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Why Roger Federer and Pete Sampras should fear Venus and Serena Williams
The sister are in a league of their own when they are on court, and they could give their male counterparts a run for their money.
by Abe Battjes on 28 March 2008
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It’s hard to imagine many tennis players being able to take down the likes of Pete Sampras and Roger Federer, especially when they were playing in their prime. But there are a few likely candidates who have what it takes, and they aren’t even on the ATP Tour. I'm looking at the WTA tour.
Serena and Venus Williams may be women competitors, and most would assume that they wouldn’t be able to conquer two of the greatest players of all time. But despite their gender, the powerful sisters have what it takes.
Some may argue that neither of the sisters compere to Federer or Sampras when it comes to Grand Slam victories. For the most part these four players are fairly even in most aspects. But Serena has been able to accomplish something that Federer hasn’t, by winning the French Open to complete a career Slam.
Rankings can’t be a huge factor either, because all four players have at one time in their career ranked No. 1 in the world. Do they all know how to compete on the various surfaces? In the past, the four players have struggled on clay, and produced their best tennis on grass.
Not many factors can determine who the most dominant player would be. They could play on any surface, at any event and still be fairly even in competition. Serena or Venus could easily defeat Federer at Wimbledon, but then again they could fall against one of the two men on clay.
One characteristic that sets Venus and Serena apart from Federer and Sampras is their domination at doubles. Together they have completed a doubles slam, and won an Olympic gold medal together. They have also shown that they can compete when there is a male across the net; both winning two mixed doubles titles.
Not only are they great doubles competitors but also they have proved time and time again that they can return to action after spending months away due to injury, and still be victorious. When Serena entered the Australian Open last year ranked 81st in the world, no one would have expected her to run away with the crown, but nothing could stop her. Then later that year, elder sister Venus triumphed at Wimbledon after missing most of the season with a wrist injury.
A great number of spectators would assume and argue that just because they are women they wouldn’t be able to push the two men. But both Venus and Serena have the powerful serves, the ability to always fight and never relent, and dig deep to produce high quality tennis.
Many would bet against them, but personally my odds would be with the Williams sisters. It doesn’t matter if they were to take on Justine Henin, Maria Sharapova, or even Federer, Sampras, and Andre Agassi; the tough sisters could battle their way past just about anyone.
Comments (43)
on March 29, 2008 on March 29, 2008
Dumbest thing I've ever read. Next.
yeah right...and they are also the uglieeeeest faces on tour...lol
by vince on March 29, 2008
good article...i think your right on certain points, after all venus and serena are uber talented...im afraid the world will never see that, because they are so infactuated by putting the williamses down...the comments made by richard i think are true, tennis never really appreciated how amazing serena and venus were, they had to fight through so many expectations, if they were winning people said that tennis was boring, yet if they lose they accuse them of losing their power, which is absolutely bollocks...venus and serena will always be the best thing that happened to tennis, coz they came from adversity especially for a sport like tennis where only the higher ranked people in society think its their game...well take a look at wimbledon...they won 6 of 8 theyve competed in...go williams sisters...
by Andrew Smith on March 29, 2008
This is very well said. They work half as hard as everyone else and still win more. These are two of th greatest athletes in the world.
by DeNNy on March 29, 2008
ok first of all SERENA AND VENUS ARE BETER LOOKING THEN U..whO ever wrote that is a fricken loser they wouldnt say that to venus or serena's face cause the sisters would kick their arse!!..anyways I LOVE THEM but no I dont think they could beat roger federer they would play an awesOme match againgst him BUT not beat him unless he he forfet!!... they would ace any man ANY MAN but I guess they would lose in a match!! I LOVE U SERENA AND VENUS ii cant wait to see you win more grandslams doubles AND singles!!
by Brian Wright on March 29, 2008
by Abe Morgans on March 29, 2008
All I have to say, especially about the Williams sisters easily beating Federer at Wimbledon.
