Sports FRIDAY, JULY 3, 2015 46 White still not right at Wimbledon Hot-for-Wimbledon, Venus nears ‘Serena showdown’ LONDON: Venus Williams is no longer the player she once was, on account of the passage of time and the day-to-day ups and downs of an energy-sapping condition. At age 35, 21 years removed from her first professional tournament, Williams still possesses a dangerous serve, along with the muscle memory that comes with seven Grand Slam singles titles, five at Wimbledon. And so while it is her younger sister Serena who is ranked No 1, has 20 major titles and owns a 23- match Grand Slam winning streak as of Wednesday, the elder Williams is still in the draw at the All England Club, too - and the siblings are closing in on what would be their 26th all-in- the-family matchup on tour. “She probably comes back here and, you know, I think, she almost feels like this is home,” said David Witt, Venus’ coach. “When you have confidence, you have everything. That’s with any sport. And I guess when she gets here, it’s a confidence thing.” On the hottest day on record in Wimbledon history, with the temperature topping 95 degrees (35 degrees Celsius) - and a terrific day for American women - both Williams sisters won second-round matches: 16th-seeded Venus beat 95th-ranked Yulia Putintseva of Kazakhstan 7-6 (5), 6-4, while top-seeded Serena defeated 93rd-ranked Timea Babos of Hungary 6-4, 6-1. Two more wins, and the siblings will meet in the fourth round. WIMBLEDON: Chairman Philip Brook (left) and Britain’s Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall meet Czech Republic’s Tomas “She poses a big threat for me,” Serena said about Venus. Berdych (2nd right) and Britain’s Johanna Konta (right) on the Players’ Lawn during a visit on day four of the 2015 They pulled out of doubles on Tuesday, citing “soreness” for Wimbledon Championships at The All England Tennis Club in south west London. — AFP Serena, who wants to focus on her pursuit of a fourth consec- LONDON: Wimbledon’s famously strict or cream. I was like, man, if you wash insurance executive Justin Sands in utive Grand Slam title. Four other women from the US won dress code, which requires competitors your whites too many times, they will 2008, she walked down the aisle in Wednesday, including two real surprises: 158th-ranked quali- to appear head-to-toe in white playing be illegal. Better be washing it in cold black. “I actually wore a black dress. fier Bethanie Mattek-Sands eliminated No. 7 Ana Ivanovic, the gear, has come under renewed fire for water. When I went shopping for it, they want- 2009 French Open champion, 6-3, 6-4; and 47th-ranked CoCo being “ridiculous” and “excessive”. Even “I had a little mesh on my shirt today ed me to try some stuff on, and I said, Vandeweghe, the niece of former NBA player and executive Roger Federer, the seven-time champi- (in Wednesday’s win over Ana Ivanovic). Look, I’m not going to wear anything Kiki, beat No. 11 Karolina Pliskova 7-6 (5), 6-4. on and a lifelong admirer of the All I have like I think one legal pair of shorts white, off-white, cream, light pink, I Also advancing: No. 21 Madison Keys, who finished off a England Club’s traditions, has ramped that is on rotation hopefully in cold said, so just don’t even hand me those,” match suspended because of darkness at 2-all in the third set up his criticism of the rule which water. One skirt I think that’s legal.” she recalled. “They’re like, Well, we have a night earlier, and Sloane Stephens. A pair of US men moved demands predominantly white outfits. Mattek-Sands, 30, would never be one this black evening gown. I’m like, on, too: No 17 John Isner and 105th-ranked wild-card entry “I love Wimbledon but they’ve gone too to settle for the ordinary when it comes Perfect. First one I tried and got that Denis Kudla, who followed up his victory over No 28 Pablo far now. The rules have become ridicu- to fashion choice. When she married one.”— AFP Cuevas by getting past 18-year-old Alexander Zverev. “A few lously strict,” said the Swiss legend. It is years ago, I was being asked, ‘What happened to U.S.A. ten- the second time in two seasons that nis?’ And I said, ‘Well, it comes and goes.’ I think there were a Federer has hit out at the rule which Rufus the hawk rules lot of younger players coming that showed promise,” the 30- calls for “suitable tennis attire that is year-old Mattek-Sands said. “Sure enough, I think we have a almost entirely white”. really strong contingent of American players and it’s really “We’re all white. White, white, full-on the Wimbledon skies good to see.” white. I think it’s very strict,” Federer said She is halfway to a calendar-year Grand Slam in doubles 12 months ago. “My personal opinion, I LONDON: Male tennis players from the happen if Rufus spots a pigeon and is with Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic. Serena, mean- think it’s too strict. If you look at the pic- United States are almost as rare as hen’s feeling a big peckish. “We haven’t while, is halfway there in singles, and so far this week has a tures of Edberg, Becker, there was some teeth at Wimbledon this year, but a evolved a hawk to catch things for our pair of straight-set victories after playing five three-setters at colors, you know, but it was ‘all white’.” hawk native to North and South America own purposes-we’re just utilizing its nat- the French Open. After dismissing Babos on Centre Court - The color code at Wimbledon is often definitely rules the roost when it comes ural abilities,” he said. where a small electrical fire in a mechanical room set off controversial. Last year Caroline to clearing the championship courts of Rufus has become something of an alarms once play was done for the day - Serena was able to Wozniacki said reports that officials pigeons. Every morning at dawn, a avian star at Wimbledon, his picture tak- settle in front of a TV to watch Venus finish off Putintseva. “I would check the color of women’s Harris hawk named Rufus, with his dis- en by countless photographers and tele- always root for Venus,” Serena said. “She’s been through a lot underwear as “a little creepy”. This week, tinctive yellow-hued beak, patrols the vision crews. He even has his own in her career. She’s really playing well.” So far at Wimbledon, Canadian poster girl Eugenie Bouchard skies over the tennis complex in south- Twitter account @RufusTheHawk. As a that is certainly true, including a 6-0, 6-0 victory in the first fell foul of the rules after wearing a black west London. The hawk’s job is to scare family that makes its living from falcon- round. Against Putintseva, Venus’ 29 winners included seven bra. Flamboyant American player the living daylights out of the pigeons ry, the Davises are delighted that one of aces, and she reached 122 mph (197 kph) on a serve in the Bethanie Mattek-Sands said she sup- who not so many years ago occasionally this year’s big literary hit books is “H Is final game. ported Federer’s complaints. “I didn’t interrupted play as they strolled around for Hawk”, British writer Helen Venus last won the grass-court Grand Slam tournament in even get married in white,” she said. the courts, searching for food and doing Macdonald’s tale of how she trained a 2008; three years later, she announced that she has Sjogren’s Mattek-Sands once appeared on what pigeons do. For Rufus, pigeons are goshawk as a form of therapy to help her syndrome, an autoimmune disease that can cause joint pain Wimbledon Centre Court wearing a coat food, though the bird’s handlers and deal with the death of her father. “It’s and fatigue. Her nearly 2-hour match Wednesday was the last made of tennis balls and has also taken trainers, Wayne Davis, his wife Donna absolutely fantastic,” Donna Davis said of on Court 3, and wrapped up at about 9 pm, by which point it to a court with warpaint beneath her and their daughter Imogen, do their Macdonald’s book this week as she and was much cooler than earlier. The Met Office, Britain’s official eyes. She claims a Nike-designed white best to keep Rufus’s appetite balanced Imogen loaded Rufus into the car after weather service, said the temperature reached 35.7 degrees playing bra was judged to be unsuitable so the hawk will scare the pigeons but his morning patrol. “I just thought she Celsius (about 96 degrees Fahrenheit) at its closest observa- at Wimbledon because it had a yellow not eat them. really captured the sense of training a tion site, about 1 degree Celsius (2 degrees Fahrenheit) high- stripe. “I think it’s gotten a little exces- That is part of the art of falconry as it goshawk, it is so difficult.” Having start- er than the previous tournament record, set in 1976. sive. It was funny, because I was actually has been practiced for more than 2,000 ed bird training, with kestrels, at the age Spectators fanned themselves in the stands and used Googling some players like when John years, said Wayne Davis, although he of 10, Davis does not recommend fal- everything from hats to umbrellas to towels for shade.