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Venus Williams, thrilling 'em and killing 'em

© Michael Cecilio

They said it before she started playing professional matches. They were saying it during her meteoric rise to the Top 10. They are saying it now that she has cemented herself as one of the top players in the women's game. They are saying that Venus has what it takes to be the best in the women's game - ever. Judging by her recent results, it is fair to say that she has a definite shot at cracking history's elite.

Yes, I agree, it is rather premature to start talking about the legacy of a tennis player who has played for just over two full years on the professional tour and who has not reached the top ranking in her sport. But take a look at her results! If it doesn't scream future #1, then what does? If it doesn't scream multiple Grand Slam championships, then what does? Once again it seems premature, I know, but it doesn't take an Einstein to work out that Williams is riding the biggest wave of her career. Whether she can continue on in this fashion up to and including the US Open is another story and it should prove to be an interesting and fruitful challenge for the incredibly athletic player.

For the first time since Serena Williams in 1999, someone on the tour has won three tournament titles in a row. It just so happens to be Serena's older sister. Like Serena, Venus included a Grand Slam victory in her triple title run, having won Wimbledon last June and following it up with two hardcourt victories in Stanford and San Diego. I wish I could say that it wasn't easy for her, but it seems to be quite the contrary. Venus blitzed both fields en route to her titles, and included victories over Davenport, Martinez, Seles and Kournikova. The scary thing was that she probably wasn't playing at her best in some of her matches but managed to pull through. Her biggest scare of the fortnight was against Amy Frazier in their Stanford match. Frazier had a 7-6 4-6 5-3 lead when Venus bore down and won in a third set tiebreak after finding herself two points away from the match at one point. The difference in her game the following week was obvious when she routed the same opponent in San Diego 6-2 6-3. Other than Frazier, the only one to stretch Venus to three sets in the last fortnight was Monica Seles who herself has been on a hot streak lately. In their San Diego final, Venus bagelled Monica in the first set (which lasted 18 minutes) before Monica fought back to a 5-2 lead in the second set, eventually winning the set in a tiebreak. The third set could have been closer with Monica's momentum ever increasing, but the distress of her forearm strain (which caused her to withdraw from Los Angeles and Montreal) coupled with Venus's confidence proved to be too much of a hindrance for Seles.

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