Just the two matches today.

Venus vs Kuznetsova
Well after all three players that I was supporting to win lost..... I'm now supporting Venus (along with Ivanovic) for Wimbledon as I believe she is the only one who can stop Henin now, (not that I dislike Henin all that much, I just don't want her winning everything.....) Kuznetsova leads the H2H 3-2 but no meetings on grass and 3 on clay which is Vee's weakest surface and Sveta isn't known for her grass court game. I think Venus will win this even if she doesn't pkay as well as she did against MAria. However she was fired up for that match against Maria and whilst Sveta is an easier match to win Venus still needs to concentrate.

Vaidsisova vs Ivanovic
H2H is 1-1 bith on hard but Ana's win came two years ago and Nicole's in January. Neither played there best in their respective 4th round wins but both are competent pkayers and I think this will be a good match. Can't call it though.

Cracking start for Venus. Kuznetsova gave her a couple of nervous moments in her first pair of service games, but because she has also started strongly. Venus however is stepping into her next gear and appears to have picked up where she left off, serving strongly, coming forward and finding the lines. She has the first break and consolidates for 4-1.

Very high level out there, with fierce groundstrokes, good defensive plays and nice angles on offer. This could prove quite a contest if both women can keep it going. However it is Venus who maintains the slight edge in the early going and although the Russian threatens 15-30 she holds for 5-2.

Kuznetsova confidently holds to love and it will be up to the American to serve out the first set 5-3.

There is a very slight opening for the Russian at 0-15 but Venus takes the next three points to take the first set 6-3.

Service breaks thus far are seeming like they will be very precious to come by. Despite the scoreline and relative speed (just 29 minutes) of the set this is a tight affair. It will be interesting to see if Venus can stay out ahead or if Kuznetsova will seize the momentum as she threatened to do at several points in the first.

In a game very reminiscent of that 14-deuce epic from yesterday, Kuznetsova fends off seven (!) break points to hold. Dishearteningly for her perhaps Venus holds to 15 for 1-all and the pressure is back on the Russian.

Venus scores the first break of the second to go up 3-2. She heroically saves triple break point from 0-40, gets to game point, and then a few UEs later Kuznetsova (who isn't going away by any stretch) belatedly has her effort rewarded to draw even 3-all. The momentum has swung back and I think we're in for a decider.

Scratch that. :unsure: It's Kuznetsova's turn to show some nerves on a few dodgy forehands and she is broken to love. Venus goes back up 4-3 and the finish line perhaps is in sight for her.

Seems like it might be a Justine -v- Venus final. To me that is so :yikes: :yikes:

Venus has been unbelievable on Centre Court. Has anyone noticed that when she plays on Centre Court her game goes up? She's only played crap when she was on Court 2.

*shitting myself* for the final :yikes: :yikes:

Venus is through 6-3, 6-4. She had trouble closing it out, taking five match points and facing a break point in the process, but she does it in the end. Well done! When it rains it pours: not a single Top 10 win (apart from Schnyder) since the year she last won this title and here two straight-set victories in as many days.

I think the scheduling unfortunately will catch up to Venus. Having to maintain this high level across consecutive days is tough and it started to tell on her in the second a bit. She'd have to win two more days in a row (and produce in all likelihood two more Top 10 wins) to repeat her 2005 feat.

Bizarre ain't it!
She has looked mediocre at best at the beginning of this tournament and tourneys leading to this but whenever she steps on CC against a top player.. her level of play just rockets. It was her footwork that amazed me the most against Sharapova, she was looking a step slow in earlier rounds but wherever Shazza hit the ball, Venus was already there, ready to blast a forehand away...

:yahoo: :yahoo:

Venus's game has come alive on CC this week, my god what a transformation :bow:

Venus is the best mover on the tour IMO, kuzy was throwing some huge forehands at her today, and it was just coming back with so much interest. Kuzy at times looked so out of her depth and it was understandable when playing the ferocity of the 3 time champ. That forehand is looking so grooved right now. She's moving forward great also, closing off the net.

