Williams' clay game stronger match by match

By DARRELL FRY

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 6, 2000

Venus Williams is one of the biggest stars in tennis, but she wasn't supposed to be here today. Not in the French Open quarterfinals. Not staring at a draw so open she can reasonably see herself in the final.

The red clay at the French Open ever has been her preferred surface. At 6 feet 2, lean and athletic, she was built for faster surfaces where she can unleash all of her considerable power, pounce panther-like at the net and strike fear in opponents.

Plus, she came to Paris with no rhythm to her game, her season slow to start because of nagging tendinitis in both wrists. Before getting to Roland Garros she had played a grand total of four matches, losing two.

Yet she has found her way to the quarterfinals, her fractured game growing firmer by the day. She hasn't always looked pretty, nearly blowing a huge first-set lead in a fourth-round win over Anke Huber. But that will come in time.

Given her inactivity this season, she is playing brilliantly, far better than even she figured. She has not only won, but cruised so far, sweeping all of her matches in straight sets. Only Monica Seles and Mary Pierce have been as flawless.

"She's playing good tennis," observed former pro Tracy Austin, tennis analyst for USA Network's telecast of the French Open. "Each match she has played she has played that much better."

The next challenge comes today when Williams faces Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario for a spot in the semifinals. The Spanish veteran is far more accomplished on clay than Williams, having won the French Open, and other clay court titles.

But the way Williams has played thus far, she can't be dismissed easily -- not against Sanchez-Vicario or Conchita Martinez, Williams' possible semifinal opponent. Although Williams doesn't look as fit after missing the first five months of the season with the wrist injuries, she'll pose problems for Sanchez- Vicario with her big serve and powerful groundstrokes.

PETE IS IN THE HOUSE: One up-side to being booted out of the French Open early for Pete Sampras was he got to return to Los Angeles to see his Lakers beat the Portland Trailblazers on Sunday to reach the NBA Finals. Naturally, Sampras had courtside seats.

IT'S A TOSS UP: Perhaps the quarterfinal match of the day is Seles versus Pierce. Both have plowed over opponents to reach the second week. And both have similar styles built around forceful groundstrokes and relentless pressure.

Both won clay-court titles leading up to the French Open and appear to be playing their best tennis of the season. Pierce, born in Canada, raised in Tampa Bay and playing for the French Tennis Federation, likely will have the majority of the Roland Garros crowd on her side. That shouldn't rattle Seles, who disposed of another French pro, Amelie Mauresmo, under similar conditions in her last match.

"I had the whole stadium really against me," Seles said.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Australian pro Andrew Ilie, on his emotions during his second-round loss to Russia's Marat Safin: "I was contemplating ripping my shirt off because it would have been a really good win. Toward the end of the fourth (set), I would have dropped my pants because that's how bad things got. By the end of the fourth, I knew not even taking off my shoes and underwear is going to win it."

-- Information from other news organizations was used in this report.

© St. Petersburg Times. All rights reserved.

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