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Sharapova is good for the game: Williams
Serena Williams may have lost her Wimbledon crown to Russian teen Maria Sharpova, but it was not all doom and gloom for the American.
Serena Williams may have lost her Wimbledon crown to Russian teen Maria Sharpova, but it was not all doom and gloom for the American.
"It's good to see some different people besides myself, my sister, Kim (Clijsters) and Justine (Henin-Hardenne)," she said after her 6-1, 6-4 Centre Court trouncing.
"I can't wait to see Kim and Justine back and Venus and myself 100 percent fit. It will be great."
Prior to Wimbledon last year, the Williams sisters and the two Belgians were the four dominant figures in women's tennis and with Venus the oldest at just 23, they looked set for a long reign.
But one by one they have succummbed to illness and injury.
First Serena went under the surgeon's knife for a knee injury immediately after her Wimbledon win and it took her eight months to get back on to the circuit.
Then sister Venus took a lengthy break from the sport to recover from the stomach muscle strain that hampered her while losing to Serena at Wimbledon in the 2003 final.
Kim Clijsters hit the skids with a wrist injury which kept her out of the French Open and Wimbledon, while Henin-Hardenne is struggling to get back into top shape after being laid low by a mystery virus.
Jennifer Capriati's back, Lindsay Davenport's knee, the injury list is long and in Paris last month it resulted in a highly unexpected final between two Russians, Anastasia Myskina and Elena Dementieva.
That final was a disappointing spectacle and revived barbs that the women's game was a poor second-best to the men's.
But Sharapova's emergence at Wimbledon has changed the picture providing the sport with a superb athlete who has glamour girl good looks and a bubbly personality to boot.
The 22-year-old Williams said she saw similarities between herself and Sharapova.
"She's kind of like me," she said. "She doesn't back off and keeps giving it her all."
"I like how she plays tough against everyone and not just against a few players. She's good for the game."
