Tennis
Venus vows no fix in the mix for all-family Wimbledon final
By DPA
Jul 4, 2008, 9:10 GMT

London - Volatile Venus Williams vows not to be distracted in her mission for a fifth Wimbledon title by hints that family wishes might count for more than tennis talent in Saturday's Wimbledon final against sister Serena.

Beaten fifth-seeded semi-finalist Elena Dementieva expressed innocent doubts when she suggested confusingly that the outcome of Saturday's title match was 'going to be a family decision.'

'I cannot imagine myself playing against someone from my family. It's really hard. For sure it's going to be a family decision,' said the Russian, a two-time Grand Slam finalist in 2004.

Dementieva's relatively good spoken English could have perhaps let her down as she tried to express the nuances of what she felt, but Williams erupted in fury at any hint of a fix.

'I find the question pretty offensive because I'm extremely professional in everything that I do on and off the court,' she snarled.

'I contribute my best in my sport, and I also have a ton of respect for myself and my family.

'Any mention of that is extremely disrespectful for who I am, what I stand for, and my family. That's pretty much how I feel about the whole subject.'

With tensions surely running high at home prior to the showdown, Dementieva's doubts may only fuel the flames of sisterly competition.

The pair, who play limited schedules but often manage to win when it counts, have clashed 15 times with younger sibling Serena standing 8-7. The pair last played in a February semi-final at Bangalore, won by Serena over a reportedly off-form and unfit Venus.

Wimbledon is not the first place where suspicions on the sister showdown have arisen. Doubts were just as strong in their first final, at home in Miami, nine years ago.

'I definitely wanted to win, I think that my family wanted me to win because I was the older sister,' said Venus. 'So they thought I should win this title because I was older, and then Serena would have a chance after.'