Could it all end as a “Williams Wimbledon” once more?

The Williams sisters are closer to making this huge event another family affair. They both advanced into the semifinals in straight sets.

Courtesy of Associated Press, “Defending champion and four-time winner Venus Williams beat Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-4, 6-3, and two-time champ Serena swept 19-year-old Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland 6-4, 6-0”.

Both Serena and Venus are in opposite halves of the battle and could possibly make Saturday’s final a family affair, as one of them will have to take the trophy home. Serena has won both times they met in the finals in 2002 and 2003. Can this be Venus chance to have one trophy sitting on her mantelpiece?

“That would be amazing if we both were in the final,” No. 7 Venus said. “I have to take it one more step and keep playing power tennis.”

Venus will next face No. 5 Elena Dementieva. This will be Elena’s first Wimbledon semifinal. She defeated fellow Russian Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-3 to advance to challenge Venus.
**Defending Wimbledon champion Venus Williams has yet to drop a set in advancing to the semifinals of this year’s tournament.**

No. 6 Serena will play Zheng Jie to reach the semifinals of the Wimbledon. Zheng is the first Chinese player to enter the semis after defeating Nicole Vaidisova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1.

**The 133rd-ranked Zheng is also the first wild-card entrant to reach the women’s semis at Wimbledon and second at any Grand Slam. **

Serena clearly is more likely to grab the trophy with a record of 5-1 in Slam finals and 8-7 in overall matches. But who knows.
Neither Venus nor serena has dropped a set so far in this tournament. They are showing no mercy to opponents with their big serves and punishing ground strokes.

“I think I have a lot of power, so it helps,” Venus said. “Definitely the power helps.”
Even though she was slightly limping at the end of her match with what she said was a tight left hamstring, she claims to be fine and not concerned about the probable injury….hmm.

The 60th-ranked Tanasugarn, lost to Venus Williams as she couldn’t have enough to cope with her hard-hitting game.

Williams served eight aces and had one serve at 127 mph (WOW!), while Tanasugarn had no aces and an average first-serve speed of just 90 mph.
“I think my key has been serve in this tournament,” Venus said. “Any time I’m down break-point, double break or something like that, my serve gets me out of it.”

**Serena Williams hit 11 aces and completed her win over Agnieszka Radwanska in 51 minutes**

Serena had a much easier time with Radwanska, a former Wimbledon junior champion. She had 11 aces, broke five times and needed just 51 minutes to complete her match on Centre Court.
Dementieva, the fourth player in the semis, is the highest-seeded player left in the women’s draw after Monday’s upsets of No. 2 Jelena Jankovic (by Tanasugarn) and No. 4 Svetlana Kuznetsova (by Radwanska).

None of the top four seeded women reached the quarterfinals as top-seeded Ana Ivanovic and No. 3 Maria Sharapova were eliminated last week.

The first time that’s happened at Wimbledon and also the first time at any Grand Slam tournament in the 40-year history of the Open era.

Former gold medalists Venus and Serena Williams are also expected to play both singles and doubles for the Olympic team announced Wednesday by the U.S. Tennis Association.
The nine-member team also includes Lindsay Davenport, who won a gold medal in singles at the 1996 Games. She’ll play singles and has been nominated for doubles with Liezel Huber, ranked No. 1 in the world in doubles.

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