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OPEN COURT

Venus Williams: The Champion Trying to Slam Sjogren's Syndrome; Big Names Celebrate World Tennis Day; Computer System Transforms Tennis; Beach Workout Lifts Your Game

Aired March 20, 2014 - 13:30:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


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PAT CASH, CNN HOST: Brilliant weather, a world-famous beach and the stunning Art Deco buildings of Ocean Drive. Where else could we be but Miami, Florida? Most people come here for a holiday but if you're a tennis player, it's all about business.

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CASH (voice-over): That's because it's the home of the Sony Open, one of the year's biggest tournaments outside of the Slams. We've been busy here at OPEN COURT, too, to bring you the following.

Hello.

Coming up on the show, Venus Williams. She's showing no signs of stopping. As the seven-time Grand Slam champ prepares to play in Miami, she reveals that she's already thinking about the Rio Olympics.

VENUS WILLIAMS, SEVEN-TIME GRAND SLAM CHAMPION: Olympics is definitely on our radar. 2016 is only a couple of years away and we think we can -- we think we can get there.

CASH (voice-over): Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras, the American tennis icons, renew their rivalry on World Tennis Day.

PETE SAMPRAS: We're still here, 42 and 43, still competing. A little bit older and a little grayer.

CASH (voice-over): And we'll have some fun in the sun. A beach workout designed to give your game that extra edge.

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CASH: Venus Williams has been a top draw card here for over 15 years. She's delighted fans with her athleticism and grace. And just last month at the age of 33, she won her 45th title, showing the world just how dangerous her game can still be.

Well, this game is the perfect opportunity to catch up with her at her home base here in Florida.

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WILLIAMS (voice-over): I have to say that I feel more confident on the court than I have in my life.

CASH (voice-over): Venus won her 45th career title last month in Dubai. The win snapped at 18 months title grab.

CASH: I think that we're all inspired by you and your victory last month and WTA player of the month as well.

WILLIAMS: I didn't even know there was Player of the Month. Someone told me about it, I guess like Employee of the Month.

So watch out, April. Whoo!

CASH (voice-over): Venus hasn't always been so optimistic about her future. Three years ago, she told the world that she was suffering from a fatigue-sapping disease called Sjogren's syndrome. The former number one watched as she fell out of the top 100.

WILLIAMS: It's hard to get motivated if you don't feel well, too. I mean, there's only so much you can do. So definitely I had to adjust a lot. But I just see it as a challenge because in my life I've never been defeated by anything. And I've lost and I've had to learn, but I've never, you know, had to lay down the towel.

CASH: Do you have days where you just like can't get out of bed and just feel like -- and feel asleep all day? Is that how it works?

WILLIAMS: Yes, I do have days where I feel like that, but I don't stay in bed because that makes me anxious. I guess the sun's up and I realize I have to get the work in because I've really been to the bottom, you know.

So once you get that far down, once you get back up, you realize that you have really nothing to lose.

CASH: Is there any dietary ways or things that you have to -- that you can and cannot do?

WILLIAMS: Yes, for me, avoid a lot of sugar. I've adopted a mostly vegan diet. But like I said, I cheat. I've told everyone so if you see a picture of me eating the wrong thing, I've already admitted it. I'm human.

CASH: I'm just curious how you can manage something like that while playing at a top level.

WILLIAMS: I've had to learn a lot, you know, about myself, really. I've gone through a lot of things that I never thought I would, but I feel fortunate to have had the career that I have. Oh, my God, my dog really loves you.

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WILLIAMS: Harold's a media hog. He loves the camera. But actually I travel with him quite a few places. Everywhere I can that's not too far, that's airlinic substance (ph).

CASH: Now you've got an awesome pet.

You want to go to Mommy? You want to go back to Mommy?

WILLIAMS: I don't know, he doesn't even want me anymore.

Hey. Such a traitor. How could you be like this? Oh. Oh.

CASH (voice-over): Venus' dog, Harold, is part of the extended Williams family.

During my visit to Palm Beach Gardens, I watched as Venus and Serena trained side by side.

WILLIAMS: We come and we usually hit hard. My dad comes out and coaches and he picks up balls faster than anyone out there that I've ever met. And Serena and I, we usually hit next to each other because we want to practice different things. So sometimes we do hit together.

CASH: That's a pretty good practice partner to have, living next door.

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WILLIAMS: (INAUDIBLE) practice partner. Obviously, it's whenever we hit together, we're like, I have to do this every day. It's like to the point where I don't want to mess up because then I'll ruin her practice. So it's not even like I want to make sure and show her how good I am. It's like I better not miss because you know, I want to -- I want to make sure she gets a good practice. She feels the same way about me.

