Black Tennis Pros

(HONG KONG) Venus Williams beat Anna Chakvetadze in straight sets Friday

Chakvetadze played well in the first set, responding to Williams' power-hitting with crafty counter-punching and big hitting of her own, but the Russian couldn't maintain her form in the second set.

"She's able to chase down a lot of balls," Williams said. "Against a player like that, it's just important to focus on what's happening on my side of the net and realize that I might have to hit two or three extra (balls). The reply might be a little shorter so I might have the chance to come in to be more aggressive."

Chakvetadze was up 4-2 in the first set, but Williams broke back in the eighth game. The Russian then missed two straight forehands in the tiebreaker to give Williams a 6-0 lead.

"It's tough to play her," Chakvetadze said. "She hits very hard."

Williams broke Chakvetadze twice to take a 5-1 lead in the second set, but the Russian saved two match points to hold serve in the seventh game and then broke Williams to stay in the match. However, Williams broke right back, sealing the win as Chakvetadze missed a forehand down the line.

Williams will play Zvonareva and Dulko faces Chakvetadze on Saturday, before a final doubles match.

HONG KONG (AFP) — Venus Williams crushed world number one Jelena Jankovic in straight sets Thursday, inspiring the Americas to victory over second seeds Europe at Hong Kong's World Team Challenge.

The Wimbledon champion pulled her team level after the Americas lost their opening doubles clash and in Thursday's late evening match Gisela Dulko beat Agnes Szavay 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 6-3 to take her team through to the gold group final.

In the final, the Americas will face top seeds Russia, who won all three of their matches against Asia-Pacific.

Williams seized control early in her match with Jankovic and never let up, breaking twice in each set for a 6-2, 6-2 win.

The seven-time Grand Slam champion broke the Serbian in the first game of the match, racing into a 4-0 lead, unfurling a series of unanswerable ground strokes.

Williams, who trails Jankovic 4-5 in head-to-heads on the WTA tour, broke again in the third game of the second set and went on to seal the match with the help of another break.

"I had a good start. I think it put some pressure on her. I also wasn't giving her the errors I usually give to her, lots of errors," said Williams, who beat Jankovic in their last meeting at the season-ending WTA Tour Championships.

The world number six said she had a "great feeling" about the upcoming season and was going to use the knowledge she had gleaned from her last two tournaments in 2008, both of which she won.

Williams, looking to win her first Australian Open title, said she was not surprised to be off to such a strong start against a powerful opponent.

"I've always been a good player off the jump. That's always been the way I've played throughout my career," she said.

Jankovic said she had found her first singles match of the season tough.

"It was very hard to get into the match. I felt very slow on the court and didn't really get my rhythm out there," she said.

"But it's the first match of the season so I can't expect myself to play the best tennis, which is normal."

HONG KONG (AP)—Venus Williams and Coco Vandeweghe of the United States lost in straight sets to Team Europe at an exhibition tournament on Wednesday.

Top-ranked Jelena Jankovic of Serbia and Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal beat Team Americas 6-4, 7-5.

Williams will play Jankovic in singles on Thursday.

Photo Getty Images

HONG KONG (AP) — Despite watching some of her biggest rivals hang up their rackets in recent years, five-time Grand Slam winner Venus Williams says she still has plenty of goals in tennis.

"I love my job. I love hitting balls, running, jumping, chasing after that ball. I love what I do, so that's what keeps me motivated," the 28-year-old said Tuesday in Hong Kong ahead of a tuneup exhibition tournament for the Australian Open.

While many of her contemporaries, like Belgians Justin Henin and Kim Clijsters, and Switzerland's Martina Hingis have left the WTA Tour, the elder of the two Williams sisters said she's still hungry for more.

Williams has won at Wimbledon five times and the U.S. Open twice, but has had less success at the two other Grand Slams. She reached the final at the French Open in 2002 and the Australian Open in 2003.

"I haven't won the French or the Australian (Opens), although I've come pretty close, so those are definitely on my list," Williams said, adding that reclaiming the No. 1 ranking this year is a realistic goal.

Williams, ranked No. 6, enjoyed a strong season in 2008 with wins at Wimbledon and the season-ending WTA Championship in Doha, Qatar and said she's feeling healthy after a four-week break from tennis.

"Nothing to complain about right now," Williams said.

The American is playing in Hong Kong starting Wednesday in her only preparation for the Australian Open, which begins Jan. 19.

She will captain the Americas squad in a team-format which also features Serbian and world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic, Russians Vera Zvonareva and Anna Chakvetadze, Hungarian Agnes Szavay, China's Zheng Jie and India's Sania Mirza.

Williams also said she will sparingly use new WTA Tour rules that allow on-court coaching starting this year.

"I'll probably call the coach if my opponent calls the coach ... I'll be watching to see what she does," she said.