WIMBLEDON,
England — Serena Williams relishes her role as copycat little sister. Even if
it takes her 12 years. Now, she has that remarkable Olympic double — just like
Venus.
The
overpowering American pair teamed to win the women's doubles title at the
Olympics today, with Serena adding to the singles gold she won on Centre Court
at Wimbledon a day earlier.
"Crazy,"
Serena said. "I'm always copying her. I forgot that she did it in Sydney
and I do it here. We're the same doubles team, we just split this to singles,
so it's cool."
The
sisters beat Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka of the Czech Republic 6-4,
6-4 under the roof on a rainy afternoon at the All England Club. Venus — with
her red, white and blue braids pulled back into a bun — closed out the match on
the very grass she has long loved with a backhand volley winner after the
Czechs saved a pair of match points.
"We
all talk about this, 'We have so many medals,' but to be able to add to that,
it's like an unbelievable feeling," Venus said. "You know that in
that count, there you are. It feels amazing."
On
Saturday, Serena beat Maria Sharapova 6-0, 6-1 for the singles gold. She joined
Steffi Graf as the only women to complete the Golden Slam — winning the
Olympics and the four majors.
When
the Americans in the crowd at Centre Court broke into a chant of "U-S-A!
U-S-A!" as the players left the court, the sisters each pumped their
fists, turned around to wave, then slapped a high-five. The medal ceremony had
to wait for the outdoor bronze-medal match, which was delayed by rain.
With
Bob and Mike Bryan capturing gold in men's doubles Saturday, make it three
golds for U.S. tennis in two days.
"It's
great because America's added three gold medals to our medal count just in the
tennis," Venus said. "I feel great to be a part of this U.S. team
this year."
Serena
became tennis' first double gold medalist at an Olympics since Venus won
singles and doubles at the 2000 Sydney Games. The sisters also won the doubles
gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
With
Sunday's victory, they each have a record four Olympic tennis gold medals, and
the sisters didn't drop a set through their five matches at the London Games.
While
Serena was thrilled to win on her own Saturday, with Venus rooting her on from
the family box, the doubles is what she most cared about coming to the London
Games.
Especially
considering all the emotional and physical struggles for Venus, who was
diagnosed last year with an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue.
"This
is all I wanted," said Venus, who had all of about two months to raise her
ranking and qualify for the Olympics. "Boy, was that a battle. That was
one of the hardest things I've ever done. I really feel proud of what happened
here at the Olympics."
But
for years Venus has been comfortable on the lawn at Wimbledon, where she has
won five of her seven Grand Slam titles.
"Venus
has been going through so much and she's so strong and so she's so
amazing," Serena said. "And to win this was my goal."
The
Williamses also became the first tennis players to win Olympic gold indoors
since the 1912 Stockholm Games, a match played in a pavilion on wood courts
painted black.
On
Sunday, they won the fourth game of the second set at love on Venus' ace, the
first of three straight games in which they didn't lose a point.
Serena
overcame two break points trailing 1-0 in the second set. She pumped her fist
and cheered after a forehand winner down the alley past a poaching Hradecka,
who was aggressive at the net all afternoon.
The
Czechs held in four of their first five service games, including Hlavackova's
first that went to deuce four times.
Venus
Williams joins Conchita Martinez of Spain as the only tennis players to win
medals at three different Olympics. Martinez's medals all came in doubles —
silver in Barcelona in 1992, bronze at the 1996 Atlanta Games and silver in
Athens in 2004.
Gigi
Fernandez and current U.S. coach Mary Joe Fernandez are the only others to win
back-to-back Olympic tennis gold medals after they teamed for doubles titles in
1992 and 1996.
And
the sisters insist they're not done yet.
"We're
looking forward to Rio," Serena said, "and trying to get some sort of
medal there."
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