Venus Williams News

Wednesday, November 18, 2009 12:13 PM Abanda joins the big girls Tom Tebbutt T he $50,000 Tevlin Challenger currently going on at Tennis Canada headquarters in Toronto features players from both ends of the career spectrum veterans hoping for one last good kick at the can and youngsters who are bright-eyed and ambitious.

Serena Williams and Venus Williams will be joined by 2009 US Open champion Kim Cljisters and 2009 French Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova at the 2010 BNP Paribas Showdown for the Billie Jean King Cup.

IT'S frequently said a ' even by the sisters themselves a ' that they should have swapped names.

There's a certain commercial for the 2009 US Open - one where Serena Williams has two dolls in her lap.

The first decade of the new millennium is nearly over. The opportunity once again presents itself to reflect upon the progression of the game over the past 10 years, and assess who were the outstanding performers during the, well, just what are we calling this decade anyway? The last millennium was easy.

John McEnroe described it as a "disgusting, brutal call", one that made him "feel a lot better about those pyrotechnics I put those umpires through," and for once he may not have been overstating his case.

Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova will usher in the New Year and celebrate a historic 100th anniversary by facing off in an exhibition match in Thailand on January 2nd.

When Italy won the Fed Cup final last weekend, the screaming crowds and the buzzing media covering the event showed just how much tennis has moved up on the public radar in the soccer-mad nation.

BANGKOK : Venus Williams and Maria Sharapova will warm-up for the Australian Open with an exhibition match in Thailand to mark the 100th anniversary of the Hua Hin seaside resort, according to organisers.

More than Bt20 million will be spent to stage the Centennial Invitation match between former world No 1s Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams in Hua Hin on January 2. Co-hosted by the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand and the city of Hua Hin, the exhibition will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the resort town.

Italy clinched its second Fed Cup title in four years on Sunday after Flavia Pennetta beat U.S. Open quarterfinalist Melanie Oudin 7-5, 6-2. Pennetta's victory gave the experienced Italians took an insurmountable 3-0 lead over a young United States team in the best-of-five series on an outdoor clay court at the Rocco Polimeni club.

Italy won the Fed Cup final after taking an unassailable 3-0 lead over the United States in Reggio Calabria.

World number one Serena Williams survived a scare to beat Chinaa TMs Li Na 4-6 7-6 6-2 on Wednesday and reach the Sony Ericsson Open semi-finals a ' where she will meet her sister Venus.

Flavia Pennetta beat Alexa Glatch 6-3, 6-1 on Saturday to give Italy a 1-0 lead over the United States in the Fed Cup final.

A ruling on Serena Williams' U.S. Open tirade is expected in the next two weeks.

Without Serena and Venus Williams, the United States is relying on 18-year-old Melanie Oudin and a veteran doubles specialist in the Fed Cup final against Italy.

Svetlana Kuznetsova sent fellow Russian Elena Dementieva crashing out of the WTA Championships with a 6-3 6-2 win in Doha.

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Serena Williams overcame Svetlana Kuznetsova, 7-6 , 7-5, in the group stage of the WTA Sony Ericsson Championships on Tuesday in Doha, Qatar.

Elena Dementieva battled to a resilient 3-6 7-6 6-2 win over defending champion Venus Williams to open her account at the WTA Championships in Doha.