"For sure it's going to be a family decision" - When Elena Dementieva opined on the winner in Serena Williams-Venus Williams Wimbledon final
Elena Dementieva once claimed that the 2008 Wimbledon final between Serena Williams and Venus Williams would be decided by their family.
The two sisters would contest in the final of the grass-court Major for the first time since 2003 that year. Serena Williams beat Zheng Jie 6-2, 7-6(5) in the semifinals while Venus Williams beat Elena Dementieva 6-1, 7-6(3).
After losing to the older Williams sister, Dementieva was asked to give her opinion on who would win the final in her post-match press conference. The Russian opined that the winner would be "a family decision."
"I mean, if they're going to play against each other, I mean, I don't know what to say. I mean, I cannot imagine myself playing against someone from my family. It's really hard. For sure it's going to be a family decision," the Russian said.
Venus Williams was then asked to comment on Dementieva's statements in her post-match press conference. The American responded that she found the question offensive, as any mention of those comments was disrespect towards herself and her family.
"Well, the main thing is that I find the question pretty offensive because I'm extremely professional in everything that I do on and off the court," Williams said.
"I contribute my best in my sport, and I also have a ton of respect for myself and my family. So any mention of that is extremely disrespectful for who I am, what I stand for, and my family. That's pretty much how I feel about the whole subject," she added.
Venus Williams eventually went on to win her fifth Wimbledon title in 2008 by beating Serena Williams 7-5, 6-4 in the final.
Serena Williams and Venus Williams both have a 100% win record against Elena Dementieva in Grand Slams
Serena Williams and Venus Williams both faced Elena Dementieva in Grand Slams during their respective careers, and the Russian always ended up on the losing side.
The 2008 Wimbledon semifinal was the only time Dementieva faced Venus Williams at a Major. Her first Grand Slam fixture against Serena Williams came in the fourth round of Wimbledon 2003. It was also the very first meeting between the two, and Williams won 6-2, 6-2.
The second time Dementieva faced the 23-time Grand Slam singles champion was in the semifinals of the 2009 Australian Open, with the latter winning 6-3, 6-4. That year, they also locked horns in the Wimbledon semifinals, and Serena Williams saved a match point to win 6-7(4), 7-5, 8-6 and reach the final, where she beat her sister Venus 7-6(3), 6-2.