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Preparing for a Grand Slam Triumph

© Michael Cecilio

Hingis, Williams, Davenport - the 99 US Open champion?
At this time of the year last year, Lindsay Davenport was absolutely massacring the WTA tour by winning titles left, right and centre. Heading into the US Open, she was the clear favourite to win her first Grand Slam title on her home soil, and the soothsayers were correct in predicting the tall American as the victor at the end of the championships. In fact, Davenport's US Open victory last year was so clear cut that she did not even drop a set in the whole tournament.

That clear cut position can not really be found this year. In fact, it is impossible to determine who the clear cut favourite is for the US Open title based on recent form. Sure, Lindsay Davenport is still one of the major contenders for the title and has posted a good hardcourt season this year, but she doesn't seem to have the extra edge that she had last year. Last year, she won three hardcourt tournaments in three consecutive weeks. This year, she has only managed one title, one runner-up position and two semi final finishes. Two of the three losses she has incurred over the American hardcourt season have come at the hands of her on-court nemesis and fellow US Open favourite, Venus Williams.

Venus Williams has set the hardcourts of America alight this year by powering her way through to tournament finals. In the past five weeks, Venus has reached the finals of all three tournaments she has entered, winning her only title at New Haven just a couple of days ago. Don't think she has what it takes to win big titles? If you witnessed what went on at New Haven, you would be reluctant to keep that opinion. She crushed every single one of her opponents in straight sets. Former world #1 and 3rd seed Monica Seles found out just how relentlessly powerful and increasingly consistent 2nd seed Venus Williams has become and had no solution to the 6"1 teen in the semi finals. Seles went down meekly 6-1 6-3 amid an overwhelmingly powerful display from Williams.

Things were supposed to be much tougher in the final against top seed Lindsay Davenport, who entered the encounter with an 8-2 career edge over Williams. However, Venus had taken the last encounter in an error-ridden straight sets match in San Diego. Once again, the errors kept flying, this time from Davenport. Previous encounters between Davenport and Williams featured a number of powerful and deep groundstrokes from Lindsay which would force Venus into a number of errors from the baseline. Not anymore, says Venus. Unhappy with the fact she had been at the losing end of most of their encounters, Venus corrected her technique (especially on her weaker forehand side) and strengthened her mental conditioning in order to give Davenport the challenge she needed. Things seem to be working well for Venus because she has now recorded back-to-back straight sets wins over the world #2, taking the match and title 6-2 7-5.

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