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Venus shining bright on eve of German Open
Berlin, May 04: Venus Williams is focused again on her tennis, which is bad news for her rivals at the German Open.
Berlin, May 04: Venus Williams is focused again on her tennis, which is bad news for her rivals at the German Open.
The former No. 1 is healthy and riding an 11-match winning streak as she starts the USD 1.3 million event, a major tuneup for the French Open. Seven of the world's top 10 and 16 of the top 20 are entered.
"I'm feeling good," Williams said. "I think it was good for me to be away - I think it extended my career. At this point I prefer to do tennis more than anything else."
Williams, the No. 1 in 2001, has endured a string of well-documented injuries. The problems hit a peak with the strained abdominal muscle which forced her to miss the final six months of 2003.
When the American made her comeback this year, she struggled and many wondered if she could recover the game that once made her so feared.
But Venus never thought she'd forgotten how to play the game. She also drew comfort from sister Serena and the rest of the family.
"They were always positive - they knew I could do it," Williams said. "I would just play a terrible match and my father Richard would say the most positive things. It really helped me through a difficult time."
Kim Clijsters, the world No. 2 and top seed, is also entered after a wrist injury sidelined the Belgian for six weeks. Other top players include France's Amelie Mauresmo, the No. 3 in the world, and Jennifer Capriati.
Bureau Report
The former No. 1 is healthy and riding an 11-match winning streak as she starts the USD 1.3 million event, a major tuneup for the French Open. Seven of the world's top 10 and 16 of the top 20 are entered.
"I'm feeling good," Williams said. "I think it was good for me to be away - I think it extended my career. At this point I prefer to do tennis more than anything else."
Williams, the No. 1 in 2001, has endured a string of well-documented injuries. The problems hit a peak with the strained abdominal muscle which forced her to miss the final six months of 2003.
When the American made her comeback this year, she struggled and many wondered if she could recover the game that once made her so feared.
But Venus never thought she'd forgotten how to play the game. She also drew comfort from sister Serena and the rest of the family.
"They were always positive - they knew I could do it," Williams said. "I would just play a terrible match and my father Richard would say the most positive things. It really helped me through a difficult time."
Kim Clijsters, the world No. 2 and top seed, is also entered after a wrist injury sidelined the Belgian for six weeks. Other top players include France's Amelie Mauresmo, the No. 3 in the world, and Jennifer Capriati.
Bureau Report