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American Morning

Williams Sisters Hope for Family Reunion in Wimbledon Finals

Aired June 26, 2001 - 09:50   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.
LAURA OKMIN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was the all-sister act that stole the spotlight at the All England Club last year as the Williams sisters set up a family-style semifinal showdown that rocked all of Wimbledon. Defending champ and big sister Venus making quick work of first round opponent Shinobe Asagoe in straight sets this morning, while little sister Serena advanced yesterday. So will a family feud sequel take place on an even larger stage this year?

Here's CNN's Phil Jones.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): They're the first family of sports. Wherever the Williams clan goes, the camera follow, and follow, and then follow some more.

But then this is quite the story. Two youngsters raised to be tennis champions by a dad who says he claimed to come the other side of the tracks, but his neighborhood wasn't even good enough for tracks. Venus and Serena Williams have long since been on a fast track to stardom. But with fame comes the pain of having to deal with a constant, incessant attention at almost every turn, especially here at Wimbledon.

SERENA WILLIAMS, 1999 U.S. OPEN CHAMPION: I try to stay out of it, although I can never seem to stay out of the middle of the commotion.

RICHARD WILLIAMS, FATHER: What makes it rough, you can't go anyplace. You can't do anything, and you get to the point where everyone wants to shake hands.

JONES: And some of the attention comes without a positive intent. Tabloid stories alleging last year's Wimbledon semifinal win for Venus over Serena was fixed; allegations that their father was also behind Venus' last-minute withdrawal for her Masters Series semi at Indian Wells, giving Serena a free pass into the final. Richard then claimed they were racially abused by the spectators in the stands there.

S. WILLIAMS: It's tough because there's a lot of things out there that are fabricated often, and sometimes I read things but I never see it and sometimes people just get different images. We really try hard to build up positive and people really try to build it down.

VENUS WILLIAMS, 2000 WIMBLEDON CHAMPION: Basically, I'm just living my life and really not paying attention to anything someone has written or said. So, I haven't had any problems with that.

R. WILLIAMS: I have no thing on a negative report on me or my family. I think people have a right to say what they want to say. It doesn't bother me. My mom trained me for everything and I trained the girls and so I think that everything that comes along is a blessing as far as I'm concerned.

S. WILLIAMS: Everyone likes to read things that have a controversy to it, so everyone's just trying to sell a paper. Why not?

JONES: But when tennis life isn't all strawberries and cream for the Williams family, is there a sense that it's them against the world?

R. WILLIAMS: Only a crazy person would think like that. No one can fight the world. The world is too big. I think actually is with us, and I think they support us very, very well. I hope we play well enough to support the world.

JONES: Amid all the world attention, good and bad, from the media masses and the public at large, the Williams sisters say they simply try to keep on doing what they do best: play powerful, athletic and successful tennis.

S. WILLIAMS: That's all that matters, is let my ranking do that talking and keep winning and become Wimbledon champ.

V. WILLIAMS: I like to be left alone. I'm perfectly OK with just being with myself, living a low-key life, but that's the not the way God intended it for me and I'm happy because if I wasn't as low- key, then I would be like number 200 in the world.

S. WILLIAMS: And then you wouldn't be happy.

V. WILLIAMS: And I probably wouldn't have won Wimbledon.

JONES: Unlike last year, the Williams sisters can't meet until the final. Should they progress that far, the family legend would grow. We can be certain that so, too, will the scrutiny.

At Wimbledon, I'm Phil Jones.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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