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Mathew Scott

Americas captain finds extra motivation to down Chakvetadze
It has long been one of the many wonders of Venus Williams' game that even when she's playing badly she doesn't get beaten.
Just ask Anna Chakvetadze.
In the opening match of last night's Gold Group final at the JB Group Classic 2008, the Russian broke Williams in the first game and seemed during the first set ready to take all the pressure the American could serve up. Chakvetadze produced some scintillating groundstrokes as she looked to have counter-punched Williams into a corner when she took a 4-2 lead in the set.
But looks can be deceiving. From then on Williams raced through the gears on her way to  a comprehensive 7-6 (7-1), 6-3 victory - and a 1-0 lead to Team Americas in the best-of-five match final.
'I was not comfortable, believe me,' Chakvetadze smiled ruefully afterwards. 'It's tough to play her, she's not a player I would like to play in the first round of a grand slam.'
There is a legion of players on the professional circuit who feel the same. Once Williams moves into overdrive, she is almost impossible to stop. And she revealed later she had come into the event knowing its new team format would give her opponents extra motivation.
'She was competitive from the beginning and that was definitely important,' said the 28-year-old captain of Team Americas. 'There's extra motivation when you are not just playing for yourself but for other team members. I felt she played a good match and at the end I just started to get that edge.'
Chakvetadze's tenacious play also came as no surprise to Williams, who said she was prepared simply to wait until her own game warmed. That would be the second set, then, when Williams raced to a 4-0 lead. 'I have played her before and she has always played well,' said the American. 'So I was not surprised because I know what she is capable of.'
Williams is using the Hong Kong event to prepare for the Australian Open - an event she has never captured.
'I need all these matches and all these points,' said the world number six. 'I need to be down a break, go to a tiebreak, have some close service games and all of that. Especially getting back into the season. So I find myself getting into these situations and coming through them and it is really, really good.'
Chakvetadze, meanwhile, seemed happy to be off the court, away from the punishment - and looking to her next match. 'I am still pleased with the way I played but I feel I can play better,' she said.
In the opening match last night, the Asia Pacific pairing of Zheng Jie and Sania Mirza brushed aside world number one Jelena Jankovic and Michelle Larcher de Brito of Team Europe 6-1, 6-1.
So well did the combination play that the Indian revealed Zheng had asked if she was available to team up in next week's Australian Open warm-up event in Hobart. No such luck for the Chinese player though. 'She's taken, so I guess I will just have to keep looking,' she said.
The Gold Group Final resumes today tied at 1-1 after Team Russia's Vera Zvonareva downed Gisela Dulko of Team Americas 6-4, 0-6, 6-3 late last night.
The Russian team captain had watched Williams earlier in the evening and said she there was only one way to approach their match today - which could decide the title.
'Venus is aggressive so I will have to be aggressive as well,' she said. 'There's no other way to play her.'



Team spirit sees Venus rally to crush Russian