Melbourne: Venus Williams says she never doubted she’d reach another Grand Slam final despite an eight-year drought - and she’s not planning to let her sister Serena ruin the party now she’s there.
The 36-year-old rolled back the years to beat dangerous Coco Vendeweghe 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 in the Australian Open semi-finals, striking a blow for the tennis old guard and justifying her self-belief.
Despite failing to reach a major final since Wimbledon in 2009 - her 14th, winning seven and losing seven - she always knew it would happen again, despite the illness and injuries she has suffered in the intervening years.
“Not at all. Not at all,” she said, when asked if she ever thought the chance had passed, particularly with her diagnosis with Sjogren’s syndrome, a rare, energy-sapping autoimmune disorder, in 2011.
“Even the matches I’m not winning, I’m still in control, normally, of every match that I have the opportunity. It’s on my racquet, always putting myself in position to be where I need to be.
“As long as you continue to try, you have an opportunity. That’s why I’m here.”
In making the decider, she becomes the oldest finalist at Melbourne Park in the Open era, joining a select list of 30-somethings to get that far including Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
The 13th seed also bags the record for the longest wait between major finals at seven-and-a-half years, following her last appearance at Wimbledon.
Williams has consistently said in Melbourne that she has nothing to prove and was simply “living the dream”, and her relaxed approach has paid dividends.
But her achievement has also come through hard work, coupled with an unrelenting desire to win.
“Clearly these matches are challenging, physically, mentally, all of that. It’s a challenge,” she said.
“But I’m up for the challenge. Also, if I’m here, that’s why I’m here. I’m not just here to hang out halfway around the world.
“This is a long way to come for a hang-out session. Whether you win, lose or draw, it’s very focused of why you’re here.”
‘Chump change’
Against Vandeweghe, she was calm and focused, drawing on her vast experience to tame her supremely confident fellow American, picking her shots well and conserving energy to bounce back after losing a first set tiebreaker.
Her joy at clinching the win and finally making another final was clear for all to see, as she screamed and performed pirouettes to huge roars from the crowd.
Next up is younger sister Serena in their ninth Grand Slam final on Saturday, eight years after the last at Wimbledon. Serena holds a 6-2 advantage, stretching back to the US Open in 2001.
“Oh God, yeah, for sure,” Venus said, when asked if she thought she could win on Saturday.
If she does, it would thrust her back into the world’s top 10, from her current 17 ranking. Just making the final will move her up to at least 11.
“I probably just need to continue playing like I’m playing. I haven’t played badly. I lost a set today. I was not happy about it,” she said.
“But my opponent deserved that set. So what else could I do? Try to get the next two. I will try to do the same.
“When I’m playing on the court with her (Serena), I think I’m playing, like, the best competitor in the game,” she added.
“I don’t think I’m chump change either. I can compete against any odds. No matter what, I get out there and I compete.
Serena thrives
Having seen her sister Venus win her semi-final at the Australian Open on Thursday, Serena Williams admitted she felt the weight of history to seal her place in their first grand slam title decider in eight years.
That pressure was converted into a rampaging 6-2 6-1 win over Mirjana Lucic-Baroni that ended the 79th-ranked Croatian’s fairytale run at Melbourne Park and put Serena into a 29th slam final.
It took only 50 minutes for Serena to book the family reunion after Venus’s tough three-set win over unseeded Coco Vandeweghe at the same Rod Laver Arena court.
But a whole tennis era has passed since the Williams sisters last met on a comparable stage at the 2009 Wimbledon final.
Serena won in two sets that day and has since added another 11 grand slam singles titles to extend her tally to 22, a professional-era record she shares with Germany’s Steffi Graf.
But for seven-times grand slam champion Venus, Saturday’s final will be her first at a major since that grass court encounter.
“It felt really good because I felt like it was in my hands to force this Williams final,” Serena told reporters of her semi-final rout.
“Believe it or not, I was feeling a little pressure about that, but it felt really good to get that win.
“I didn’t think about it, but I guess it is an old familiar feeling that I clearly forgot about.
The 35-year-old world number two was back to her ruthless best against 34-year-old Lucic-Maroni, their aggregate ages making it the ‘oldest’ grand slam semi-final clash in the professional era.
But it was the younger opponent moving with more weight in her legs as Williams charged out of the blocks to wrap up the first set in 25 minutes.
The second was of identical duration and of a similar pattern, with Williams in full flight and Lucic-Maroni surrendering quickly with a forehand slapped into the net.
The Williams sisters were near the top of their game when they met in the Wimbledon final and though their paths have diverged, they have both suffered huge setbacks off court.
Serena has overcome a major health scare and a litany of injuries while Venus has made her return after years battling Sjögren’s syndrome.
“I think, of course, I was always stressed out and worried if she would be okay and be able to play,” Serena said of her older sister’s struggles.
“I would see her practice, she’d practice so well, do so well. I always felt like when she lost, I was almost surprised... At the same time I was like, ‘Wow, it’s amazing that you’re even out here’.
“I just really feel fortunate to have been there for the highs and the lows and everything.”
— Agencies
