Venus & Serena can leave Madrid ranked 1 and 2

It has been quite some time (mid-2002 to be exact when Venus was #1 and Serena #2) that the Williams Sisters have been ranked #1 and #2. Serena is currently ranked #1 and Venus is #4 (#3 as of tomorrow) but if they both do well this week, they could possibly leave Madrid ranked (once again) #1 and #2 in the world. Here's what Serena had to say:

"It would be amazing. We've worked really hard and Venus works harder than I do. We really, really fight and try to be the best we can. That's all we're here to do is just be the best we can be."

Current world #2, Caroline Wozniacki, has 6,255 points while Venus has 5,691. That's a 564 point difference. Being that the Madrid Open Finalist collects 700 points and the Winner nabs 1000, it is mathematically possible for Venus to grab the #2 ranking depending on her match results as well as Wozniacki's.

Keep in mind that Wozniacki is defending 700 points at this tournament, she was runner up last year to Dinara Safina. Venus is only defending 80 points being that she loss in the 2nd Round.

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Serena surprised with clay court form upon return

MADRID (AP) Serena Williams is impressed with her clay court form since returning from an injury layoff and had not expected to fight for titles so quickly, she said Sunday. Williams played her first tournament since the Australian Open last week in Rome, losing in the semifinals of the Italian Open to Jelena Jankovic after squandering a match point. "I was surprised to do so well in Rome," Williams said at a news conference ahead of the Madrid Open. The top-seeded Williams has a bye in the first round in Madrid and then plays the winner between Vera Dushevina of Russia and Belarusian qualifier Kirsten Flipkens.

During her absence, the United States still managed to defeat Russia in the Fed Cup semifinals using a younger and less experienced lineup, as Williams' sister Venus was also nursing an injury. Williams hinted that she may sit out the final against Italy in November as well. "They obviously don't need the Williams sisters to be part of their team; they're doing really well without us," she said. "But it's great. It just shows that there are so many good players in the U.S. besides me and Venus."

Having a break from tennis wasn't all bad either. Williams said she used the extra spare time to improve her manicure skills. "I went to nail school, so that helped a lot," she said. "Everyone else should do it too."

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Jankovic edges Serena in 3-Set Thriller!

ROME -- Jelena Jankovic defeated Serena Williams Friday at the Italian Open 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). The top-ranked Williams squandered a match point and acknowledged having an "an apple in my throat." Williams, who won in Rome in 2002, was playing in her first tournament since a three-month layoff because of a knee injury. She had been sidelined since winning the Australian Open in January.

"I can't beat myself up over it," she said. "I just came back." Williams said she simply wasn't playing the points right. "I feel like I should have won, could have won," she said. "I think I had an apple in my throat, but it is what it is."

Jankovic routed Venus Williams 6-0, 6-1 in the quarterfinals Thursday. She is the seventh player to beat the sisters in the same tournament, joining Aranxta Sanchez Vicario, Steffi Graf, Martina Hingis, Kim Clijsters, Lindsay Davenport and Justine Henin. Clijsters has done it twice. "To beat both Williams sisters in two days is really amazing," Jankovic said. "I'm really proud of myself. It doesn't happen too often."

Serena Williams served for the match twice in the third set and was broken both times. She hit a backhand long on match point at 5-4. Williams took a 5-2 lead in the tiebreak but hit a return long and missed four consecutive shots to send Jankovic into her second final of the year.

With Williams up 5-3, Jankovic served an ace but Williams had her hand up and the chair umpire ruled that the American had called time and Jankovic had to serve again. That drew an argument from the Serb and whistles from the crowd in the Foro Italico's new 10,500-seat stadium, which was about only half full.

Jankovic thought her ace should have counted in the tiebreak. "For me, when the server comes to the line the receiver had to be ready. That's the rule, right?" Jankovic said. "I just had to regroup and refocus. I didn't want to waste my energy -- and that's what I basically did. Overall, it was good for me to be able to stay strong mentally."

Jankovic and Williams had a tough time finding their rhythm at the start, with Williams the first to hold serve to go up 3-2. Williams then stepped up her attack, trying to keep the points short with approach shots to the corners to set up easy putaways.

Williams won the first set with a big forehand return of serve that Jankovic shanked way off court. Williams, however, began to struggle on the longer points and Jankovic broke at love to go up 4-3 in the second set when Williams committed unforced errors in succession. Williams double-faulted to concede the second set. Williams finished the match with 48 unforced errors to Jankovic's 35.

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Rome: Semifinal (Friday)

Semifinal

[1] (WC) Serena Williams vs. [7] Jelena Jankovic (SRB)

Serena leads Head-To-Head (4-3)

1st Match of the Day

Center Court

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Serena slams Kirilenko; Advances to Semifinal

ROME (AP) -- Top-ranked Serena Williams dispatched Maria Kirilenko 6-1, 6-4 Thursday, then waited to see if she will meet sister Venus in the Italian Open semifinals. "I have a really tough opponent next match whether it's Venus or Jelena," Serena said. "Obviously, 'Go V!"' Serena had been out with a left knee injury since winning the Australian Open in January. "My knee is feeling good so far," she said. "I can't believe I'm still in the tournament -- it's weird."

After cruising through the first set and taking a 4-0 lead in the second, Serena lost three straight games before regaining control on her service games. She blasted aces at 123 mph and fired baseline winners at will. Serena had an 8-1 edge in aces and 19-7 in winners. She attributed the brief lapse in the second set to a lack of "match toughness."

"I definitely should have been up 5-0," she said. "Hopefully as I start playing more, I'll start to close these games out better." Serena won this clay-court warmup for the French Open in 2002 en route to her only title at Roland Garros.

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Roger and Serena: Calendar Slam?

When asked whether she and Roger Federer could win the calendar slam, Serena responded, “We definitely have the same chance as we both won Australia. We are starting on the same ship and I just hope at least one of our ships goes the whole way.”

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Rome: Quarterfinal (Thursday)

Quarterfinal

[1] (WC) Serena Williams (USA) vs. Maria Kirilenko (RUS)

Serena leads Head-To-Head (2-0)

2nd Match of the day

Center Court

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