[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 83 (Thursday, June 20, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1115]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CONGRATULATING THE WILLIAMS SISTERS

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MAXINE WATERS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 20, 2002

  Ms. WATERS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the Williams 
sisters on their magnificent play during the 2002 French Open. The two 
sisters, Venus and Serena, met recently in the finals of the French 
Open and provided an exciting game for us to watch. In the end, Serena 
defeated her big sister in straight sets, 7-5, 6-3 to become champion. 
It was a great match and I look forward to watching them compete in the 
future. I would not be surprised to see them competing against each 
other in other finals over the next few years.
  Recently, Venus was ranked number one in the world by the Women's 
Tennis Association. And Serena was ranked number two. It is the first 
time sisters have ever held the top two spots in the world. It is quite 
an accomplishment.
  Venus and Serena have dominated the tennis scene since they arrived 
in 1994 and 1997, respectively. Together, they have won over 27 
tournaments and six grand slam titles. When Venus won the 2000 
Wimbledon championship, she became the first female black champion 
since 1958 when Althea Gibson won the title. In the same year, she 
teamed up with her sister to win the doubles championship. Venus went 
on to win Wimbledon last year and is the top ranked woman this year. 
She also won the Olympic gold medal for singles and doubles in the 
Sydney Games. To win the Olympic doubles gold medal, she paired up with 
Serena. The two sisters overwhelmed the competition with power and hard 
work, winning the gold medal match 6-1, 6-1. With that victory, Venus 
became the first woman, since 1924, to win the gold in singles and 
doubles competition.
  Serena is also quite accomplished. She has fifteen career wins under 
her belt. As I mentioned, she won her second Grand Slam title at the 
French Open this year, her first coming at the 1999 U.S. Open. When she 
won that title, Serena became the lowest seed to win the women's title 
in the Open era. She is ranked number two at Wimbledon this year.
  So it appears that most expect the sisters to reach the Wimbledon 
finals this year. If it does happen, it would be the third all-Williams 
Grand Slam final in 10 months. And their seventh championship in the 
past 12 Grand Slam singles events.
  In closing, I wish Venus and Serena the best of luck at Wimbledon and 
offer my sincere congratulations to them for their remarkable 
achievements.

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