Venus and Serena Williams to play for U.S. in London Olympics
Three-time Olympic gold medalist Venus Williams, just a day after losing in the first round at Wimbledon, was selected to play both singles and doubles for the United States in the London Olympics, which will also be played at Wimbledon starting next month.
Joining Williams on the women’s singles team chosen by the U.S. Tennis Assn. will be her sister Serena Williams, Christina McHale and Varvara Lepchenko. The world’s No. 1-ranked doubles team, Lisa Raymond and Liezel Huber, will represent the U.S. The Williams sisters will be the other American doubles team.
Playing men’s singles for the U.S. will be 2004 Olympian Andy Roddick; John Isner, who also lost in Wimbledon’s first round Monday; Ryan Harrison and Donald Young. Bob and Mike Bryan, bronze medalists at Beijing in 2008, will play doubles as will Isner and Roddick.
The U.S. will also have two mixed doubles teams that won’t be chosen until all 12 players are on-site. This is the first time the Olympics will include mixed doubles since tennis returned to the Games in 1988. The Olympic tennis competition is scheduled for July 28-Aug. 5.
Serena Williams is an undefeated two-time doubles gold medalist (in 2000 and 2008), but she has never won a singles medal. McHale, 20, and Lepchenko, 26, will make their Olympic debuts.
Raymond, 38, hasn’t played in the Olympics since 2004 and is the oldest woman to hold a No. 1 ranking in either singles or doubles. Isner is also making his Olympic debut.
Among the men, Harrison, 20, and Young, 22, are also participating in the Olympics for the first time.
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