http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/5-7-2001-3246.asp CIGARETTES, BEATING THE WILLIAMS SISTERS, AND LIFE ACCORDING TO KARSTEN BRAASCH From ATP Karsten Braasch will forever be remembered as the man with the uncoachable serve, who smoked like a chimney, scared Pete Sampras at Wimbledon, and beat both the Williams sisters in the same afternoon. Braasch is a polite, intelligent man, but even at 33, his tennis days are far from over, as he proved last week at the Mallorca Open in doubles with partner Jens Knippschild. So what is it that keeps the German going? "I’m still having fun," he explains. But how on earth did he learn that remarkable serve, which sees him run, jump and launch his body at the ball in the most bizarre fashion? "I think everyone learns his own style," says Braasch. "Agassi, Sampras - nobody taught them to play the way they do. With me it was just a normal development, and as long as it is working, it doesn’t matter." Sampras found out just how well it worked at Wimbledon in 1995. Returning as the defending champion for the second time, the American walked onto Centre Court for their first round encounter probably expecting to steamroller Braasch in about an hour.But the German played by his own rules, and with a mixture of delicate chips and thunderous drives he won the second set to level matters at one apiece, and looked capable of pulling off one of the biggest shocks in Wimbledon history. Digging deep, Sampras prevailed, but he paid tribute to his opponent. "He’s a pain to play," said Sampras. The Williams sisters, Venus and Serena wouldn’t argue with that assessment. Their request for a male opponent at the 1998 Australian Open was met by the German, who had been on the golf course all morning. This is how Braasch remembers the day: "They came into the ATP Office and said that they would like to play one of the men," said Braasch. "I just happened to be in the room and they were saying that they thought they could beat someone who was ranked 200 in the world. At the time I was No. 203 and I said: "If you think you can beat me, we can go out there right now." With Serena, the score was 6-1 and then Venus came and asked to play, and I said, ‘if you want to play, we can play’. That was 6-2." "When they first came in they were looking at the media guide because they had seen someone practicing who they thought they could beat, and they wanted to know who it was. It was Francisco Clavet. When they said that, there were 10 guys on the floor." "Afterwards, Venus spoke to the press and said that maybe she could actually beat someone who was 350 in the world. But the thing is that I was due to lose all my points from the 1997 Australian Open the next week so I told the press "OK, we can do it again next week when I am 350 if you like!" But three years on he has no plans for a rematch. "I don’t think it’s necessary," he says. "I don’t think after that match that you heard anything about men and women’s tennis from the Williams sisters. Sometimes when I walk past them at a Grand Slam, they don’t say anything, maybe they don’t see me, but maybe they are a little bit embarrassed," he said. Braasch is known for having a rather unusual fitness regime to go with his unorthodox style of play. Generally smoking 15 cigarettes each day, and fond of having a beer or two (he admits to having drunk a couple of ‘shandies’ the morning of the match with the Williams sisters) Braasch showed that he could still compete with the best. In a career spanning 14 years, he racked up wins over Stefan Edberg and Ivan Lendl among others, and his proudest moment was playing in the Davis Cup for Germany. At 33, he won’t be around forever, but retirement isn’t on the cards yet. "As long as I can still compete, and as long as people still want to watch me and don’t say ‘what’s this old guy doing out there?’ I will play," he said.
by quionnea coombs on March 29, 2008
Some of these comments are to the point of loser status and some of them are just hurtful. You can critize their game without being racist or sexist. You should be ashamed of your self. You're the epidome of what mr. Williams is talking about when it come to race but u took it to another level with your comments about sex. Wow. Ur a disgrace to tennis!
