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CNN Saturday Morning News

Williams Sisters Contest Wimbledon Final

Aired July 05, 2003 - 07:47   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.


KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: The Williams sisters will take center stage and center court at Wimbledon this morning. It's the sister act two at the All England club, as the two face off for the title for the second straight year.
Joining us with more on the final is Patrick Snell live -- hello, Patrick.

What's it looking like? Who's going to win this one? What are they saying?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kris, a very good morning to you.

Welcome to the All England Club in London.

Yes, it's another match up between Venus and Serena. Venus probably, surprisingly, a couple of years ago I wouldn't have said this, surprisingly not the favorite. Serena is the current world number one. She is the defend champion here. It's a repeat, as you say, of last year's final.

Venus is nursing a slight stomach strain. It's an abdominal injury she's had since last May. And she struggled through her semifinal against the Belgian Kim Clijsters.

So probably Serena is a pretty strong favorite, I would say, to win this one. I think she'll make up for the disappointment of losing in the French Open semifinal at Roland Garros. And I really do believe that, yes, I think Serena will just about shade this one -- Kris.

OSBORN: Yes, she is the defending champ.

I wanted to ask you about the men's final.

Philippoussis knocks off Agassi. Is he favored against Federer or Federer, is he going to go ahead, because he took out Roddick?

SNELL: A tough one to call, it is, really. Many people do believe it is the Australian, Mark Philippoussis's year. He's been in phenomenal form. He's nicknamed the Scud. That's a reference to the immense power of this huge serve he's got. But the Swiss, Roger Federer, playing some unbelievable tennis to put out Andy Roddick in the semifinals Friday.

Mark Philippoussis perhaps just shading that one, but Federer, he does play a beautiful game -- Kris.

OSBORN: Well, Philippoussis, he aced Agassi something like 46 times. I saw him play at the U.S. Open. He's been around -- several years back. He's been playing for a while and his serve, it literally is like a bullet, as you say. They call it the Scud?

SNELL: That's right. There's so much more to the Philippoussis game, though. He's now 26. This one a great story, really. A little more than two years ago he was pretty much confined to a wheelchair. He's had three separate bouts of surgery on his left knee. It is an amazing recovery. He's only once appeared in a Grand Slam final. That was in the U.S. Open.

Privately, it's been reported that he had perhaps conceded that his best days were over. He may never have picked up a racket again in competitive tennis. But he's proved all the doubters wrong. He is through to Sunday's Wimbledon final against Roger Federer. What an achievement it would be were he able to beat the Swiss -- Kris.

OSBORN: Indeed.

Patrick Snell, live from London with a full Wimbledon break down. A lot of fans tuning into this one.

Thank you very much for the debrief.

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 - 07:47   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KRIS OSBORN, CNN ANCHOR: The Williams sisters will take center stage and center court at Wimbledon this morning. It's the sister act two at the All England club, as the two face off for the title for the second straight year.
Joining us with more on the final is Patrick Snell live -- hello, Patrick.

What's it looking like? Who's going to win this one? What are they saying?

PATRICK SNELL, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Kris, a very good morning to you.

Welcome to the All England Club in London.

Yes, it's another match up between Venus and Serena. Venus probably, surprisingly, a couple of years ago I wouldn't have said this, surprisingly not the favorite. Serena is the current world number one. She is the defend champion here. It's a repeat, as you say, of last year's final.

Venus is nursing a slight stomach strain. It's an abdominal injury she's had since last May. And she struggled through her semifinal against the Belgian Kim Clijsters.

So probably Serena is a pretty strong favorite, I would say, to win this one. I think she'll make up for the disappointment of losing in the French Open semifinal at Roland Garros. And I really do believe that, yes, I think Serena will just about shade this one -- Kris.

OSBORN: Yes, she is the defending champ.

I wanted to ask you about the men's final.

Philippoussis knocks off Agassi. Is he favored against Federer or Federer, is he going to go ahead, because he took out Roddick?

SNELL: A tough one to call, it is, really. Many people do believe it is the Australian, Mark Philippoussis's year. He's been in phenomenal form. He's nicknamed the Scud. That's a reference to the immense power of this huge serve he's got. But the Swiss, Roger Federer, playing some unbelievable tennis to put out Andy Roddick in the semifinals Friday.

Mark Philippoussis perhaps just shading that one, but Federer, he does play a beautiful game -- Kris.

OSBORN: Well, Philippoussis, he aced Agassi something like 46 times. I saw him play at the U.S. Open. He's been around -- several years back. He's been playing for a while and his serve, it literally is like a bullet, as you say. They call it the Scud?

SNELL: That's right. There's so much more to the Philippoussis game, though. He's now 26. This one a great story, really. A little more than two years ago he was pretty much confined to a wheelchair. He's had three separate bouts of surgery on his left knee. It is an amazing recovery. He's only once appeared in a Grand Slam final. That was in the U.S. Open.

Privately, it's been reported that he had perhaps conceded that his best days were over. He may never have picked up a racket again in competitive tennis. But he's proved all the doubters wrong. He is through to Sunday's Wimbledon final against Roger Federer. What an achievement it would be were he able to beat the Swiss -- Kris.

OSBORN: Indeed.

Patrick Snell, live from London with a full Wimbledon break down. A lot of fans tuning into this one.

Thank you very much for the debrief.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com