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Here Comes Williams and Her Booming Serve

Posted September. 20, 2007 07:51,   

한국어

Can you imagine how fast a Venus Williams serve travels?

She slammed a record 207 km/h serve in the first round of the U.S. Open earlier this month.

Now, we will experience her powerful game in Korea during the upcoming Korean Thanksgiving Holiday.

Ranked 9th in the world, Williams will visit Korea on the coming Saturday to participate in the Hansol Korea Open, the only pro-tennis championship in Korea, which begins from Sep. 24 in Seoul.

To ensure her best performance, she has cancelled all the other matches scheduled for this week.

To clock her serves accurately, the Korea Tennis Association has recently purchased two speed guns from a U.S. sports gear maker for $10,000. Each of them will be set up on either end of the court to give real-time readings to the fans.

Experts point to her strong build and firm grip on the fundamentals. Venus Williams, standing 185cm and weighing 73kg, attributes the power to her repeated practice since her childhood. Her springy knees add even more momentum to her serve.

MBC tennis commentator Jeon Mi-rah explains, “She spends almost double the amount of time on serves than other players. Her first serves are successful in most cases. So, she can slam more powerful serves with more confidence.”

Korean star male tennis player Lee Hyung-tack recorded a 199.6km serve in the U.S. Open. Thus, she is more powerful than many male players.

Williams first visited Korea two years ago, along with Maria Sharapova of Russia, 20, to play a demonstration game. Her kindness has left an impressive image among her Korean fans. This time, she will participate in more “off-the-court” events to maintain this image for her adoring fans. In addition, Williams and eight other world-class players will play visit Korea.

Dunlop Korea will stage a pre-game event where a visiting fan who records the fastest serve will receive free racket, cap, and other souvenirs.



kjs0123@donga.com