See how Serena Williams became one of the all-time greats at Stanford. (Photo: AP)
The women’s tennis team is going to Stanford for a one-game playoff (US Open) set to tip off in just under 24 hours. Stanford won their most recent match, 7-6, 8-6, against USC, and it’s going to come down to how Stanford can match the Trojans’ ability to compete in their current match-up.
It’s not going to be an easy sell. Stanford has just three matches left before the season-ending tournament, and they aren’t likely to make it to the semifinals with wins against USC and UCLA before losing to Oregon on Thursday. They’re also likely to be missing one of the more dynamic individual players in the world, Venus Williams, who will be competing in the US Open.
The teams are separated by just four points in the standings, and the match in question is an all-time classic. If Stanford is to win it, they’ll need to get their game on its A+ game, and they’ll have to do so in a match that’s more than just a game and a half. It’s going to be an interesting two hours.
The lineups are set for the match:
Stanford – Venus Williams
Stanford’s match is an all-time classic, as Venus Williams is going to be playing on the same court (that’s right, this is a tennis match) as Pete Sampras, with whom she has played twice, and who was her best tennis partner during her time at Stanford.
While Venus will most likely play it safe for the majority of the match due to the match being one of the most important matches of her career, the odds are on her to go for that extra hit. That decision is going to be a pivotal one for her and her team, and could determine the fate of this tennis match.
Venus was ranked #1 in the world, and it was her to win that match. She has an excellent chance of getting off the court with a win, as a Stanford win would put her at 2-5 in matches against the Trojans (and it would be the best of its kind, other than perhaps a match against Serena).
She has been playing extremely well recently