Well done Venus. She willhave to be carful in her semis. Those young players willplay out of their minds.. Justine will be very nervous to play Venus in the finals.

vaidisova took the 1st set over ivanovic but now the serb has gone up 5-2 in the 2nd.

c'mon nicole :)

i lost 2.5k on the kuzzy v williams match. i had everthing staked (rather stupidly i know) on kuzzy breaking back when venus was serving for it

it was the most emotionally intense few minutes of my life. venus goes up 40-0 and all hope is lost. then against all odds kuzzy gets it back to deuce. and it's break point! hope stirs in my breast. my heart is beating harder than it ever has. this could actually happen!! williams saves and holds and all my hopes are dashed. all my good decisions and courage have been wiped out on the outcome of 1 point and i'm right back where i started.

good thing i'm winning 3k off the ivan v vaider match. :)

come on ana, you got to dredge this out for old flamey.

vaidisova had chances on the ivanovic serve, but now she'll try to serve herself into the semis at 5-4

c'mon nicole :pray:

eek, sloppy came from nicole...5-all

this could get ugly :(

bottle job! come on ana!!

COME ON ANA!!

YES!! 4K WIN FOR FLAME!! WHAT A MATCH!

well done to ivanovic, but ms. vaidisova needs to learn how to deal with her nerves :(

Ana wins :o :o

I'm pleased about it as I was supporting her before the match but towards the end I really felt for Nicole. She was the better player in this match and played the more exciting tennis but Ana held strong, got more than a bit of luck and managed to grind out the win. :ok:

nicole played the tennis but ana kept her head and never quit out there, even at mp down. all credit to her.

It was Vaidisova's match to win or lose, and unfortunately she lost it. I wanted to see her win it because frankly Ivanovic put me off a bit with her RG final disaster, but at least the Serb has built upon her successes there with another semi here to show it wasn't a fluke run by any stretch. She also impressed me with her steel in fending off the three match points on her serve, because Vaidisova didn't quite start melting down until her own service game.

Here's looking forward to a competitive SF. Venus leads their H2H 2-0 and I do think she's (only slightly) luckier to not have to face Vaidisova, who of course defeated her at RG last year. Still Venus has the advantage of vast experience and clearly Centre Court is a tonic for a her game, but obviously Ivanovic did a stellar job of her last semifinal. We'll see how it goes.

I'm suprised Ana got away with that really tbh. nicole seemed so in control early on, she was 6-4 2-2 with a breakpoint, so it was in her hands really. She was really suprising me with the arsenal she brough to the court today. It was thunderous hitting mixed with a slice backhand and several net approaches. At times vaidisova looked the much better player, but in belief stakes she really didnt. Her biggest chance was on her third matchpoint where she had a return right in the hitting zone, which she should've at least made Ivanovic play. Ivanovic was so gutsy though, refusing to let Nicole edge to the win. She started moving better as well in the closing stages, just frustrating the Czech with that one extra ball off the slice backhand.

Ana was excellent towards the end.. some sort of resemblance to Capriati. Hopefully Nicole will get stronger.

I don't think she will be that nervous.
She has nothing to lose either.
Justine will be the underdog in the match and she will have defended her points from last year should she reach the final.
It should be competitive anyway. :ok:

There's no way Justine will be the underdog, I'd expect her to beat Venus unless Venus puts in an exceptional performance and Henin underperforms.

Henin has been the favourite throughout the tournament, and many would say she's virtually guaranteed to win it. All the expectation is on Henin to win, not Venus.

Though neither of them has reached the final yet, so we may be counting our chickens, it could be another Henin - Ivanovic final. Justine should crush Marion Bartoli easily though and walk into the final again for the second successive year. It really will be a major shock if she doesn't win the tournament this year, it's definitely her best chance so far in her career, maybe the best she'll ever have.

I have to disagree.
Venus has won this event three times, and been a finalist twice.
Justine has only made the final twice.
Venus has a great head to head against Justine also.
Venus has also been playing the best tennis, John McEnroe thinks Venus'match agaisnt The Cheat was her best tennis, I can't see how Justine will go into a final with venus not being the favourite... :shrug:

I definitely see where you're coming from, but I just don't know if Venus can keep this level up for what would have to be four successive matches on four successive days. We know Henin can, but Venus? I'm doubtful. Plus I'm really not sure Ivanovic is going to be a walkover, I think it could be very tough for Venus and that Ivanovic has a good chance of winning.

