Black Tennis Pros

One week after defending her title at the Dubai Open, Venus Williams came from a set down to repeat her Mexican Open title, beating Polona Hercog, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3, at Acapulco on Saturday night.

It was Williams' second consecutive title -- this one on clay and another a week ago on hard courts in Dubai -- and pushed her career total to 43 WTA titles, the most by an active player.

Hercog was appearing in her first WTA final.

Williams started slowly and got into trouble with an erratic serve and groundstrokes that were often long. Hercog was poised in winning the first set and seldom missed a shot.

The American gained her composure in the second set and began to wear down the 19-year-old Slovenian, hitting the corners more often and opening the court.

"I played such a good opponent," Williams said. "In the first set she did not miss one shot and I had to find a way to get into the match."

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Monday, February 22, 2010
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010



Thursday, February 25, 2010


Tonight was a battle. And I played a very worthy opponent. I had never heard of her before, but it was intense. I was having a hard time adjusting to the clay from the hard, and the courts here are playing very particular too, and then there was her game... It was one of those matches I'll be talking about for a while.

The crowd was extremely supportive. I've never had that support - EVER. Not even at Fed Cup or the Olympics. It was insane. I couldn't believe it. It was so nice! I find wherever I play, people root for the underdog, hoping that player will come up with something special. Maybe this time I was the underdog? She was a true clay courter and I was forced to adjust. When you're one game away from losing you have to find something... I got a game, then another, and finally when it was 5-3, I felt I had momentum. I started playing more aggressively from there.

These kinds of matches are fun (especially when you win them!)

Earlier, I forced myself to go to sleep. I knew it would help me in the match. So I slept. No multitasking, no brochure editing... Although I did wake up first thing in the morning to finish editing some marketing materials. Who knows, tomorrow I may crack open a book... but no one can be sure ;) The Make A Wish event raised $10,000 - which is very exciting! There are three big galas we do in my area in the year and this was one of them. I wish I could have been there...

Well... it's Friday and my mom hasn't made it. I doubt she'll come. She won't rush to another final. Maybe she's just relaxing at home...

One last thing... I want to say a huge thank you to all of my Mexican fans for tonight. I've never, ever felt that before. It was wonderful. Hopefully I never find myself down 1-5 in the third set - but if I do, I hope it happens in Mexico :)

Venus

How do you feel about this tournament? Evelyn

I've had some good wins here. I don't know why I play so well here. Last year and this year... even when I'm not playing my best, I've found a way to win the match. I'm going to have to channel this determination at the French! Crazy... I guess I'll have to make this a regular stop. I should have played here before last year. Now I know. I'll have to keep coming back.

Friday, February 26, 2010


Hi everyone. How are you?

Tonight I played another tough player who was on her game. Very impressive. After I lost the second set, I knew I had to make a few more shots. Missing doesn't really help my cause! She played really well though, I have to give her credit. I feel like I'm improving with each match. It was very exciting not to be down 1-5 in the third. I'll always remember that, but hopefully won't repeat it!

Before matches I eat just enough so I won't get tired. There's a certain amount and I have a numbering system. Whenever I feel I've had as much as I need, I stop. But I don't eat pasta after the match anymore. I'm done this lifestyle.

I didn't work on anything during the day, I just rested. And watched Smallville. My older sister is a huge fan of it too. We could talk about it for years. I would always tease her before for watching it... but now look at me.

I just love things that can't happen in real life I guess. Amazing things happen in Smallville. I love that. It's too early to tell who my favorite character is on the show, though. It always changes for me, because some characters annoy me, and so on. I only just finished Season 1, too. I also didn't crack open any books... It's just not going to happen this week - I'll start when I go home...

There were these little girls outside my court today looking through the fence. Now I don't speak Spanish but I know a little, and one girl said 'My name is Venus too!' It was so sweet. I don't know if that was her name or not. Actually, I doubt it. But I guess she wanted to be a tennis player, it was so cute.

I'll talk to you all after the final. Have a good night!

Venus

What did you do with the sombrero you won last year? Raymond

I gave it to my dad! He loved it so much. He saw pictures of me with it on and told me he loved the hat, so I gave it to him, and I haven't seen it since. But I'm hoping to have a doubles partner for it soon ;)




Saturday, February 27, 2010



Well I played a very worthy opponent today. She really played so well. I made a few errors in the first set and there was no room for that, because she made none and was playing aggressively. I had to turn it around in the second. So I started working on getting the win, and I'm happy I was able to do it.

The thing about me... I never feel pressure to defend titles. I think that makes me better at defending titles, because whenever I return to a tournament, I usually do pretty well. I guess Dubai and Acapulco is one of my specials...

As for the sombrero... this one's mine :)

I've been informed that this title ties me for No.10 for all-time titles with Martina Hingis. That's great! I guess I'll be passing her soon... I have the advantage because I'm still playing :) I'll be working on getting further into the Top 10.

