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A couple of Belgians dent the Williams' dominance

Serena Williams wipes her face as she plays against Belgium's Justine Henin-Hardenne during their semifinal match of the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros stadium in Paris on Thursday. PHOTO: AP

Mark it down: At least one Williams sister, and quite possibly both, will play in the Wimbledon final next month.

That's because nothing seems to drive them more than disappointment. At the French Open on Saturday, for the first time since January 2002, the scoreboard at a Grand Slam final won't read Williams-Williams. Instead, the matchup will be Belgian versus Belgian (Justine Henin-Hardenne versus Kim Clijsters).

Serena lost to Henin-Hardenne in the semifinals; Venus lost to Vera Zvonareva in the fourth round. Both siblings were booed as they brusquely walked off center court.

Henin-Hardenne was among the first players to say last year that it would be better for tennis if Team Williams' dominance was thwarted. On Friday, she offered this observation:

"Everybody's happy today but the Williams sisters."

How's that for bulletin-board material?

It's tough to tell whether being on the wrong side of the scores or the fans' antipathy hurt the siblings more. It's enough to know that they hurt.

"I don't try to console them," said their mother and coach, Oracene Price. "They both hate to lose."

Who can forget Venus' sullen expression in the stands as she watched little sis win the family's first Grand Slam title at the 1999 US Open? Venus, beaten in the semifinals, appeared to be thinking: ``Shouldn't the older sister be the groundbreaker?''

Venus responded by winning four of the next eight majors.

When Serena lost to Venus in the 2001 US Open final, falling behind 4-1 in Grand Slam trophies, she responded by increasing her commitment and going on a 33-match winning streak at majors, with four titles.

"I wanted to change," Serena said. "I was tired of being at a certain level. When Venus became No. 1, that motivated me."
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