Black Tennis Pros

World No. 1 Serena Williams says she is happy with the condition of her knee ahead of her Australian Open title defense.

Williams suffered from knee soreness during her straight-sets loss to Elena Dementieva in Friday night’s Medibank International final in Sydney.

At Melbourne Park for a press conference this afternoon, Williams said her knee was much better and that the injury had not hampered her preparation for the year’s first Grand Slam.





“If anything, it helped. I played a lot of matches (in Sydney) in a row, you know, back to back. I had a long three‑set match. Eventually, you know, I had a quick turnaround time,” she said.

“But that was good preparation for me because I do plan on playing both singles and doubles here (at Melbourne Park).”

The American said she did not like to use injury as an excuse for her 6-3 6-2 loss in the Sydney final.

“I don't know if that would be very nice,” she said.

“I definitely wasn't at my best. But, you know, I feel like it's very comforting to know that I wasn't at my best in that particular match … I think Elena played well. She always plays me well. I think we always have really fun, tough, tough matches. With that being said, I thought she played amazing.

“What athlete really is at 100 per cent every time? Probably never.”

The top seed will begin her Australian Open campaign on Tuesday against Poland’s Urszula Radwanska, who she defeated at Wimbledon in 2008. Williams described her as a “tough cookie”.

“She's a tough player, and she's definitely no push‑over. She's a younger sister (of 10th seed Agnieszka Radwanska), and younger sisters always want to play really hard and really tough. I know that for a fact,” she said.

“It's definitely not an easy first round.”

Talk inevitably shifted to the return of Belgian star Justine Henin, a player with whom Williams shares a fierce – and occasionally acrimonious - rivalry. However, the American said she was pleased to see Henin competing again.

“What an amazing effort and quality for both her and (fellow Belgian comeback queen) Kim Clijsters. It's so good to see two such good players back,” she said.

Williams will be attempting to win her fifth title at Melbourne Park, having previously lifted the trophy in 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009.

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SYDNEY (AP)—Top-seeded Serena Williams struggled in the Sydney International final Friday, committing 40 unforced errors in a 6-3, 6-2 loss to fifth-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia.

Williams also appeared to hurt her left knee during the match but later downplayed any suggestion of an injury. She said she still plans to play singles and doubles with her sister, Venus, at the Australian Open next week.

“I think she played well,” Serena Williams said, “I made about a thousand and two unforced errors … it’s better now than later, I guess.”

When asked about her left leg, which she appeared to favor during the match, she said: “I was struggling a little bit, but, you know, I hate to make any excuse. I think she definitely deserves all the credit for what she did.”

Williams said she felt great heading into the season’s first major, where she is the defending champion.

“I feel like I have more than enough matches under my belt,” she said. “I feel like I’m really ready and fit. Even though I didn’t play great today, I feel like I can play much better.”

Earlier, former Australian Open finalist Marcos Baghdatis advanced to the final with a 6-4, 6-7 (7), 7-6 (5) victory over Mardy Fish of the U.S. Baghdatis will play Richard Gasquet, who beat French compatriot Julien Benneteau 6-3, 7-5.

The 28-year-old Dementieva became the first woman to defend her Sydney title since Martina Hingis in 2001-2002.

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SYDNEY — World number one Serena Williams called on all her signature fighting spirit to overhaul French opponent Aravane Rezai and reach her first Sydney International final on Thursday.

The American 11-time Grand Slam champion clawed back from a set and 2-5 down to defeat 27th-ranked Rezai 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 and will play defending champion Elena Dementieva in Friday's final.

Fifth seed Dementieva, who downed Williams at this stage in last year's tournament, was too strong for sixth seed Victoria Azarenka of Belarus in the other semi, marching to a 6-3, 6-1 victory.

Williams will be bidding for her 36th title, while Dementieva will be after her 15th. Williams leads 7-4 in their career matches.

For much of the two-hour contest, Williams looked consigned to losing her fourth Sydney semi-final, before she raised her level to claim 11 of the last 15 games.

"I was lucky to get through today, for sure," Williams said.

"I was just trying to play my game and do the best that I could. I didn't do so well.

"I hit I don't know how many errors today, but I finally made a couple of shots."

Faced with a chastening defeat just days ahead of the defence of her Australian Open crown, Williams dug deep and turned the tide against the impressive Rezai.

"I don't think she lost her way at all," Williams said. "I just think at that point I lifted my game.

"I thought she did really well. I felt like I literally lifted my game at that point because I knew I was going be headed to Melbourne (for the Australian Open) if I didn't.

"I kept thinking, 'I want to get a little more practice and I'd hate for it to end now'."

Rezai said she had learnt from the defeat.

"I was probably scared to win the match," she said. "But I realise I have the game and I can win, so I learn one more thing today: It's just to fight until the end of the match."

Dementieva went on from her impressive straight-sets win over world number two Dinara Safina late Wednesday to ease past Azarenka.

"I was trying to be very aggressive from the beginning of the match," Dementieva said.

"I didn't want it to go to three sets because I need to save some energy for the final."

Dementieva said she was looking forward to facing Williams ahead of next week's Australian Open.

"I'm sure it's going to be a tough one. I think playing her in early rounds it's a completely different game," she said.

"So to play her in the final, it's going to be a tough challenge for me.

"It looks like she's in very good shape right now. It's going to be a tough battle."

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SYDNEY — Serena Williams stormed into the semi-finals of the Sydney International on Wednesday, cranking up the heat on her opponents ahead of next week's Australian Open.

The American world number one tossed aside Russian Vera Dushevina 6-2, 6-2, making it just seven games she has dropped on her way to the last four of the Sydney tournament.

Williams, strong favourite to lift her fifth Australian Open crown and her 12th Grand Slam, takes on world number 27 Aravane Rezai of France in Thursday's semi-finals.


Rezai won her third match of the tournament against Italian Flavia Pennetta, 6-3, 6-0 on Wednesday.

In the bottom half of the draw, Belarus sixth seed Victoria Azarenka is through to the semi-finals after beating Slovak Dominika Cibulkova 6-2, 7-5, while defending champion Elena Dementieva was due to face world number two Dinara Safina later Wednesday.

"I definitely enjoy playing in the heat," Williams said of steamy Melbourne, home to the Open. "I usually enjoy playing in the heat. I live in Florida, so it's all about hot weather there.

"So I think maybe that's one of the reasons why I do so well down here.

"The past couple of times I won it's been extremely hot, so I expect the same temperatures again."

Asked during her post-match press conference how close she was to her best form, Williams said: "I always try to get there usually around the semi-finals and finals of the Grand Slams.

"I'm just doing the best that I can now to get there. Hopefully I have a long way to go, which I think is always good."

Williams said she was expecting her toughest match of the week against Rezai.

"I haven't played her, but I know her game," she said. "I played her in doubles and (sister) Venus has played her before.

"She's a good player and she's really young. She has a lot of drive. I think she can be really good. It'll definitely be my toughest match yet."

Azarenka had to again work hard to stay alive in the tournament, taking two hours 20 minutes to extinguish the challenge of the 24th-ranked Cibulkova.

So far Azarenka has been taken to three sets in all her three matches at the tournament.

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Top seed Gael Monfils has withdrawn from the Sydney International with a shoulder injury which also has the Frenchman in doubt for the Australian Open starting in Melbourne next Monday.

Monfils says his right serving shoulder is inflamed and requires several days' rest.

The world No.12 is hopeful of being fit for the opening grand slam of the year, but won't make a decision until later this week.

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