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CNN Live Saturday

Interview With Richard Pagliaro of 'Tennis Week'

Aired July 06, 2002 - 17:23   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Serena and Venus Williams headed to yet another Wimbledon final. About two hours after facing off in the women's single final, the sisters teamed up to beat Anna Kournikova and Chanda Rubin in the women's doubles semifinal. Venus and Serena will play for the doubles championship on Sunday.

Well, a doubles win is Venus' last shot at walking away with a Wimbledon title. She didn't clinch a three-peat in the singles today. Baby sister Serena dominated and won straight sets against Venus in the women's final. Here's a look at all the excitement from CNN's Richard Quest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): History was made at Wimbledon. And even if it wasn't the quality of the tennis, it was those playing on court that will put themselves into the books. Not since 1884, when Maude and Lilian Watson, two sisters, played in the finals have sisters been in the final two.

Now, though, it was Venus and Serena Williams. Venus, of course, was defending her title. She's won it twice before. Serena, this was her chance to take the title and run. It was a powerful, hard-fought match, and Serena Williams won in straight sets 7-6, 6-3.

The classic match perhaps of the two sisters, each played from the baseline, powering the ball backward and forward. Aces of serves. The sheer dynamics was classic Williams sisters.

In the end, though, the younger sister, the 20-year-old Serena Williams showed through. You could see it on the look, on the face of Venus Williams. The disappointment, the dismay, finally the recognition. She'd been beaten; her younger sister would take the title, thus depriving Venus Williams of her third title, not seen since Steffi Graf in the early 1990s.

The sisters, though, take home between them over $1.1 million, being the winner and the loser. As for the mother, well, she said she'd hoped that Serena Williams would win. It was her turn. Richard Williams, the father, the coach, the mentor, he wasn't here because of ill health.

Wimbledon now turns its attention from the women to the men. The men's final on Sunday. Lleyton Hewitt will play David Nalbandian of Argentina. History again, the first time that a male contender has come here and got straight through to the finals. David Nalbandian, not exactly well known, will certainly have his work cut out then if he's to beat against Lleyton Hewitt. Powerful play can be expected on Sunday.

One other thing that can be expected whenever it's Wimbledon: Strawberries and cream. Whoever wins, they always taste excellent.

Richard Quest, CNN, Wimbledon. Excuse me.

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WHITFIELD: Well, there was no time for snacking, because that match only lasted just barely over an hour. Right now, the Williams sisters are the top ranked women and maybe the best known players in the game. Some of their opponents are even complaining that the sisters are too strong to play against. Wah-wah. And is anybody else out there still playing in the game? Let's ask about that to Richard Pagliaro, Internet editor of Tennisweek.com and writer for "Tennis Week" magazine.

So are we hearing the whinings of an awful lot of sour grapes out there, or did we see in this final perhaps the best duel between these sisters?

RICHARD PAGLIARO, TENNIS WEEK MAGAZINE: Yeah, Fredricka, I think you're absolutely right. I think this was certainly the best final of the three Grand Slam finals the Williams sisters have played.

The first set was really competitive. I thought Serena just served better and she covered the court better and really took more risk out there, really went for her shots, and she played with conviction. And Venus looked a little bit apprehensive in that second set.

WHITFIELD: And so Serena now with what's called the Royal Triple Crown after now winning Wimbledon, the Italian Open and the French Open. Venus said, you know, this was not about winning, but her body language certainly said that she felt very defeated.

PAGLIARO: Venus looked deeply disappointed to me, and just hearing her in the post-match press conference I think she took this one a lot harder than she took the last month's loss in the French Open final to Serena. You know, Venus was two-time defending champion, as we heard in the prior report, and I think she has a lot of pride. This meant a lot to her. And I think it's going to be a tough loss, but it will give her added incentive for the U.S. Open in September, where she's also two-time defending champion.

WHITFIELD: But now, adding insult to injury, Serena becomes the number one ranked player on Monday, doesn't she?

PAGLIARO: Yes, she does. She surpasses Venus to take over the top spot for the first time in her career. And she's real proud of that. And as their father prophesied, you know, years and years ago someday they'd be the top two players in tennis, and they are. And they're dominating right now.

WHITFIELD: All right, Richard, what about those men? No Americans in the final, no Brits. So the Wimbledon fans are rooting for whom?

PAGLIARO: Fredricka, this is the first time we're going to see two baseliners contesting the Wimbledon men's finals since '78, since Borg beat Connors in straight sets. And we're going to have the first baseline men's champion since '92 when Agassi beat Goran.

You know, Nalbandian just absolutely came out of nowhere. It's really absolutely astounding that he's actually got to the final. This is a guy that its his Wimbledon debut but he had never played a professional grass court tournament. He said today after his semifinal win that preparing for this tournament back in Buenos Aires, Argentina, he had been losing routinely on grass to juniors, guys who aren't even pros he'd been losing to. So this is a remarkable run for him. And it's a great story.

I do think Hewitt is the overwhelming favorite. You know, he's the number one player in the world, and he just plays tremendously tenacious tennis. He's going to be very, very tough for Nalbandian to overcome.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much. Richard Pagliaro of Tennisweek.com and "Tennis Week" magazine, thanks very much, appreciate it.

PAGLIARO: Thank you, Fredricka.

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