Sports Then and Now

Will Serena and Venus Williams be able to recover from injuries and recent losses to regain their tennis dominance?

With women’s tennis seemingly in a state of flux it would seem foolish to write off Venus and Serena Williams after they crashed out of Wimbledon at the fourth round stage.

Serena’s title defense came to a halt when Marion Bartoli of France claimed a straight sets win 6-3 7-6 (8-6), while Tsvetana Pironkova scored an even more comprehensive victory over Venus taking the match 6-2 6-3.

There were always doubts about Serena’s ability to cut it at Wimbledon this year as she was recovering from the various problems which had kept her out of the game for over a year, but there still has to be worries about her ability to compete at the highest level. Those planning to bet on US Open action will have to think long and hard before backing her.

Venus has also been troubled with injuries, although they weren’t as serious as the problems her sister faced, and there was a feeling that the pair might be undercooked heading into the Slam they dominated for so many years. However, the US Open tennis odds suggest they could bounce back with a few more matches under their belts.

There has been speculation about the Williams’ sisters outside interests impinging on their love of tennis for years now, but it hasn’t stopped them from winning slams.

However, with things starting to slide the pair may decide to bow out of the game knowing they have nothing left to prove.

That said, with no one women dominating tennis at the moment there’s no reason why either sister can’t dig deep and secure further titles for their collection.