by Darren Wong on March 29, 2008
No serious tennis fan, let alone tennis commentator would suggest that either of the Williams would have a shot against Fed ANYWHERE, let alone Wimbledon. They have powerful serves,... for girls, at about 120 mph, their fastest serves are nearly as fast as Federer's faster serves, but definitely aren't better. Federer can handle serves coming at the 130-140 mph range, so he wouldn't exactly be intimedated by 115-120 mph serves. I don't think the Williams would do so well against Fed's serve. I like womens tennis, but biologically, even the Williams just aren't strong enough to compete with the top men. And don't even joke that they could out-work or out-finesse Fed, because he is the finesse king, and the Williams don't care to work nearly as hard as Fed, otherwise they would both have more slams than they currently do. Its just plain physics. The Williams sisters would have trouble playing with the Robby Ginepris and Ranier Schuettlers, let alone any of the top men. But really I'd love to see them try... but maybe they should try to beat Andy Roddick first, before going after the big fish.
by sunny swetank on March 29, 2008
who the hell is this? "Serena or Venus could easily defeat Federer at Wimbledon" - man, u need to see your a pyschiatrist
they both together wont be able to take a set off federer
by Zwé Mbhele on March 29, 2008
I am shocked at how racist nd sexist some people can be..i am from south africa where we struggled with apartheid nd i still take pride in calling any white man my BROTHER..look the article brings up gr8 points..Serena nd venus are spectacular..realistically they wouldn be able 2 beat any top 10 male player..nd they're favourite so i'd love 4 them to do it..wit serena its not bout pace on her serve its placement..so yeah they'd do well but not win..nd thanx 2 everyone who actually appreciates wat da sista's have done..we're what keeps them going!!Nd whoever said dey ugly sure has high expectations because they are BEAUTIFUL!!!
by Joe on March 29, 2008
Yeah, sorry but this artcile is pretty stupid. A fairer comparison would be to Martina N. , and both of the Williams sisters combined will never equal her totals. Plus they're both bad sports.
by acbc on March 29, 2008
more than five years ago, when the Williams were in their prime and winning all the grandslams, they claimed they would beat any man outside, that is OUTSIDE of the worlds top 200. Karshton Brash at the Australian open took them up on it. he was outside the top 200 at that time and beat them both, one after another and it was 6-1, 6-2; this after having played 18 holes of golf, drinking some beers and smoking a pack of cigarettes. this was reported in an issue of Tennis Magazine with a picture of Serena shaking the hands of a man that can't even hope to win a set against Federer!! Get your facts straight before you make such ridiculous claims.
by Chirag D on March 29, 2008
Well I thought the article was good, but misplaced. Federer is being hailed as possibly the best natural talent the tennis world has ever seen and it is for a good reason. Serena and Venus are exceptional athletes and sportswomen, but as strong as they are.. it's unfair to expect them to compete with the top men. It's a biological fact that they cannot match them for strength and endurance. And you could hardly say Federer lacks talent, could you?
by steve on March 29, 2008
"The sister are in a league of their own" Aside from having a a typo in the first sentence, this is silly. They aren't. Martina Navratilova completely dwarfs them in her accomplishments. Not even close. No comparison. She was in a league of her own. For them to be in a league of their own they would need to be far and away ranked number one two. What a ridiculous thing to say in the first sentence.
on March 30, 2008 on March 30, 2008
that is the most rediculous thing i've ever heard....do you actually get paid to write for this site?
by robert fendez on March 30, 2008
the most ridiculous article I have ever had the displeasure of wasting time reading. The spoof/satire articles on tennis make more sense. I can't believe a supposedly serious website lets this garbage be printed.
by noel david on March 30, 2008
couldn't agree more with robert frendez.a pete will still whitewash the two sisters and i'd be surprised if their points tally reached double digits against roger.what flight of fancy!!get yourself examined.u need major help.
by xyz ray on March 30, 2008
I think writer seriously need mental check up !!!
by abc seylor on March 30, 2008
Abe Battjes How is weather in mars ?
by Tennis fan on March 31, 2008
If this was intended as satire, it was OK. If you were being serious, I agree with the commentors requesting that you seek psychiatric help.
by cali nemeski on March 31, 2008
all i can say is... nonsense..
