Comments on: Time for Venus and Serena to Prove They are America’s Best

By: dennis

dennis — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:11:17 +0000

I don’t think venus and serena owes the USTA anything, they didn’t get much support from them when they started. And they are bigger than the USTA itself. And the US fed team is weak if it wasn’t for glatch and Huber they would have lost. glatch won all of her fed cup matches so for a fed cup team i am going to go with glatch, huber, serena and venus.

By: jc valencia

jc valencia — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 05:30:54 +0000

i think, the williams sisters’ indifference to fed cup is due to the fact they don’t feel beholden to USTA the way girls of other nationalities are to their respective state federations

By: Aaress Lawless

Aaress Lawless — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:36:58 +0000

Chidi, thanks for the thoughtful comment. I do think the Williams sisters get most of the spotlight because they ARE the spotlight for women’s tennis in the United States. Either way, whether they play or skip the tie, they will face a lot of scrutiny just because they are America’s most famous female athletes.

Van, thanks for the compliment! I really appreciate it. Hope you are doing well!

By: Van Sias

Van Sias — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 03:11:27 +0000

Hey Aaress! I think this is the best story I’ve ever seen on OTB—even better than the ones I’ve written! : )

I’m so glad you wrote this, and I have to tell you, I really, really hope that neither one of them are asked to play. Sure, either Williams sister can take out anyone of the players that were on the U.S. squad for the early rounds, but you have to reward the players that got you to the spot you’re in.

Again, awesome article!

By: chidi

chidi — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 02:37:49 +0000

I am a HUGE williams sisters fans, but yes, they should not be invited to play the final. The girls that took the USA there should be given the well deserved opportunity to play in the grand finale win or lose, even if the Williams sisters win all the titles on clay. I don’t know why Venus and Serena do not play fed cup, but whatever their reasons, it’s their choice and they should not be questioned about their choices – as an unbelievable amount of people are wont to do – because it is not our place. Even if Fernandez should invite them they should decline, because it will be a lose/lose situation. They play and everyone is going to have something negative to say like how they only play for glory or only play after everyone has done all the work. They don’t play and if USA should win, then everyone’s going to say “see, we don’t need the Williams sisters” and if USA doesn’t win, they’ll still say “We made it to the final, but they still couldn’t play for their country” or something negative. Everyone is entitled to their opinions about players, but it seems the sisters always seem to get an unbelievable amount of scrutiny for every choice or misstep they make (at least that’s my take on it). For the fed cup team, for Fenandez’ sake, as well as the sisters’ sake, the present team should go to the final sans the Williams sisters.

By: PaulaV

PaulaV — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:46:03 +0000

The only thing that might push Serena Williams into playing Fed Cup in November is if the ranking points could potentially push her back into the No. 1 position. But, anything could happen between now and November.

By: Phaura Reinz

Phaura Reinz — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:44:28 +0000

i think the attitude of vee and rena is an answer to what usta had done to zina garrison…i remember rena and vee played for fed cup only because zina had asked them to do…this is their way of getting revenge to usta to what they and zina believed was a conduct of racism by usta…

but in this case, the usta had proven vindicated by the replacement of zina by mary joe…

im a williams fan, and i get the facts, and im also fazed by why vee and rena chose not to play for fed cup in the czech rep…maybe vee is practicing more, because she lost early in charleston and to prepare for the clay season, and rena she’s busy preparing for her hsn collection…

but congratulations to glatch the hero of the recent fed cup and oudin the hero in arizona…lisa too deserves the win…and for bethanie, though she had a disappoint in her first two fed cup ties, she proves she can play better and deserved the win…

but if the finals is in clay, i believe the italians are the fave to win…but for mary joe to had a chance at clay in italy she had to choose vee, and rena for the tie, accompanied by glatch and oudin, and lisa…vee had won over penetta in acapulco, serena ahd to show substantial results in red clay too, but she’s proven that she can play better in clay last year, won charleston, quarters in berlin and semis in rome,,, oudin and glatch had proven themselves capable too…..bright young tennis stars had to start somewhere…and lisa is a proven doubles player on any surface, though her last clay title was way back in 2004…….

but with mary joe now the captain of the us fed cup, i know mary joe can do it,,,i think she had a good relationship with the williams sister, not unlike the other mary….

last hope: vee and rena will play in the finals

By: Shawn Haye

Shawn Haye — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 00:39:08 +0000

I don’t think they should play, in fact , I hope they don’t. I don’t even like Fed Cup, time to change direction, I think. It will never take off. Kind a like Billie Jean Kings, whatever it is she started, there is no interest, sorry. Look at the William’s Sister’s like Madonna. They don’t do small, they make money, and they give us some **** good tennis. I don’t want to see my Golden Girls in the Bronze World. That’s my opinion.

By: Vicki

Vicki — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 23:55:20 +0000

Aaress I totally agree with you. It was great win for team USA and the players that got them there should play in final in I mean the earlier rounds as well. i think this debate is a dead point as it’s in November and I don’t think the Williams sisters will commit anyway.

By: Aaress Lawless

Aaress Lawless — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 22:21:20 +0000

“You dance with the guy that brung ya”

Good quote, Fundi!