AFP/File – US tennis player Venus Williams is pictured in 2008. Serena Williams has saluted her sister Venus as … LONDON (AFP) – Serena Williams has saluted her sister Venus Williams as the best grass-court player of her generation as the Americans prepare to continue their dominance at Wimbledon.
Between them the Williams sisters have won seven of the last nine women's singles titles at the All-England Club, but it is Venus, with five victories compared to Serena's two, who has reigned supreme on the lush lawns of south-west London.
If Venus can retain the title for a third successive year she will become the first women since Steffi Graf to complete a hat-trick of Wimbledon crowns.
But even if Venus never wins another match at Wimbledon, Serena, who was beaten by her sister in last year's final, insists she is already firmly established as the best on grass in the last 20 years.
"I think she has proven herself to be the best grass court player in our generation," Serena said.
"She has an amazing serve and I think that helps a lot. She has an amazing return and she's really fast. She has long arms, so she just gets everything back.
"It's hard playing a player like that, especially on the grass when it's, you know, a faster surface and have you that much less time to react.
"She's an extremely smart player as well, so she's always thinking and knowing what to do."
Aside from the Williams sisters attempt to turn Wimbledon into their own private tournament, the main focus this year will be on the game's scream queens.
The issue has been a constant complaint for purists since Monica Seles made screaming a hot topic at Wimbledon in the 1990s. Portugal's Michelle Larcher de Brito, 16, is the latest noise-maker after grunting so loudly during a French Open match recently that her opponent claimed to the umpire.
The International Tennis Federation even admitted they were considering making "noise hindrance" part of its code of conduct, but Serena is adamant she has never been affected by noisy opponents.
"I grunt sometimes and sometimes I don't. But I've never been one that was out there going for the loudest grunt," Serena said.
"It's definitely not conscious. It's the effort level. I think I always give a hundred percent, but sometimes I'm so zoned I don't grunt. Sometimes I'm so zoned that I do grunt.
"I hope it wouldn't bother me (if an opponent grunts). That wouldn't be a good thing. I just try to focus mainly on what I'm doing on the side of the court that I'm on."
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