Be sure to check it out at the 12:15 mark when Schiavone comes up with an amazing, stretching get on a putaway volley that Serena handled too nonchalantly. Also don't miss "Flava Flav" Pennetta and "Franny Pack" Schiavone at the 19:50 mark, when they show the Williamses their best moves to Michael Jackson's "Beat It." The crowd, especially a pack of Italian girls in purple, had a blast with it.
Venus herself may not have done her EleVen clothing line any promotional favors when her dress's strap broke ahead of a Pennetta winner at the 9:10 mark.
She left the court to change frocks while Flavia hit for a few minutes with a quite capable ball boy. It was a significantly strange exhibition on the whole, with Pennetta nearly colliding head-on with the face of a camera after the four exchanged kisses and platitudes at the net when it was over. Make sure to see that to take in Flavia's half-shocked reaction.
In the end, Venus and Serena succumbed to Flavia and Fran in singles, with Venus losing both of her mega-tiebreaks to the Italianas and Schiavone coming up with the late-breaking goods versus Serena. However, the Williamses were triumphant in doubles, as they are prone to be. Do check out the winsome pairs as they battle four to the court. These are great doubles players. Pennetta and Schiavone will actually team up early in 2012 so as to qualify for the Olympics as a tandem.
Suffice it to say, the Spin is tickled pink (my high school tennis coach's phrase) just to see a fairly healthy looking Venus back on the court. Allez, 2012.
—Jonathan Scott (@jonscott9)
