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CNN Live Saturday
Serena Beats Venus in Wimbledon Final
Aired July 05, 2003 - 12:43 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.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: OK, that burning question once again. Who has won the most Wimbledon singles title for the women? The answer is Martina Navratilova. Come on, it was an easy one. An overhead smash, as it were. A total of nine between '78 and '90. And actually she was trying to win her 20th overall title this year, but got knocked off in mixed doubles.
Serena Williams beat her big sis, Venus, in three sets today, to win the Wimbledon -- win the final there.
CNN Sports' Matt Morrison is here, ready to serve up the details of this sister act. Part 12 I guess.
MATT MORRISON, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, something like that. Something that we're starting to get used to, called a tradition in the new millennium here, as the Williams sisters getting it done in the Grand Slam final.
And it was Serena, as she -- as Sean pointed out, you know, three-set victory. Serena Williams winning her second straight Wimbledon title. Her sixth straight victory over her sister Venus. The last five have been in Grand Slam finals. And this one comes with a little bit of tainted measure here. As Venus Williams came into the match, clearly grimacing from a strained abdominal muscle that she's been nursing for about the last two months, and reinjured in the semifinals.
And she actually took the first set in this one, Sean, but it was Serena who really didn't look awake when this match started. And maybe taking a little bit easier on her sister through the first set, but Serena came on strong and took the second sets -- two and three pretty easily.
Now we're watching actually file footage of Serena Williams in her semifinal victory over Justine Henin-Hardenne, that was a bit of a revenge match...
CALLEBS: ...(UNINTELLIGIBLE) we can't show the video while we're...
MORRISON: ...because the NBC telecast is still going on. So we'll show you the video a little bit later in the day, but let's just put it this way. It's Serena Williams in three sets. A victory.
Now I kind of thought Venus Williams would get an opportunity this year. CALLEBS: What are you thinking about? Look at Serena. She is such a physical specimen. She's so strong, she's so...
MORRISON: But if there is a match for Serena Williams, it is her sister Venus.
CALLEBS: On grass?
MORRISON: Physically -- physically they are almost the exact same player. Mentally is where the difference is. It's not that -- thought that Serena Williams this year had shown a little bit of vulnerability. She had been beaten twice already this year. Belgian Kim Clijsters early in the year, and then Justine Henin-Hardenne beat her in the finals of the French Open.
Venus in the meantime seemed to have a much better mental approach as Wimbledon started out. She seemed to be happier, and less -- less frustrated, shall we say, at the fact that she is the underdog to her little sister nowadays. So I thought that Venus looked like she was ready to challenge, and get over that mental hurdle.
CALLEBS: Let's talk about breakfast at Wimbledon tomorrow. What do you think? That large groan you heard yesterday when Andy Roddick got kicked out by NBC chiefs because -- it's probably going to hurt ratings somewhat, but still a great match coming up.
MORRISON: A terrific match, should be between Roger Federer, the Swiss, and Mark Philippoussis, the Australian player. Neither of whom has won a Grand Slam title. One of them will win a championship, a major title on the grass tomorrow. Now, these are two players that really have shown a lot of promise, Federer especially, with his straight sets victory over 20-year-old American Andy Roddick, which certainly would have been the television viewers' choice here in America. But he is not -- Federer played an outstanding match, and it's good to see that.
And Mark Philippoussis has a great story as well, coming back from some major knee injuries over the last couple of years.
CALLEBS: Right.
MORRISON: He was really on a fast track a few years back.
CALLEBS: This was a guy people predicted was -- would be like a Sampras type player.
MORRISON: Right, and it seemed to fall off the radar screen with the injuries, as well as probably losing a little bit of focus on his tennis game. But he's 26 now, I think, coming back and ready to challenge for a Wimbledon championship.
CALLEBS: And I'll give you your propers too. You ran the Peach Tree race yesterday, way to go.
