[VodsNittats]

(Cronin seemed to really want to make this interview and article more about Serena passing her in Slams (down to headlining the article "Venus in Serena's shadow), but Vee really comes off nicely):

Ahead of this week's Bank of the West Classic at Stanford, where she is the second seed behind Serena, Venus told FOXSports.com that it wouldn't bother her if Serena ended her career with more majors than she did.

"I don't compare myself to anyone and I don't think I should have to," Venus said.

Serena agreed: "We're crazy and we're not involved too much in numbers. Now I want to do really good against Billie Jean King (who holds 12 Grand Slam titles) because I have the chance. Before I didn't have the goal. I'm just playing to satisfy myself and be happy."

During 2000-2001, Venus was the talk of the circuit, blowtorching huge serves, crushing backhands down the line, out-legging her opponents and staring down anyone who thought they could hang with her on fast surfaces.

But then Serena found her groove, became a more consistent player from the backcourt and established a more forceful forehand. While she's never served quite as fast as the speed record holder Venus, she developed a more consistently effective serve. Serena also was more aggressive in her return games, and after she completed her "Serena Slam" in 2002-2003, she had remarkably beaten Venus in four straight Slam finals and held five majors to Venus' four.

Serena hasn't looked back, and while Venus has picked up another three Wimbledon titles since then (2005, 2007 and 2008), she hasn't been able to leap over her sister. Every time that Venus has made a Grand Slam charge and gotten closer to her sister — like after she won Wimbledon in 2008 and was only one Slam crown behind Serena — the younger Williams grew more motivated and put distance in between them.

Since falling to Venus in the 2008 Wimbledon, Serena has soared above the rest of the tour at the majors, winning the 2008 U.S. Open and 2009 Australian Open and then last month besting her sister 7-6 (3), 6-2 in Venus' home away from home, Wimbledon Centre Court, for her 11th Slam. Serena now holds an 11-10 edge in their rivalry.


"Of course I wanted to win but I didn't," Venus said. "It's hard to always play your best, but I tried my best and I have to leave it at that. I still take my losses hard, but if I'm going to be upset, it's going to be somewhere outside of press. I don't have a bad attitude, that's not me. I don't smash rackets. Tough losses are going to be with you for a while, but the important thing is to move on and there's always another opportunity."

Venus' career curve has a clear marker. Since tearing her abdominal muscle in the 2003 Wimbledon semis against Kim Clijsters, she has won only two outdoor hard court titles: the 2008 Sony Ericsson WTA Championships and 2009 Dubai. She hasn't won a U.S. Open Series summer hardcourt title since 2002, when she won Stanford, San Diego, New Haven and reached the U.S. Open final before Serena finally stopped her brilliant run.

For a woman who was weaned on the hardcourts of Compton, Calif., and South Florida, she's surprised she hasn't won a U.S. Open in seven years.

"Totally, but what can I say?" said Venus, who has only managed to win 12 of her 41 career titles since her 2003 Wimbledon injury. "Other than that, things have gone pretty well. I'm grateful for all my good results, and I've learned from my losses. I definitely want to move forward."

Full article: http://msn.foxsports.com/tennis/stor...a's-shadow

[freddystone]

I really appreciate the fact that Cronin specifically mentions the ab tear. And he's not overstating the degree to which that injury has divided Venus' career into two different careers. Neither the average talking head nor the average fan, at that time, was willing to accept that injury for what it was. All they ever talked about was Venus pulling out of one event after another. And many never bothered to ask why. And that frame of thought extended into the time of her wrist injury.

Thanks for posting this, Moose.

[AssinHT]

I really appreciate the fact that Cronin specifically mentions the ab tear. And he's not overstating the degree to which that injury has divided Venus' career into two different careers. Neither the average talking head nor the average fan, at that time, was willing to accept that injury for what it was. All they ever talked about was Venus pulling out of one event after another. And many never bothered to ask why. And that frame of thought extended into the time of her wrist injury.

Thanks for posting this, Moose.

Don't forget to add that she(and Serena) dealt with a personal tragedy in this time also.

[freddystone]

Don't forget to add that she(and Serena) dealt with a personal tragedy in this time also.

Yes. That, too.

[minowz]

And the anemia. How scary that was!

[altosburg]

Yay, Venus. This interview is exactly why I love her, and put up with her double faults and sprayed forehands.

[Assunkkensatt]

Good on you Vee but I still wanted you to Wimby this year and I still want RG and or AO. Yeah I'm greedy unlike you.

Still love you

Foxy