Tennis: Veteran Venus seemingly gets better with age

Venus Williams of the United States celebrates after beating Latvia's Jelena Ostapenko. Photo / AP

Age continues to prove no barrier for Venus Williams and neither did Jelena Ostapenko who was dispatched 6-3, 7-5 with brutal efficiency in 73 minutes to set up a mouthwatering semifinal clash against Britain's Johanna Konta in the Wimbledon women's tennis singles quarter-finals yesterday.

Ostapenko arrived on Centre Court possessing a reputation for sheer fearlessness, a harder forehand than Andy Murray as well as an 11-match winning run in grand-slam tournaments which included her triumph as an unseeded player at the French Open.

Facing her was a 37-year-old competing in her 100th singles match at Wimbledon where she made her debut in the same month that Ostapenko was born in 1997.

As such, Williams is well versed in dealing with the impetuousness of youth. All her opponents at Wimbledon have been 21 or younger.

All have failed to conquer Mount Venus. The American's trusty first serve, still as formidable as it was 20 years ago, effectively put pay to Ostapenko's challenge.

Williams is now the oldest player to reach a Wimbledon semifinal since Martina Navratilova 23 years ago.

In the context of her battle with Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease, and the distraction of an impending lawsuit over her involvement in the death of a 78-year-old in a car crash, that is all the more impressive.

The secret to such longevity and single-minded focus, she says, is simply love.

"I love the challenge," Williams said. "I love pressure. It's not always easy dealing with the pressure. There's constant pressure. It's only yourself who can have the answer for that. I love the last day you play, you're still improving. It's not something that is stagnant. There's always a reason. You have to get better. I love that.

"I don't think about the definition of age. It's beautiful to be at all ages really. That's my experience so far."

She has to get past tournament darling Konta, who had British fans in a state of delirium with a pulsating quarter-final win over Romanian second seed Simona Halep.

Konta battled back from a set down to clinch a Centre Court thriller 6-7 (2-7), 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 to become Britain's first women's semifinalist since Virginia Wade 39 years ago.

"It's a little bit surreal," Sydney-born Konta said.

"I felt very clear about what I was trying to achieve out there. I continued to trust in the fact that what I was doing was going to bring me good things."