KEY BISCAYNE, Fla., March 31 -- It was a wonder, given all the book signings, fashion shows and other obligations this week, that Venus and Serena Williams could squeeze in any tennis, which might or might not be their biggest priority on any given day. At the very moment Serena Williams autographed copies of the sisters' most recent joint project -- a self-help book for teens -- outside the stadium court Thursday afternoon, Venus met with reporters in the stadium's underbelly to dissect her maddening 6-4, 6-3 loss to Russian teenager Maria Sharapova in the semifinals of the Nasdaq-100 Open.
Sharapova's equally powerful and artful play propelled her into Saturday's final -- her first of the year -- against Kim Clijsters, who defeated Amelie Mauresmo, 6-1, 6-0, and ended the Williams sisters' utter dominance of this tournament, which one or the other had won for four straight years and six of the last seven. But it also proved the launching point for questions about where the sisters' careers are headed, as Venus Williams -- who defeated Serena for the first time in more than three years on Tuesday -- seems particularly at a loss as to how to return to her glory days some four years past.
Venus Williams grimaces after one of her 24 unforced errors against Maria Sharapova. Williams or her sister, Serena, had won six of the past seven Nasdaq-100s.
(Gregory Shamus -- Reuters)
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Two days after the grueling match with her sister and a day after her own book signing here, Venus Williams, 24, complained of an inexplicable fatigue that contributed to her 24 unforced errors and failure to convert six break points against Sharapova, 17, last year's Wimbledon champion whose career has been riding an opposite arc.
"I think the first problem for me was I was so tired today," said Williams, ranked ninth in the world. "I don't know why . . . . I think sometimes I went for a shot too quickly because my energy level was so low."
Energy was not a problem for either Roger Federer, who easily defeated Tim Henman, 6-4, 6-2, in the afternoon's men's quarterfinal, or Andre Agassi, who topped Taylor Dent, 7-5, 6-0, in the night match. The two will meet in Friday's evening semifinal; Spaniards David Ferrer and Rafael Nadal will play in the early match.
Sharapova made just 12 unforced errors and had Williams flying from corner to corner as if on a string. Her controlled yet forceful play suggested she might be ready to build on her progress last season, when she jumped from No. 32 to No. 4, making the sort of waves Williams did when she, too, was just 16.
Her biggest moment Thursday afternoon came in the last game of the second set, when she fended off six break points by Williams. When she sealed the victory on a Williams forehand into the net, Sharapova dropped to her knees and screamed with apparent relief.
"I was really positive, even when she started to try to fight back and try to run and get everything back," said Sharapova, who resides full time in Bradenton, Fla. "I was just trying to fight out there, knowing that I, you know, wanted to do my best and just fight until the end."
Venus Williams, who won her last grand slam at the U.S. Open in 2001, said she hasn't lost her passion for the sport and believes she can still improve, despite a hectic schedule that includes a mind-boggling array of enterprises. She is working toward her bachelor's degree in interior design; running her own interior design company in nearby Palm Beach Gardens; designing her own line of leather apparel for Wilson's Leather; pitching her new book; working on a book of poetry and, of course, meeting a plethora of sponsors' obligations.
Williams acknowledged that her unpredictable schedule wears on her, but she insisted that tennis was her No. 1 priority.
"I have a lot of things going on," she said. "People are always calling me, you know, [saying] 'Can you do this?' 'Can you do that?' 'Please come here.' 'Please come there.' 'Do this.' 'Do that.'
"I definitely try to keep a balance and I put the tennis first, but there's a number of yesses that have to be said. . . . Things come up like you wouldn't believe, and a lot I'm obligated to do for certain reasons."
Still, Venus Williams said, the biggest reason for her defeat was neither distractions nor Sharapova's sharp game.
"Not only did I have to play against my opponent, but I also had to play against me," she said. "That's hard to do the whole match. You know, I have to be kinder to myself."
