08-07-2019, 01:12 AM
MELBOURNE, Australia - There is a big difference between the Venus Williams of, say, the year 2000 and the Venus of 2015.The Venus of today says she might not be at the top of her game but she is more strategic, she understands the game better and she has learned to not be afraid.Thats one of the beauties of continuing to play as you get a lot of the years under your belt, said Venus, who at the age of 34 is one of the oldest players in the draw but enjoying what some have called a career renaissance.Williams prefers not to see it that way.Im just doing the best I can, she said with a laugh. I think as long as Im doing my best something good will come out of it.On Thursday, Williams advanced to the third round of the Australian Open, beating fellow American Lauren Davis, 6-2, 6-3. She now faces Camila Giorgi of Italy for a spot in the fourth round, an accomplishment she hasnt achieved at a major since Wimbledon 2011.When Williams played her first Grand Slams back in 1997 — or 18 years ago — her latest opponent, the 21-year-old Davis, was just a toddler. Williams went on to hold the No. 1 ranking, win seven Grand Slam singles titles and was also a runner-up seven times — losing to her younger sister, Serena, on six of those occasions.No. 1-ranked Serena, who also won her second-round match Thursday, is a favourite to win her 19th Grand Slam title.As recently as 2010, Venus made it all the way to the U.S. Open semifinals. Then health problems stalled her career.She finished 2011 outside the top 100, and announced she was suffering from an auto-immune condition called Sjogrens syndrome, which can cause joint pain and sap energy. She took seven months off from tennis, and by the end of 2012 had climbed to No. 24.She is now ranked 18th and won her 46th career title in Auckland earlier this year.Williams says her health problems have given her a new perspective on life.More than anything, Im appreciative of all the opportunities Ive had in my life, Williams said. Im appreciative for good health and just to be able to feel good every day.When things are out of your control, its easy to be afraid and fear can really hold you back, she added. So, I think you have to just conquer that fear. Thats, I think, something Ive learned as well, just not to be afraid.That perspective combined with her experience has also helped her tennis.Honestly, I think I understand the game a lot more. Even when Im not playing as well, I think Im able to tactically be more strategic than even, lets say, Venus of 2000. So I think there is a big difference, she said.Williams describes her state of mind as always pretty happy, an assessment that Serena agrees with and says her big sister is in a good place both on and off the court.Serena says her sister has always coped well with pressure and in the early years, there was lots of it.She came in as a new face, a black woman that was shaking up the world. She had all this pressure on her shoulders, said Serena, who faces No. 26 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine in the fourth round. I came in behind her. You know, just snuck in there. There was no pressure on me at all. She dealt with it so amazing.She is really motivating. She is playing so well, Serena said. For our whole careers, weve kind of motivated each other. We hopefully continue to do that. Swell Flasche Kaufen Schweiz .com) - The Utah Jazz look to put an end to their five-game losing streak when the Denver Nuggets visit Salt Lake City Monday night. Swell Flasche 500 Ml . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.swelltrinkflascheschweiz.com/. -- Claudio Bieler hadnt scored since early September, and not from the run of play since mid-July. Swell Flasche Marmor . - The Baltimore Ravens have hired Steve Spagnuolo to be their secondary coach and assistant head coach. Swell Flasche Holz . Pekovic had an MRI test Tuesday on his right ankle that revealed bursitis, which is inflammation of the fluid-filled pad that cushions the joint. Canadas Brad Jacobs got off to a winning start at the Olympic curling competition on Monday, taking the lead for good by scoring three in the fourth end, en route to an 11-8 victory over a never-say-die John Jahr of Germany in Sochi. Jacobs scored two in the first end, but Jahr briefly took charge with two in the second end and two more in the third. Jacobs, from Sault. Marie, Ont., gave Canada some breathing room, following his bbig fourth end by adding two more points in the fifth to go up 7-4.dddddddddddd Germany trimmed the margin to two when Jahr scored one in the sixth end, before Canada tacked on two more in the seventh to take a 9-5 lead. Jahr stared at five Canadian stones in the house with the final shot of the eighth end and scored one. He then stole two in the ninth end, before Jacobs ended the match by scoring two in the tenth. ' ' '