If she wins the women's singles at the Games she is going to be the primary to win all Grand Slam events a minimum of once and Olympic singles and doubles gold. 'I do not suppose I knew that,' she says.
So, you've got never been clear what {proportion|what quantity} our pro tennis players embrace the Olympics, what quantity they love squeezing in another long plane flight each four years for a lot of three-hour matches.
Tuesday at the most Olympic media center here, they paraded within the U.S. team, contemporary from the flight that took them across the pond. just like the tennis balls they hit for a living, they were a little fuzzy.
"We all would like showers," she said.
When they got settled on the long dais required for twelve players and 2 coaches, the seating chart, under no circumstances a random happening, had Serena Williams within the center and therefore the others unfold left and right. it absolutely was the queen and her court.
She is that the story and presumably are, till the day she retires. she is going to be thirty one in September, simply won her fifth Wimbledon title a number of weeks ago and tube stops away, and currently can look for a milestone within these Games that may provide her a fair loftier spot in the sport's lore.
If she wins the women's singles here, she is going to be the primary to win every tennis Grand Slam event —Australian, French, Wimbledon and U.S. Open — a minimum of once, and an Olympic gold in each singles and doubles. She has done all however the Olympic singles.
For a short time, there have been solely 2 achieving a lifetime Golden Slam, and that they are married to every alternative — Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi. Graf, of course, really achieved it all in one year, 1988, wrapping up her unbelievable run at the Seoul Olympics. Agassi got his Olympic gold at Atlanta in 1996. At the Beijing Olympics, Rafael Nadal joined Mr. and Mrs. Agassi within the choose cluster by winning the singles gold. Serena, who has won Olympic gold in doubles twice with sister Venus, lost within the singles semifinals to Elena Demetieva.
There are others near reaching this somewhat odd tennis height. Tennis was contested within the Olympics from 1900 to 1924, and then dropped from the program till 1988 in Seoul. However, early-century players seldom visited Australia.
Helen Wills won each a singles and doubles gold in Paris in 1924, and had twenty four total titles within the U.S. and French Opens and Wimbledon, however never played within the Australian. Lindsay Davenport won her Olympic gold in Atlanta, however never won a French Open. Justine Henin won gold in Athens, however never won at Wimbledon. Venus Williams has Olympic gold in singles and doubles and titles at the U.S. Open and Wimbledon, however none in Australia and therefore the French.
Then, there's Roger Federer, who has all the most important titles and Olympic gold, except his gold is in doubles, at Beijing with Stanislas Wawrinka. If Federer and Serena win the gold singles here, they're going to really move a notch on top of the remainder with four majors every, and Olympic singles and doubles gold.
Pretty heady stuff, right? Serena Williams, when presented with the state of affairs, was either jet-lagged or unmoved by history.
"I do not suppose I knew that," she said. "Thanks. No pressure."
With Serena, you never recognize whether or not she is being cagey or is actually oblivious.
She continued with the same old programmed propaganda.
"It's nice simply to be here and to represent our country," she said. "The vital factor is to try and do the most effective I will for the U.S."
She was asked regarding her attendance at the gap ceremony, a matter that continuously looks to be a staple when outstanding U.S. professional athletes come back to the Olympics. With Serena, the solution carried further import as a result of there are stories advocating that she be the U.S. Olympic flag-bearer.
That, of course, would be a terrible plan — the flag bearer ought to be someone outside the prominence of U.S. professional sports who incorporates a compelling story (the Lost Boy of Sudan Lopez Lomong at the Beijing Games) or some Olympic longevity in a very sport that does not create them a zillionaire elsewhere (shooter Kim Rhode?).
But Serena just about took herself out of the running, anyway. She known as her past experiences within the gap ceremonies one thing that evoked "an unbelievably sensible feeling," however said that it all trusted what her taking part in schedule was. The tournament starts the day when Friday's gap ceremony and he or she said she wouldn't march if she had a match following day.
"This year, it's a little difficult," she said.
Other highlights included Andy Roddick's admission that he's tons a lot of excited regarding an Olympics here, on Wimbledon's grass, than he would be for alternative sites on slower surfaces. Roddick has created it to the Wimbledon final 3 times.
John Isner, currently the top-ranked U.S. men's player and creating his Olympic debut, was asked regarding his expectations here. He responded, with humor, that he had gotten on a plane immediately when taking part in in a very World TeamTennis match for the Boston Lobsters on Monday night and said, "The atmosphere at a Lobsters match is second to none."
Women's team coach Mary Joe Fernandez said her team was ok to "win medals in all classes." Men's coach Jay Berger did not speak. Nor did the Bryan brothers, doubles stars Mike and Bob. They were detained at the airport due to a minor accreditation glitch.
At the end, the media were informed that this could be the last availability for the U.S. team till when matches. That meant the athletes may file out of the area, still foggy, however happier.
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