The Williams sisters ran riot in Wimbledon yesterday beating two former champions to set up a historic semi-final meeting. The semi-final will be the Williams sisters' second meeting in a Grand Slam tournament after Venus won their second round match at the 1998 Australian Open. Venus has won three of the sisters' four matches but Serena has won a Grand Slam title, last year's U.S. Open.
Fifth seed Venus Williams overpowered world number one Martina Hingis 6-3 4-6 6-4 in a Wimbledon classic this afternoon to reach a semi-final against her younger sister, Serena. Power and aggression overcame tenacity and touch as the fifth seed reached her first semi-final at the All England Club by overcoming the top seed on Centre Court.
The 1.85-metre Williams blasted down huge serves and prowled the net, pouncing on anything short in a tense and absorbing match of high quality tennis. Hingis, champion here in 1997, pulled off fine forehand winners, particularly under pressure in the second set, and some amazing recovery shots, but she was forced into uncharacteristic errors by the sheer aggression of her opponent. Hingis had a greater variety of shot but the constant pounding from the other side of the net earned Williams victory after two hours 13 minutes of pulsating tennis
Earlier on Court One, eighth seed Serena took just 41 minutes to get into her first Wimbledon semi-final with a 6-2 6-0 demolition of fellow American Lisa Raymond. Williams' win means she has lost only 13 games in five matches so far at Wimbledon.
The writing was on the wall for the 26-year-old Raymond when she lost the first six points, including her first service game to love, as Williams thrashed backhand service return winners past her. The muscular teenager mixed in a few aces and even a deft lob as she broke again to love for 4-1 and duly wrapped up the set with a vicious forehand winner when serving at 5-2. Raymond's only glimmer of hope stemmed from her volleying ability but more often than not when she ventured to the net, she found herself passed by a blistering Williams groundstroke.
Three successive breaks of serve meant Raymond won only eight points as she found herself whitewashed in the second set. Williams finished with two aces in her final service game, taking her tally to 44 - the most of any player in the women's singles - in what proved to be little more than a 41-minute training work-out on Court One. Unseeded Raymond was left to concentrate on defending the mixed doubles title she won last year. She is also the top seed in the women's doubles.
