Venus enters record book, as Williams’ sisters through to semifinals

Five-time Wimbledon champion, Venus Williams, entered the Wimbledon record book when at age 36, she became the oldest lady in the quarterfinals and now the semi-finals. She defeated Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 7/6; 6/2 in the Number One Court named Millennium Stadium when opened in 2002. She was a step ahead of baby sister, Serena, whose match was slated as the second one on Centre-Court. It was indeed a day of the Williams Family; witnessed by their mother, sister and support team.

Venus opened serving in the first set, and as happened often throughout the match, hesitated and checked her ball toss to adjust to the midday sun and the tunnel-like windiness of the Circular. She won the first point and the game. Shvedova leveled at love. Although up 30-15 in the third game, Venus faced break point following an aggressive service return by Shvedova.

However, a costly service return error gave her the deuce and she won the game with a winning volley at net.

The fourth game revealed a glaring dent in Williams’ forehand. She had a break point at 30-40 but lost it on a forehand service return error; and on three advantage opportunities, that stroke cost failed her.

Venus lost the fifth game on her serve, consequent on the fateful forehand, to give her opponent the first break of the match. She broke back after a long struggle and held serve for a 4-3 lead. Venus lost the eighth game when her forehand shot sailed wide. There was a purple patch stretch as Venus opened with a service winner and two aces to win the ninth game.

She had set points when her opponent served at 30-40, but it was erased with a forehand winner by Shvedova, who took the game on a forehand service return error by Williams.

In a battle of forehand drives, Venus held steady to win the 1th game. The Kazak lady won the 12th game and took the set to a tie break

Venus has a great record in winning tie breaks, having taken nine out of 10 played in 2016 compared to Shvedova’s three out of five. She took the opening point on her serve and Shvedova took her two service points to lead 2-1. Williams leveled but lost her second service point to give Shvedova, who held on to her next two serves for a 5-2 lead.

From that sage on, Venus won five straight points to cinch the set 7/6. In all, Venus recovered from her litany of forehand errors in the first 12 games, but she did better on that side the tiebreak.

The second set was a one way-affair for Venus. She broke Shvedova in the first game, held her successive service games to lead 3-1. Down 15-40 in the fifth game Shvedova saved the game point with an ace, raising her hands in celebration and deuced with a service winner. She had the first advantage but a successful challenge needed to have a point replayed because the line umpire had called before Venus struck the ball out.

She lost the game and Venus Williams had a 4-1 lead that was consolidated on love in her serve game. The Kazak lady won the seventh game. Williams served for the match and led 15-0. Points were leveled at 15-all on an unforced forehand error by Venus.

From then on, it was all a Venus’ show as she took the next three points to win the set and match.

As Venus was waving at the crowd in jubilation, her mother and support team hurriedly left their seats to dash across the grounds to their Centre Court seats, to watch baby sister commence her match against Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, after Romania’s Simona Halep lost to Germany’s Angelique Kerber, the conqueror of Serena in the Australian Open and the next opponent for Venus Williams.