Next for me is the Billie Jean King Cup in Madison Square Garden. That's hopefully another two matches for me on Monday. Last year I had a great time playing and hopefully it'll be even better this year. Last year there was a blizzard there... and I hadn't been in snow before. Well, I had landed places with snow already on the ground and a few flurries, but never where it was REALLY snowing. I thought people didn't go out in that kind of weather. It was so funny, like something out of a movie - one day when I was leaving the hotel, the coldest rush of wind came and I ran back inside... I thought, 'Are you serious?' I'm not used to that in Florida. We chase the Sun...

I had fun doing the blog again! I look forward to doing it again soon. I'll see you all in New York at the Billie Jean King Cup... Stay tuned! And visit my Facebook and Twitter pages, and my website too...

Until next time!

Venus

You never seem angry on the court. How do you do it? Olivier

It kind of follows my attitude off the court. Nothing ever bothers me. It helps on the court to think clearly, without emotions. It's just harder with emotions. I have been emotional before... but for the most part I'm a cucmber.

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The doubles team of American Mashona Washington and Canadian Sharon Fichman were defeated in the quarterfinal round of the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL by the Czech Republic's team of Vladimira Uhlirova and Renata Voracova 7-5, 6-1.

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ACAPULCO, México - Although it was tougher than the scoreline might suggest, Venus Williams was relatively untroubled in her opening match of the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL, beating Mathilde Johansson, 62 63.

Williams, the No.1 seed and defending champion on the red clay of Acapulco, faced break points as she served in the first game of the match but held and wound up clinching the first set in 34 minutes. The first four games of the second set all went to deuce and it was Johansson who seemed more in form, breaking for 2-1 and holding a point for 3-1; but Williams rolled from there, winning five of the last six games to prevail in an hour and 25 minutes.

"I'm just trying to get my rhythm on the clay so it was good to win," Williams said. "I really had to work for this tournament last year. This time last year I played a really tough three set match before I won, so it's a little better today. But I still just want to take it round by round and hopefully win."

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ROUND 1

Singles

Venus Williams, USA defeated Mathilde Johansson, FRA
6-2, 6-3

Doubles

Mashona Washington, USA and Sharon Fichman, CAN
vs.
Edina Gallovitts, ROU and Mariya Koryttseva, UKR


ROUND 2

Singles

Venus Williams, USA vs. Kaia Kanepi, EST

Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Angela Haynes, USA


ROUND 1

Doubles

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA and Sarah Borwell, GBR
vs.
Darija Jurak, CRO and Katalin Marosi, HUN

Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

Raquel Kops-Jones, USA


ROUND 1

Singles

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA defeated Michael Llodra, FRA
7-6(9), Ret'd


ROUND 2

Singles

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, FRA vs. Ivan Ljubicic, CRO


ROUND 1

Singles

James Blake, USA vs. Taylor Dent, USA

Doubles

Jeff Coetzee, RSA and Scott Lipsky, USA
vs.
Jarkko Nieminen, FIN and Bobby Reynolds, USA

James Blake, USA and Ryan Kendrick, USA
vs.
Eric Butorac, USA and David Martin, USA

Eliminated during singles qualifying rounds:

(6)Donald Young, USA


ROUND 1

Singles

Phillip Simmonds, USA, vs. Artem Sitak, RUS
Nicholas Monroe, USA vs. Blake Strode, USA

Doubles

Phillip Simmonds, USA and Andrew Anderson, RSA
vs.
Arnau Brugues-Davi, ESP and Victor Estrella, DOM

Nicholas Monroe, USA and Gregory Ouellette, USA
vs.
Javier Herrera-Equiluz, MEX and Daniel Kosakowski, USA

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I don't know what happened either Gael...

Frenchman Gael Monfils seemed a tad asleep at the wheel in last night's Abierto Mexicano Telcel. Spaniard Nicolas Almagro was only slightly more awake, although definitely more willing to pull the trigger, and thus walked away with the title. Monfils was defeated 6-4, 6-4.

Perhaps Almagro's determination resided in the need for a little payback. Monfils knocked Almagro out of the Australian Open in January in a third round straight sets win 6-4, 6-3, 7-5.

Whatever the motivation of either player, it was not the best tennis that we've seen from either. Nonetheless, as defending champion, Almagro was overjoyed.

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Got somewhere to go Venus?

My goodness! American Venus Williams took it to Italian Flavia Pennetta as if she had somewhere else important to go. The match lasted 62 minutes, but it seemed to go by much faster.

With an array of winning shots, five aces and a forehand that smacked everybody who doubts it in the face, Venus earned her 41st title at the Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco a short while ago.

Pennetta took her bruising like a woman though. After being assaulted 6-1, 6-2, she still smiled as she spoke Spanish during the trophy presentation.


Venus said she was sorry that she couldn't speak Spanish like Pennetta, but she did say "gracias," and "I hope to be back here next year."

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Both American Venus Williams and Frenchman Gael Monfils have advanced to the quarterfinal round of the Abierto Mexicano TELCEL.

Monfils defeated Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci 7-6 (3), 6-7 (2), 6-1. His next scheduled opponent is Argentine Leonardo Mayer.

Venus defeated Hungarian Greta Arn 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. Her next scheduled opponent is Hungarian Agnes Szavay.

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