The form players at the US Open

VENUS WILLIAMS
Seed: 2
Ranking: 2
Grand Slams: 4
2001 US Open performance: Winner
Best US Open performance: Two-time Winner (2000,2001)

Venus has had a remarkable American hardcourt season having compiled a 13 match-winning streak by winning Stanford, San Diego and New Haven with the loss of just a single set (to Kim Clijsters). Losing the Roland Garros final to Serena meant that her sister simply had a better day that day. Losing the Wimbledon final to Serena hurt and meant that she had to make some serious changes in order to regain her dominance and the #1 position.

Despite posting the strongest results in the lead-up tournaments, she has not regained the #1 position but would do so with a US Open win. Having not won a major this year, I believe Venus is determined to take her chance on the final Grand Slam of the year. Her form from the lead-up tournaments carried over to the first week of the championships and cruised in dominant fashion just like Serena. The stumbling block came against Chanda Rubin in the fourth round against whom she faced serious problems. The technical weaknesses in her forehand and her second serve became apparent when she was put under pressure and these shots broke down to give Chanda two break points in order to serve for the match at 5-5 in the third.

It was Venus’s determination, tenacity and refusal to win that got her through those tough times and I believe that against someone as technically gifted and powerful as her sister, that is going to be her strongest weapon – her refusal to go down and her refusal to lose.

LINDSAY DAVENPORT
Seed: 4
Ranking: 10
Grand Slams: 3
2001 US Open performance: Quarter-finalist (losing to Serena Williams)
Best US Open performance: Winner (1998)

She may have been off the tour since November 2001 recovering from a serious knee injury but her return to the circuit has been nothing short of scintillating considering what she has had to go through. Coming into the US Open, Lindsay has recorded two semi-finals and two finals in her comeback tournaments and has posted wins over big names including Jelena Dokic, Chanda Rubin and Amelie Mauresmo.

She has cruised through a fairly cushy draw with a slight hiccup against Elena Bovina in the quarter finals. It was a good draw for Lindsay to get her game progressively into

Go To Page: 1 2 3 4 5