by sportz on March 31, 2008
The unintended sexism here is amazing. In tennis it's not always that the most powerful player wins. If the Williams sisters and a few other women started playing top men , they initially lose all the time. But after a year or so, they start winning fairly regularly
by John Woods on March 31, 2008
Mr. Battjes obviously does not know anything about tennis. Yes; the Williams sisters might be able to give male players ranked in the high 100's a run for their money, but to say that they would be able to beat the likes of a Sampras, Federer and Agassi, based on what they have achieved on the WTA (playing against other women...), is just plain ludicrous.
by Bill K on March 31, 2008
This is one dumbass article. I was thinking it was a satire or something until I realised the author was serious. Someone get this idiot off the streets and off my computer. This guy hasn't the slightest clue about tennis. I think he is dellusional.
by Wackywop on March 31, 2008
I don't want to sound like a broken record but it would never happen. I believe the writer hear had good intentions but also got a little ahead of himself. What really upsets me is how he belittles the games of Fed, Sampras, and Agassi. Yes, the Williams have strong serves but 120 MPH is a joke for the men. For Agassi "the best return in tennis", whats 120 MPH for him. These guys can handle and beat Andy Roddick at 140 MPH. If you can't serve 120 in mens tennis you are a laughing stock. So the Williams sister yes are great competitors on the WTA tour but have a long way to go to conquer anyone on the ATP especially in the top Ten. For those of you out their who are so bent on equality b/w the men and women here is a question for you "When is the last time the women ever competed in a 5 set match?"
by DJ Bennett on March 31, 2008
No way in hell top ranked women could take top ranked men out. The women might be actually more talented in their competition with other women than men are with other men, but at the top levels, the physical makeup of men, being stronger than women, would make the difference.
by sam yutinhg on March 31, 2008
serana and venus suck.federer can beat both of them if he was alone
by C Candela on April 01, 2008
Venus and Serena would be the first to admit they wouldn't stand a chance against a top 500 player, let alone two all time greats. Likewise, sorry to tell you this, but a great female pro boxer wouldn't stand a chance against a male club boxer, and the US olympic soccer team wouldn't do well against the worst pro male soccer team in Europe. By the way, Venus and Serena both got smoked by a chain smoking guy ranked 205 who had just gotten drinking some beers. When they changed their claim to "we can beat somebody outside the top 300!" he told them he was losing points that week, that he would be outside 300 in a few days.
on April 03, 2008 on April 03, 2008
Freaking hilarious how serious the tone of the article is. I'd be surprised if either Williams managed to win 2 points in a row against Fed. Fed would have to stand still for them to even dream.
by David Chen on April 07, 2008
Federer and Sampras could be playing alone against both of them and win. I am not sexist, however women simply do not have a shot at beating professional male tennis players (or even some top D1 college males), simply because men are just so much more powerful. If you ever hit a shot hit by a pro male, you will feel just how heavy it is due to not only its pace, about also the huge amount of spin on put on it to give it enormous kick. Women do hit it fairly fast, but they put considerably less topspin on it (this is why women make more errors when they play, since there is less topspin to keep their shots from going out or letting it loop over the net and get in.) Men's serves are also much heavier (faster, more spin) due to their much larger pectoral muscles. Men are also considerably faster. Serena and Venus are definitely great players for women, with a lot of power for women. But the difference of speed and power between men and women is just to big for them to compete. The one thing they do have that can compete is their mental toughness.
by Li Tai Fang on April 10, 2008
Ever heard of Karsten Braasch? You probably haven't, but the Williams sure have. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karsten_Braasch
by Bobo Sheep on April 11, 2008
Stop being dunces everyone. It is a known fact that Venus and Serena both played a match against some lowly, aged (for the sport) ranked male tennis player (Karsten Braasch) who destroyed they 6-1 for one of the sisters, 6-2 for the other. Karsten later claimed that he wasn't even playing seriously AND smoked during changeovers just to show how easy the game was for him. Now some imbecile decides that it's okay to say that these two girls (who are talented enough) can probably defeat the all time greats of all tennis, Federer and Sampras, based on statistics? Complete garbage.
