VENUS WILLIAMS CREDITS HER DAD FOR THE WIN IN MIAMI

Written by: Staff on 30th March 2017

VENUS WILLIAMS CREDITS HER DAD FOR THE WIN IN MIAMI

epa05878087 Venus Williams of the USA reacts after defeating Angelique Kerber of Germany following their quarterfinal match at the Miami Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida, USA, 29 March 2017. EPA/RHONA WISE |

Williams Wins In Miami And Credits Her Dad Being In Attendance

Venus Williams, who will turn 37 years of age before the start of Wimbledon in three month’s time, admitted she benefited from the presence of her father, mentor and former coach Richard sitting as close to the court as he possibly could, as she won through to the Miami Open semi-final.

Ill health had meant Richard, aged 75, was been absent from the tennis scene for a couple of years and he is known to have suffered a stroke in July 2016 but he positioned himself in the photographers’ pit for Venus’ quarterfinal win over world no.1 Angelique Kerber.

“My dad is one of the loves of my life and the reason I am here in this game,” said Venus after her 7-5, 6-3 win that propelled her forward into the competition’s last four where she will face Britain’s Johanna Konta.

“It was such a happy moment to see the joy, pride and excitement in him. I could win the match just for that.”

Father and daughter shared a big hug as Venus left the Crandon Park stadium court and she happily stated afterwards: “My dad really wanted it for me. I could hear him on the sidelines. It’s always a happy moment, when I come off the court. Even if I lose, he’s still very happy.”

Venus also saw it as an appropriate time to finally address her father’s comments of several years ago that he hadn’t anticipated her playing much beyond her mid-20s.

“I feel that his greatest accomplishment was for Serena and I to be whole people and to not be statistics,” she said. “He just wanted us to not see tennis as the whole thing in our life. At this point, I think he never wants us to retire, so it’s a joy for him to see us out here.”

Venus Williams of the USA in action against Angelique Kerber of Germany during their quarterfinal match at the Miami Open tennis tournament on Key Biscayne, Miami, Florida, USA, 29 March 2017. EPA/RHONA WISE

Given Venus reached the Australian Open final in January this accomplishment isn’t earth-shattering but nevertheless she completely outplayed supposedly the current best player in the women’s game. In doing so she improved her record at the tournament in which she made her debut in 1997 and won the title in 1998, 1999 and 2001 to 61-13.

Williams, the oldest player to enter the Key Biscayne draw, now stands on the brink of reentering the WTA top ten by reaching her first Miami final since 2010.

A year ago she lost in the tournament’s first round to a qualifier – albeit the recent Indian Wells champion Elena Vesnina – but of her win over Kerber, she said: “Sometimes I didn’t quite get it over that line, but I kept going for it. I was aggressive, and that’s when I play my best.”

Story via Bob Larson Tennis News Service. copyrighted 2017