena’s skills have become more and more obvious.

So we arrive at Wimbledon, 2003, where it just feels different, and for more than just the law of averages saying it is Venus’ turn.

In her quarterfinal against Vera Zvonareva, the Russian who knocked her out of the French Open, she had a moment or two where it appeared she may falter. But her body language picked up, her ground strokes got deeper and her grunts became more intense. Same thing against Davenport on Tuesday.

Her press conferences reveal little. She is programmed friendly, but naturally defensive. From the day she wandered onto the public stage, she has been more mysterious than magnanimous. In her gathering with the press Tuesday, the phrase she used the most was: “I don’t want words put in my mouth.” She will never deal with a hypothetical question. The usual response is, “I don’t know what’s in anybody else’s mind.”

So all we really have is eyes that tell us the ground strokes of Venus Williams at this Wimbledon are a bit deeper, are hit with a bit more precision and crispness, and the serve has a bit more zip and pop.

We also see some better body language, a quick smile here and there where, in recent times, there have been few.

Of course, all that, plus $27.95, will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks, so don’t get a second mortgage and run off to Vegas.

Big Sister has gone through a lot. Big Sister still loves Little Sister a lot. That’s clear anytime she is asked about Serena.

But Big Sister is also human, and what we may be perceiving this week is the preparation for some tough love on Saturday, even it takes three sets.