The Stars are Aligning for Venus
Where there is a “Williams,” there is a way. The way was paved on Wednesday by Venus Williams en route to advancing to the third round of the U.S. Open tennis tournament. 78th seeded Swiss player Timea Bacsinsky proved to be ” nolo contendere’ as Venus handily won 6-1,6-4.
Venus’s star has been rising since she beat younger sister Serena Williams in the semifinals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal,Canada earlier this month only to lose in the finals to Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4,6-2.
Her powerful play on display in Flushing Meadows, New York, belies the fact that she suffers from Sjogren’s Syndrome, an auto immune disease that can prove to be debilitating.Under the lights, however, there were no signs of fatigue or muscle soreness as she won her first set of play in 31 minutes.
“There is more to Venus Williams than meets the eye,” (Helene William , Los Angeles Times, 2009).
Last night the trilogy of her natural power, knowledge ,and raw talent were on display at Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was 17 years ago that Venus, fifteen months older than Serena, played at the first ever U.S. Open. She went on to win the tournament in 2000 and 2001 and is a 7 Time Grand Slam winner.
Looking streamlined and strong, this 6’1′ enigma covered the court well.
Her timing was accelerated, racquet back and ready ,and her movements on court seemingly had a purpose. Venus posted a blistering serve recorded at 96 m.p.h. which the crowd wildly acknowledged. Mind you she is the owner of the fastest serve ever recorded in women’s professional tennis at a searing 129 m.p.h.
She is a force to be contended with off the court as well. In 2005 Venus jumped the net and championed a grass roots effort for equal pay among the sexes in tennis.Inspired by talks with Billie Jean King, Williams penned an op-ed published in The Times of London to create awareness of the disparity in pay amongst male and females tennis players.
Why should male tennis players be rewarded higher for their longer, best of five sets? This battle cry was part of the evolution that Williams took on and argued that women tennis players have “long been ready to play five sets.”
In 2007, Wimbledon was the first tournament to offer equal pay amongst male and female tennis stars. The tennis prodigy from the mean streets of Little Compton, California had leveled the playing field.The older sister proved she was an off court defender as well as her resounding cries of inequality were heard.
“I would be a really good quarterback ” was stated by Venus Williams to Craig Williams, a reporter for the Miami Sun Sentinal,in March, 2014.
Not surprisingly, given her passion for football, Venus and her sister Serena own nominal stakes in the Miami Dolphins NFL football franchise.The sisters have proven to be bellwethers as the first African American women to own a minority in a professional sports team.
The planet known as Venus is known as one of the ” rarest astronomical phenomonia.” Venus does not have a satellite but the earthly Venus is recreating her centrifugal force of play on the court and naysayers are taking note.
There was a level of urgency and volcanism in Venus ‘s play the other night and may that powerful play translate into a win against her next opponent Sarah Effani.
Venus Williams, the tennis player, is a contender.