I do see parallels with 2005 certainly, if anything Venus has played better than then in the last couple of matches, but Henin is not Davenport, she's much mentally tougher.

But Linds is better on grass, I think Lindsay at 2005 Wimbledon was more impressive than Justine at Wimby now ;)

Anyway, Venus :yahoo: Please get that 4th title :ok: Big congrats to Ana too :D

Oh I wasn't knocking Lindsay! She was a great player, she deserved a lot more than the three slams she won. She's definitely a better grasscourt player than Justine, after all she's actually won Wimbledon and Justine hasn't (so far).

Venus is really the only hope of those of us who don't want to see Henin win, I think Ivanovic would crumble again as memories of the French Final would come flooding back.

I try not to get too hopeful about Venus, when I get too optimistic she tends to lose so I'm being quite pessimistic this year.

:) :) Watching Venus...I couldn't help but think dlo4 must be feeling really :) good....

Good performances all round...but sometimes against Sharapova...

these two girls make banshee look silly......the decibel levels were really like some primal call in wild.....probably around now..mating season... :rolleyes:

If it is Venus Henin final.....and the Venus Serve is cracking it will make for an interesting tourney.... because I think she is getting her head straight now.... attitude seems about right... " been there done that,,cando it all again!"

Nice to see.. :)

Venus and Kuzzy played some great points today. I felt sorry for Kuzzy - she played great stuff but Venus somehow managed to find all the lines and get in the zone. Must say it was bloody noisy though - great stuff Venus but can you please stop screeching like a trapped animal? It's not necessary, she manages to turn it off when she wants to. Otherwise great stuff :D

Vaidisova and Ivanovic was wierd if you ask me. I wasn't overawed and Vaidisova screwed up bad. I really did not expect that to happen. I thought she had the greater variety and was the better player for the most part. Good on Ivanovic for not giving up, but I do find her game boring. Wonder what will happen when she plays Venus? :shrug:

Soo true..... frankly ....I think Amelie choked quite a bit during the rain delays against Vaidiso ..allowing her to squeeze through. Vaidisova was playing great tennis last year but emotionally not quite all there...come this year she is emotionally stronger but she is not upping up her play.

:) It actually does hurt sometimes to see them play...and you wonder if these are the top seeds in the women's game....but hey.. I could do alot worse if given a racquet so I rest my point...

But Ana agains Henin......unless Justine catches a wimbledon rain bug or virus.. her varied style will trouble ana for some time to come.

Amelie played well in the last tournament against Justine 2 0r 3 weeks back on grass...So I was quite dissappointed with her game but hey...

Ana wants to prove a point...so I will sit back and see what she has to say to Venus.... :) I do hope the raquets do all the talking...

Gotta give :bow: to Henin..
Last six (probably) slam finals she has played in.. great stuff from her. Maybe be 7 if she was in the USO 2005 final, I don't remember who was in that one.. although I think Kim won

Hey Suzi :D

I agree with you entirely. When Vaidisova beat Amelie at I think last year's FO, Amelie choked a bit as well. It is also dissapointing that MoMo is out, She did indeed look promising at Eastbourne. Tough year for her though, and she can't do anything about that as it wasn't her fautl she could not get the matches in. She's one fo my faves, but I think having her in the mix in the latter stages in an asset to the variety of the game. No one plays like her and she is excellent on grass, a must have in the Wimby mix. Henin must be in that mix too, and it has space for a big hitter too. But without Amelie it seems all wrong. I had Amelie and Justien as my finalists, with Venus as an outsider. My outsider might have been a better pick.

Henin is brilliant. I've never warmed to her as much as Amelie or my old star Nav, but I really want her to win this nwo Amelie is out. If anyoen deserves to win on all four surfaces it is her. Such a great all court player, such variety and a brilliant tennis head. Go Justine :D

Im surprised Liam hasn't reminded you yet Trisc that Pierce blasted Henin off the court in the 4th round of the USO 2005 :P

Which she then of course got to the final in.

roflmao roflmao

Wishful thinking eh? :wacko: