TENNIS:AS VENUS Williams raised an arm limply in the early evening gloom, departing the scene of a rare humbling, the slightly embarrassed patrons of Court Philippe Chatrier warmly bid her au revoir – or was it adieu? Nobody can be sure if she will return after losing so quickly in straight sets to the splendid Agnieszka Radwanska.
Williams said later she would be back. That is because she is always up for a fight, and she has to keep her aggressive spirit alive for the Olympics, which might be a more profitable hunting ground for her this summer than the jungle of the Tour. Right now, it is all she has got.
She has not done much in Paris for a while, yet watching such a fine player succumb so feebly so early in the tournament – just 24 hours after the shock first-round departure of her sister – was one of the saddest sights in tennis. In their pomp, to suggest that both Venus and Serena would leave a grand slam together by the middle of the first week would qualify as lunacy, even on clay. Venus at least won a match before tumbling out last night against the clever Pole, whose sense of anticipation is a wonder.
But it is becoming increasingly obvious that neither sister is the force of even a couple of years ago. Both have toughed it out against debilitating health problems and have returned to find the landscape markedly more hazardous.
Last night’s beneficiary hardly needed Venus’s charity. Radwanska, whose serve now is ramped up to respectable speeds, has won her three WTA finals this year and ruthlessly exploited the many opportunities her 31-year-old opponent served up. She crashed winner after winner down both wings to win 6-2, 6-3 in exactly an hour. It is just what Venus would have done when she was number one in the world.
The sisters have had success this year – Serena was 17-0 on clay this year before going out to the 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano in such dramatic fashion, Venus arrived in Paris having battled from 134 in the world to 53 in six months – but they have lost their ability to intimidate.
One of 14 women 30 years or older who entered, Williams was an unconvincing imitation of the player who, among the participants left, has won more matches here, 41, than any of them. That said, she has rarely put herself in a position to win the title.
Last year, she missed the French for the first time since her debut in 1997, an abdominal injury hinting of frailty to come. The Sjogren’s Syndrome that struck her down in New York clearly has stripped her of muscle and stamina. The owner of seven slam titles will do well to add to them.
Drawn and lethargic – she is on a special diet to counter the effects of a condition that saps her of energy – the American hit 17 unforced errors in the first set; against a player like Radwanska, that is as good as running up the white flag.
The first chapter in the farewell flew past in under half an hour; in the second, Williams dredged up some of her old vim to break for 5-3, but she was an irritant not a threat, and Radwanska survived the flicker of resistance to wrap up the second set in 32 minutes.
“She played really well,” Venus said, “she put the ball on the court. Unfortunately, I wasn’t at my best today. It’s just important to give credit to the person who won. I do the best I can. I don’t have a magic wand. If I did, I’d be in the third round.”
She said of her condition: “More than anything I’ve learned to be positive, no matter what happens, no matter what I’m going through, just take this whole experience as something to learn from.
“It’s still early with this. There are still a lot of things I can do. But a lot of people will have a lot worse than I do. I’m still playing professional sport. I haven’t got to the ‘why me?’ stage yet, I hope I don’t. I’m not allowed to feel sorry for myself.”
She revealed it is the prospect of playing in the Olympics that sustains her. “This is about making my Olympic chance better. I need some time.” And that is something she cannot buy.
