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muriel_volestrangler

(103,900 posts)
19. But there's still a Williams going - Venus won mixed doubles 1st rd with Jamie Murray
Sat Jul 2, 2022, 06:49 AM
Jul 2022
There’s a certain lèse-majesté in turning up at Wimbledon and calling yourself Venus. And it’s worse if the original Venus herself is in attendance, staring you down from the other side of the net. Certainly, Michael Venus, the world No 11 doubles player from New Zealand, would have known that every time the wags in the crowd shouted “C’mon Venus!” (or even “Marry me, Venus!”), they were exclusively cheering for the five-time Wimbledon women’s singles champion, at whom he was firing treasonable volleys.

Venus Williams has graced this tournament with her regal presence for 24 years now, just shy of her silver jubilee. On Friday evening, playing mixed doubles on No 1 Court with Jamie Murray, there was every evidence that she still rules OK. In spite of her age (42), in spite of her lack of match practise since last July, and in spite of the persistent leg injury still hinted at by the tape on her right thigh, Williams still had the power to make her namesake regret taking on her serve.

There was just the right amount of jeopardy in her and Murray’s first-round defeat of Venus and his Polish partner Alicja Rosolska 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 in a match that took three sets and two and a quarter hours. After the game, Williams joshed her partner for playing hard to get (he turned her down for this gig last year, pleading a sore neck), but the truth was, she herself had had no plans to pick up her racket until she watched her sister Serena in action on Centre Court and felt suddenly inspired. “I saw the grass and I got excited,” said Williams. “That’s why I was asking him last minute. He just had a baby, too, so I know there’s a lot going on.”

Their siblings have, of course, set a precedent that both will be keen to beat. The Andy Murray and Serena Williams glamour pairing of 2019 seems, three years on, like a collective hallucination of happier, pre-pandemic days. But the footage is real, and that bigfoot duo made it as far as the third round before they were stopped by top seeds Bruno Soares and Nicole Melichar-Martinez.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/jul/01/venus-williams-and-jamie-murray-look-the-part-in-giddy-first-round-victory

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If she manages to pull this out, I doubt she will go much farther MiniMe Jun 2022 #1
Don't want her to lose in 1st round. And she looks spent.... a kennedy Jun 2022 #2
Agree, 1 more point now MiniMe Jun 2022 #3
*shrug* did not know about going to ten.....damn. a kennedy Jun 2022 #4
I didn't either, just heard it MiniMe Jun 2022 #5
This is the first year it is in place at Wimbledon. Not used at the U.S. Open but in place in LoisB Jun 2022 #7
This year all the slams will be using the 10 point tiebreak in final set. Raftergirl Jun 2022 #11
I did not know that about USO. Thanks for the info. Is Raftergirl for Pat Rafter? In the top 5 of LoisB Jun 2022 #12
Yes. Raftergirl Jun 2022 #13
Cool - I used to love seeing him play. For me, it is Roger #1, David Ferrer #2, Patrick Rafter #3. LoisB Jun 2022 #14
Me too. Raftergirl Jun 2022 #15
Nalbandian was a great tennis player with "head" issues; I loved 'King' Juan Carlos and was LoisB Jun 2022 #16
Oh, don't get me wrong... Raftergirl Jul 2022 #17
No, that was the one where his girlfriend and Lleyton's girlfriend kept shooting dagger eyes at each LoisB Jul 2022 #18
At, I remember that. No as fun though as the year he had the Raftergirl Jul 2022 #20
Probably Her Last Wimbledon SoCalDavidS Jun 2022 #6
I know, very sad........was so proud of her "drop" shot.......she never uses it.... a kennedy Jun 2022 #8
Margaret Court's record True Dough Jun 2022 #9
Better to have your last Wimbledon be an epic match than going out injured muriel_volestrangler Jun 2022 #10
But there's still a Williams going - Venus won mixed doubles 1st rd with Jamie Murray muriel_volestrangler Jul 2022 #19
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