Venus Williams: Tennis isn’t going to get any easier
Venus Williams has secured her place in the BNP Paribas Open quarterfinals with a straight set 6-4, 6-4 victory against Mona Barthel. Williams and Barthel struck 26 winners each but Williams won 69 per cent of her first service points, compared to 59 per cent for Barthel, to extend her undefeated record against the 97th ranked German to 4-0. "(Barthel) was playing very well too, actually.She forced the issue on every point. Didn't make a lot of errors. Played defensively when she had to. Played offensively,” Williams told the press after her victory. “I was really impressed with her game. I was happy to come through.It wasn't easy." It’s the sixth time Williams has reached the quarterfinals or better at Indian Wells. "I was pretty determined this year. I haven't played that much, so I wanted to make it count. It's not going to get any easier from here, so I just have to continue to raise my game." At 38 years old, Williams conceded she will stick to a lighter schedule this year and probably only compete in around 12 tournaments. "I just don't need to. I don't need to do it. I need to do what I want. And what I want is to play the tournaments I want to play." She added: "It's nice to be able to do what works for me. I have never played more than maybe 16 events anyway. It's not that far off what I was already doing. Just really not adding a lot extra." "I'm not really as much into, like, how I feel anymore. Just into can I execute at that moment and, if I didn't at that moment, can I do it the next moment? I'm a little less into, Oh, I feel this way. You know, I think once I walk out there on the court, that's my main focus, what I need to achieve in that match and I try to block anything else out."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2VSv1aq
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