Richard Williams will not watch Venus and Serena’s final

I'm a proud dad, says richard williams BUT venus & serena's father doesn't have the heart to watch their final tomorrow

Richard Williams will not watch Venus and Serena's final

I'mu00a0a proud dad, says richard williams BUT venus & serena's father doesn't have the heart to watch their final tomorrow

Williams, who taught his daughters to play tennis and remains their coach, has never watched them play in a final against each other and booked his flight home yesterday afternoon after Venus secured a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Dinara Safina in the second semi-final.

"My dad usually leaves," said Serena, who had earlier beaten Elena Dementieva 6-7 (4/7), 7-5, 8-6. "Hopefully he'll stay for our match tomorrow. That would be nice.

"I'd love him to stay I'm going to ask him but he usually leaves because his work is done really."

Williams senior agreed to postpone his departure until after his daughters play their doubles semi-final against top seeds Cara Black and Liezel Huber, which is the first match on Court One today, but says he will never break his vow to watch them play each other.

Difficult
"I could never do that," he said. "I would never watch them, I'd have a heart attack.

"It's just too difficult. I have never even watched them on TV. Once when they played my neighbour recorded it but I said, 'No, I can't watch that'.

"As soon as Venus got up 5-0, I came down to talk to the girl who works for Serena and book my flight then.

"Serena said, 'You're staying for the doubles', so I'm staying for the doubles, but after that I have to go home."
Serena, the champion in 2002 and 2003, insists she will be the underdog against the defending champion after struggling to overcome Dementieva yesterday.

"I feel I'm going into this final with nothing to lose," she said. "She's playing the best tennis at this tournament.

"I'll just keep positive and go with it. I think that, if I can do that, then it will be good."

The sisters, who are the defending doubles champions, are level at 10-10 in previous singles meetings, with Venus favourite to edge ahead after dropping just 20 games in her six matches so far.

"I'm still enjoying my semi-final win, so I have to get my mind shifted to the final," said Venus.

"But just playing Serena Williams, I have the immense respect. Even if she's not playing her best, it's just that fight she has that you're facing.

"There's so much to face when you play her. It's definitely a lot to get your mind around.

"What I can tell you is the respect that we have for each other on and off the court is the same as it was 10 years ago."

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