on April 14, 2008 on April 14, 2008
This author actually writes most of the tennis articles on the site. What a travesty. It is pure lunacy.
by Thaddeus Buttmunch on April 15, 2008
I'm a DUDE and while its true that TS Renee Richards beat the ladies in the seventies, and that Bobby Riggs was old when he lost to Billie Jean, there are many women powerlifters who could lift more weight than male tennis players so the brute strength arguement does not really hold. To beat men they need to be trained to beat men with heavy lifting. Steroids and growth hormone would be cheating but do not tell me males in sports including tennis have never used them. There is also the difference in cardiac stroke volume and lung capacity. Maybe give women the advantage of a small oxygen bottle and see what they can do.
by Niall Walsh on July 11, 2008
I'm sorry, but that is quite clearly nonsense. In EVERY regard! The Williams sisters may be close to comparability in terms of power (Venus avg serve at Wimbledon 2008 was 115mph as opposed to Federer at 120mph), but the difference is beyond compare. Id really have to wonder if the author has ever played the game?! The Williams sisters, first of all, ARE good for women's sports, and ARE talented - no begrudgery here - but taking the serve as an example: - the Williams are THE power players on tour. The likes of Federer and Sampras, for all their heat, were never the out and out hard-hiiters. And Sampras was hitting 130's back in the days when racquets and balls didnt allow for as much pace generation - These guys hit well within themselves, and concentrate on impeccable placement and variety, not to mention spins. The simple fact is that Roger Federer serves far more aces against Rafael Nadal (the most athletically gifted retriever on the planet, no doubts) than Venus does against ANY other women. So its not all about power. They hit hard, but they hit flat, and that doesnt add up to the same equivalent. When Andy Roddick serves - at 150mph - into Federer's hitting zone, what happens? Yeah. - Second serve-wise, the men's game involves, again, far far more spin. Venus or Serena's tempermental and short second serves would be eaten alive even by the Volandris of this world. Sampras' second serve at times got up towards 4-5000 rpms. - Just briefly considering groundies, Rafa Nadal bludgeons the ball but his technique is such that it never seems aimless or without control. He often makes single-figure unforced errors over the course of a match. Compare this to the hit-and-see Williams, where each shot could be a screaming winner or a howling miss into the crowd. You want a counter-point? Maybe someone like Fernando Gonzalez would be closer to the style... Im quite happy to say that you take the most powerful epitome ofthe women's game, Serena Williams, against a Roger Federer or Pete Sampras (or the men's alphas male as far as sheer force goes, in Nadal) that it'll be a question of not 'how many games' but 'how many points'.
on July 11, 2008 on July 11, 2008
While I think the Williams sisters are great atheletes on the womens circuit and post some impressive service speeds.I cannot agreew ith this article.as it takes more than abit of power to win the mens game.Its about power and placement Roger federer my only get first serves from 125-133mph max in some games but his placment and variations of spin are far superior.If Nadal were to play either sister your not talking a number of games but a number of pints that the sisters will get off him.Think you got to look at reality and not some dream world.The womens game has little variety these days nearly bout 85-90% of players especiually the top ones play the saem game.Henin was a true player of the game and is sorely missed!
Oh, and one other thing: They've all 'struggled on clay'? Sampras, it must be admitted, didnt have the game for the stuff, but he took the odd notable scalp. In his earlier days, he could play a bit on the dirt. But I wont argue too much there. Federer, however, is consistently second only to the force of nature that is Nadal. Three French Open finals and a few TMS titles is hardly 'struggling'...
on September 14, 2008 on September 14, 2008
What a load of rubbish.
"The unintended sexism here is amazing. In tennis it's not always that the most powerful player wins. If the Williams sisters and a few other women started playing top men , they initially lose all the time. But after a year or so, they start winning fairly regularly" ------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- You must be smoking the same stuff as the author of this article.
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