Serena Williams eyes final matchup with Venus

Source: Agencies  |   2008-7-2  |     ONLINE EDITION

Serena Williams of the U.S. celebrates winning her match against Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London yesterday. More in photo gallery

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DON'T tell Serena Williams that sister Venus is the one to beat at Wimbledon.

"I would never sit here and say she's the favorite when I'm still in the draw," she said, bristling at the suggestion. "That's not me. I always believe that I'm the favorite. Even if I'm not the favorite, I'm always going to believe that I am."

The Williams sisters, who between them have won six of the last eight Wimbledon titles, are one round away from a third Wimbledon title matchup and seventh Grand Slam championship showdown. Neither has lost a set so far, and their power games have set them apart from the rest of the women's field.

"That would be amazing if we both were in the final," defending champion and four-time winner Venus said after beating Tamarine Tanasugarn 6-4, 6-3 yesterday to reach the semifinals.

Two-time champ Serena caught some of her sister's match before going out and sweeping Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-0.

"Watching the competition a little bit," she said.

Next up for sixth-seeded Serena on Thursday is Zheng Jie, who became the first Chinese player to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam by beating Nicole Vaidisova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1. The 133rd-ranked Zheng is also the first wild-card entrant to reach the women's semis at Wimbledon and second at any Grand Slam.

No. 7 Venus will next face No. 5 Elena Dementieva, who wasted a 5-1 lead and two match points in the second set before beating fellow Russian Nadia Petrova 6-1, 6-7 (6), 6-3 to reach her first Wimbledon semifinal.

Venus was limping slightly at the end of her match with what she said was a tight left hamstring.

"I'm fine," she said. "I'm walking around on two legs, doing good, so I'm not really concerned right now."