Venus Williams had a few stumbles in her opening round match at Wimbledon but still managed to defeat Rossana De Los Rios 6-3, 6-2. The 5-time champ had 5-0 leads in both sets but allowed her Paraguayan opponent to pull out a few games. Her stats, though, look relatively clean: 31 winners/15 UEs, 6 aces, 57% first serve, broke 5 of 8 times and made 5 of 9 net approaches. She'll face Eastbourne champ Ekaterina Makarova, who defeated Agnes Szavay 6-4, 7-6 (2), in the next round.
This latest EleVen outfit, inspired by Tina Turner apparently, is a real about face from her Moulin Rouge number from Roland Garros. Firstly, she's got on normal knickers - phew. Secondly, she pulled a mullet moment here taking two different dresses and sewing the business top of one to the party bottom of another. The end result looks really disconnected. Not the best design EVAH.
Jelena Jankovic made her way into the second round with a 6-3, 7-6 (5) win over local fave Laura Robson. It wasn't the cleanest performance by the Serb, who was broken twice, but her stats looked good: 31 winners/12 UEs, 71% first serve, 4 aces and 7 of 8 net approaches. I'm still curious to see how her game develops in each match especially since she opted out of warm up tourneys this time around. JJ's never made it past the fourth round at Wimby so it was somewhat of surprise not to see her get any match play in before the Slam started.
The fourth seed debuted her new ANTA number which, like V's, features a simple design on top with some fluffy frills on the skirt. But I think this execution is much smoother and it flows nicely - not as jarring at the Americans. At first glance I thought it was a bit boring but, honestly, how much can you really do under the AEC's dress code?
On a side note, it looks like JJ's been getting her accessory stylings from Roger Federer:
[Photo(s): Getty Images]
I thought Venus loved Wimbledon but she obviously doesn't if she feels the need to assault us all with this fashion fail. I never EVER thought I'd say this but Venus needs to follow in her sister's footsteps and tone it down.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree. It all looks like she's trying too hard. Everything is so literal. I love things that have a subtlety and allow you to interpret it.
ReplyDeleteV's completely cracking us over the head with her inspirations.
Newsflash: WE GET IT.
Love the bottom of both JJ and V's dresses. Over all they both look great, but V's top is a wee too busy and JJ's top is a tad too sporty to go with that bottom.
ReplyDeleteBut that's nit picking...they both look fab!
I agree about V's dress. The top and bottom are fine on their own, but together they don't fit. Plus the drop waist adds bulk that sure as hell ain't there!
ReplyDeleteyeah I really like the fringe, but the top looks totally wrong, like it belongs to something else...and which it too bad because I always thought Venus was one of the few women on tour who could pull off sexy necklines and silhouettes ... no pun intended, but V is becoming delusional after all of her "illusions"...
ReplyDeletejojo
This so-called 'fashion' blog makes me laugh. I haven't stopped by here in ages and now I remember why...Let's see...
ReplyDeleteVenus's fringe skirt is 'too literal' but apparently Sharapova's New York aspirations ("the dress is red because it's New York - the big apple - and the crystals on the front are an actual graphic of the NY skyline!"); her cheap, direct "Breakfast at Tiffany's" Hepburn knock off which was a brilliant 'tribute'; the swan lake dress; the dreadful tuxedo and now this rose petal nonsense aren't the living definition of square, literal-minded design but are instead are gushed about by Rich as if they are the height of fashion.
Serena comes out dressed as a nurse with a badly cut, too-short bolero and in an outfit that Nike has recycled for Serena over and over again. (And according to you Rich, recycling fashion is 'bad' and boring, remember.) She's in off white and red trim and talks about it representing 'strawberries and cream' (because there is nothing literal-minded about *that*) and of course, it's lauded.
As for Venus's 'literal' dress. Well, some people pick up on the sixties go-go, but others see a nod to 1920s flapper girl inspiration. Now, of Venus if hadn't said in pre-Wimbledon interviews that her outfits was inspired by Tina Turner - would you have automatically thought 'oh yeah - that's just Tina Turner on a tennis court' when you first saw it? If not, then how does the design qualify as 'literal'?
But whatever.
IMO Vee's dress is cute but I think the execution with the lace on front could have been far better cut, using less flimsy, higher quality material. Even still, she still cuts the most striking figure on tour.