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CASH (voice-over): Richard Williams taught Venus and Serena how to play tennis on the hard courts of Compton, California. Combined, the sisters have won 24 Grand Slam singles titles. But one of their most treasured moments was winning Olympic gold together in London.

WILLIAMS: The Olympics have been the most special moment for Serena and I in our lives, in playing doubles as well has been amazing to play with your sister and get along and, you know, support each other. So Olympics is definitely on our radar, though. 2016 is only a couple of years away and we think we can -- we think we can get there.

CASH (voice-over): And from the sisters will be balancing success with their business interests.

WILLIAMS: How do I tie this, a special knot? With the Cash knot?

CASH: Actually, see, it looks way better on you.

CASH (voice-over): It's no secret that Venus' passion is fashion.

WILLIAMS: It's going to be the new collection.

CASH (voice-over): She has her own clothing line.

WILLIAMS: I do design. I actually went to school for fashion design so that has been very instrumental kind of to now. There's me and one other designer, and we sit down every season and we sit down for 2-3 days and plan and design. And from there, the line, you know, kind of takes form.

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WILLIAMS: Good rally.

CASH: A medical timeout, please? (INAUDIBLE).

WILLIAMS (voice-over): That was like 100-ball rally.

(LAUGHTER)

WILLIAMS (voice-over): Going to volley, come on. Let's see the volley.

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CASH: Love to see you guys. You and your sister are certainly intense.

WILLIAMS: Thank you for coming out.

CASH: (INAUDIBLE) tennis forever.

How would you like to be remembered?

WILLIAMS: Yes, that's a good question. I think for me the best thing is just to be able to contribute to my sport. I think I'd like to be remembered like that. It's been an honor to have been able to grow the game, to change the game, which is something that I never even dreamed of doing growing up. I think we all dream of winning tournaments but we don't think of being, you know, more of a force in the game of tennis other than winning for ourselves.

So for me, that would be the best legacy.

CASH (voice-over): After I finished hitting with Venus, World number 1 Serena Williams and I had a volley challenge.

Log on to CNN.com/OPENCOURT for this online exclusive.

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CASH (voice-over): Still to come on OPEN COURT.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It made the sport more accurate.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I believe it's taken a lot of the guesswork out.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's like in, out, that's it.

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CASH: In or out? It's a story that will have you reading between the lines after the break.

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CASH: On opening day here at the Sony Open there will be players from Serbia, China, Australia and the U.S., all taking center stage. They're the latest ambassadors on what now really is a global game but some feel there is more to do to promote the sport around the planet, as I found out when I joined in World Tennis Day celebrations.

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CASH (voice-over): From New York to London, World Tennis Day has gained momentum on the global stage.

JUDY MURRAY, ANDY MURRAY'S MOTHER: It's wonderful. It draws attention to our sport.

MIKE BRYAN, 15-TIME GRAND SLAM DOUBLES CHAMPION: I think it's a great platform to just spread the gospel for us and the game.

CASH (voice-over): What started out as a Big Apple-only event has expanded to include more than 70 countries worldwide. Promoter Jerry Solomon has been behind the idea from the beginning.

JERRY SOLOMON, PROMOTER: The idea is really to do all of this all around the world on one day to where we sort of galvanize the entire tennis world to celebrate the sport.

CASH (voice-over): Solomon knows that big names sell tickets. In Hong Kong, Li Na faced long-time rival Sam Sposa (ph).The marquee matchup in New York featured Novak Djokovic versus Andy Murray. But arguably top of the bill was in London, where two greats of the game dusted off their racquets for a heavyweight showdown.

What better way to promote tennis than to rekindle one of the greatest rivalries of the game. Sampras and Agassi have been battling for 35 years. It's a contest that's been played out both on court and on the small screen.

SAMPRAS: Well, I was 7, he was 8. We played at Northridge. He was a long-haired kid from Las Vegas and I'd played him and he was just sort of talented and kind of crazy and we battled and we turned pro and everything progressed into this rivalry and just battled for the number one ranking, battled for Wimbledon titles and just, you know, (INAUDIBLE) who's the best player. I would say it's Andre because he played so well, he returned so well and just the fact that we're still here, 42 and 43, still competing, a little bit older and a little grayer. But it's still fun and you know, it's quite a history.

ANDRE AGASSI, FORMER WORLD NUMBER 1: And when you step on the court, you can't help but feel what it always used to feel like, you know? It's just -- it just raises your pulse because you know you have to be on it. And while that feeling still exists on some level, it doesn't come with the weight of the world on your shoulders. And you get to just enjoy that moment and take in years of history.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pete Sampras.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Andre Agassi.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Game's a match: Agassi.