MORRISON: Thank you. My leg still hurts, but I'm alive.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 5, 2003 - 12:43 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: OK, that burning question once again. Who has won the most Wimbledon singles title for the women? The answer is Martina Navratilova. Come on, it was an easy one. An overhead smash, as it were. A total of nine between '78 and '90. And actually she was trying to win her 20th overall title this year, but got knocked off in mixed doubles.
Serena Williams beat her big sis, Venus, in three sets today, to win the Wimbledon -- win the final there.
CNN Sports' Matt Morrison is here, ready to serve up the details of this sister act. Part 12 I guess.
MATT MORRISON, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Well, something like that. Something that we're starting to get used to, called a tradition in the new millennium here, as the Williams sisters getting it done in the Grand Slam final.
And it was Serena, as she -- as Sean pointed out, you know, three-set victory. Serena Williams winning her second straight Wimbledon title. Her sixth straight victory over her sister Venus. The last five have been in Grand Slam finals. And this one comes with a little bit of tainted measure here. As Venus Williams came into the match, clearly grimacing from a strained abdominal muscle that she's been nursing for about the last two months, and reinjured in the semifinals.
And she actually took the first set in this one, Sean, but it was Serena who really didn't look awake when this match started. And maybe taking a little bit easier on her sister through the first set, but Serena came on strong and took the second sets -- two and three pretty easily.
Now we're watching actually file footage of Serena Williams in her semifinal victory over Justine Henin-Hardenne, that was a bit of a revenge match...
CALLEBS: ...(UNINTELLIGIBLE) we can't show the video while we're...
MORRISON: ...because the NBC telecast is still going on. So we'll show you the video a little bit later in the day, but let's just put it this way. It's Serena Williams in three sets. A victory.
Now I kind of thought Venus Williams would get an opportunity this year. CALLEBS: What are you thinking about? Look at Serena. She is such a physical specimen. She's so strong, she's so...
MORRISON: But if there is a match for Serena Williams, it is her sister Venus.
CALLEBS: On grass?
MORRISON: Physically -- physically they are almost the exact same player. Mentally is where the difference is. It's not that -- thought that Serena Williams this year had shown a little bit of vulnerability. She had been beaten twice already this year. Belgian Kim Clijsters early in the year, and then Justine Henin-Hardenne beat her in the finals of the French Open.
Venus in the meantime seemed to have a much better mental approach as Wimbledon started out. She seemed to be happier, and less -- less frustrated, shall we say, at the fact that she is the underdog to her little sister nowadays. So I thought that Venus looked like she was ready to challenge, and get over that mental hurdle.
CALLEBS: Let's talk about breakfast at Wimbledon tomorrow. What do you think? That large groan you heard yesterday when Andy Roddick got kicked out by NBC chiefs because -- it's probably going to hurt ratings somewhat, but still a great match coming up.
MORRISON: A terrific match, should be between Roger Federer, the Swiss, and Mark Philippoussis, the Australian player. Neither of whom has won a Grand Slam title. One of them will win a championship, a major title on the grass tomorrow. Now, these are two players that really have shown a lot of promise, Federer especially, with his straight sets victory over 20-year-old American Andy Roddick, which certainly would have been the television viewers' choice here in America. But he is not -- Federer played an outstanding match, and it's good to see that.
And Mark Philippoussis has a great story as well, coming back from some major knee injuries over the last couple of years.
CALLEBS: Right.
MORRISON: He was really on a fast track a few years back.
CALLEBS: This was a guy people predicted was -- would be like a Sampras type player.
MORRISON: Right, and it seemed to fall off the radar screen with the injuries, as well as probably losing a little bit of focus on his tennis game. But he's 26 now, I think, coming back and ready to challenge for a Wimbledon championship.
CALLEBS: And I'll give you your propers too. You ran the Peach Tree race yesterday, way to go.
MORRISON: Thank you. My leg still hurts, but I'm alive.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
