This year’s Wimbledon champion and former world number one Venus Williams has reached the final at the Sony Ericsson Championships.
Williams will face Russia’s Vera Zvonareva in the last match of the 2008 tennis season.
Venus defeated current number one Jelena Jankovic in a thrilling match on Saturday night 6-2, 2-6, 6-3, and earned a spot in the final of the Sony Ericsson Championships Doha 2008. Vera Zvonareva defeated her countrywoman Elena Dementieva 7-6(7), 3-6, 6-3 in the semifinals.
Both Venus and Vera will play for their first Sony Ericsson Championships title, and for a record winner’s check of $1,340,000. The runner-up will take home $715,000. Her Highness Sheikha Mozah Bint Nasser Al Missned will present the winner’s trophy.
Sunday will also feature the doubles final between top seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber, who beat French Open Champions Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual 6-1, 6-3, and Kveta Peschke and Rennae Stubbs, who defeated second seeds Katerina Srebotnik and Ai Sugiyama 6-3, 2-6, 10-4.
Aaress’ Picks
Singles Final: Venus Williams
Doubles Final: Cara Black and Liezel Huber
More Doha Information:
Sunday’s Start Time and Match Order of Play
Sony Ericsson Championships Main Draw
Television Listings for ESPN2 and Tennis Channel
Sure, Venus has that “all-business” demeanor that she usually displays at the All England Club. But looking at some of the still photos from Doha there appear to be other elements moving across her face: genuine hunger and/or desire. And guess what? Vera Zvonareva is showing the exact emotions. They both really want it. We’ll soon see who’s the hungriest tomorrow.
This game is a joy to watch.
Venus is such a calm fighter…
Wooooooooooow.
The championship point even was more spectacular.
Venus’s masterclass I think? I mean in movement and dodgedness. she was unbelievable today.
Credits to Vera. Its the first time I’d see her and oh my! she’d have beaten any wta player other than Venus + Serena and probably Justine on today’s form.
Beautiful !
Wooooooooooow indeed, Dapxin. The match was a carbon copy of Venus’s match against Serena; a big first set loss followed by an commanding display of expertise and determination in the last two sets for the victory. People inclined to write off Venus as a has-been (and the woods are full of them) will have to do some serious reassessment. And once again, the game of tennis proves to be a very unpredictable sport. Both Venus and Vera (who had an unexpectedly terrific run) were far from being the players favored to reach the final. But they made it and they both fought hard for the trophy. Congratulations to both players but especially to the champion, Venus Ebony Starr Williams.