CASH (voice-over): After losing to Sampras on two other occasions in London, Agassi was pleased to come out on top on World Tennis Day.

CASH: (INAUDIBLE) great now go out against Pete and say, you know what, we were the -- two of the icons. But just go out and have some fun. Was it still a little rivalry there?

AGASSI: Yes, you know, I think it's more -- it's more of the -- what you're saying about just having a good time. I mean, there's nothing to prove anymore. Obviously you don't want to come out here and either embarrass yourself or have everyone enjoy themselves. So you're trying to do what you do well. You know, I know he's going to hit his serves and I know he's going to, you know, obviously get his fair share of what he did well. But I just wanted to connect on a few to create a little nostalgia and you know, take a stroll down Amnesia Lane.

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CASH: You guys are still hitting a serious hard ball. And you know each other's games backwards.

SAMPRAS: Yes, we're trying. We're -- I mean, as you see, we're probably serving volleys a little bit rusty and I don't do it very often. And I think it's tougher as you get older, as you know. My body was breaking down a little bit. But it's -- it still seems like, at 42 and 43, we're still selling out a place and it's -- that's really good to see.

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CASH (voice-over): Meanwhile in New York, another set of rivals who have known each other since they were 12 were battling it out at Madison Square Garden.

MURRAY: At this point we are like saying bye, just seeing two little boys that just used to scrapper in the court, having fun and know they're two of the biggest stars in the game and it's very special.

CASH (voice-over): The friendly foes mixed serious tennis with a bit of fun.

In the end, Djokovic avenged his Wimbledon loss to Murray in front of more than 15,000 fans. Handshakes and hugs at the net brought a marathon World Tennis Day to a close. Organizers are hopeful that this fledgling event will find a permanent place on the tennis calendar.

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CASH: Well, they had a lot of fun playing against my old rival, Ivan Lendl. And it's fair to say a lot of things have changed on the world circuit since we first met. One of the most significant ones debuted right here at the Sony Open.

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CASH (voice-over): It's an invention that's been embraced by tennis players worldwide, known for its pinpoint accuracy and cutting-edge technology. Hawk-Eye was first tested right here at the Sony Open in 2006 and now it can be found at over 70 events throughout the tennis calendar. Alison Marr leads a group who work around the clock to make sure that technology is in place long before Roger, Rafa or Serena take the court.

ALISON MARR, SYSTEMS ENGINEER, HAWK-EYE INNOVATIONS (voice-over): We make pin cameras around the stadium, five points each into the court. And then we laid out the cameras so that we have the full half of the court in view of each one.

We run a cable from our central booth to each camera around the court so we can receive data from all 10 cameras.

To make sure our system is accurate first of all, we measure the court at each venue that we go to as every court is different.

When we take our calibration images, we have to do this under floodlights at night time to ensure that we can track in all conditions straight with it.

On court testing is ensuring that we are accurate to 3.6 millimeters, which is well under the 5-mm criteria defined by the (INAUDIBLE).

Normally we arrive 3-4 days before the tournament begins and set up the system from scratch. We've got a variety of different people within the company. Most of us have got technical background. But apart from that, we've got some people that have photographic and sports (INAUDIBLE). There's so many different elements that make up Hawk-Eye.

CASH: So Alison, you've taken us through all the steps to set up Hawk-Eye. But what goes on in here? Seems like the center of the hub of what's -- what Hawk-Eye's all about.

MARR: Yes. So this is the Hawk-Eye booth. This is where we spend all of our time when matches are going on. We're here for every match during the day. We track every ball from every match. And we're here for when the players want to challenge.

So this is Lauren (ph). She is tracking, making sure that she's tracking every point. And she'll start and stop the software for each rally and she wants to log the stats and the winners and if any double faults or anything like that.

That information then gets passed on to Pete (ph), who if the players wish to challenge, he'll play it through.

Pat, would you like to have a go at playing for a challenge?

CASH: I'll play for a replay, yes.

PETE (PH): (INAUDIBLE) there.

CASH: This one. This one here.

PETE (PH): That.

CASH: Look at that. And it's out. No, it's in.

Oh, I got it wrong.

CASH (voice-over): With this game-changer in place, players can rely on Hawk-Eye's technology in those moments when even small margins can make a big difference.

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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very good.

CASH (voice-over): Coming up on OPEN COURT, we're taking you back to the beach after the break.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's in. I am CPR certified.

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ANA IVANOVIC, FORMER WORLD NUMBER 1: (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) is really a place (INAUDIBLE) wanted to. It was amazing. It was like you were (INAUDIBLE). There is something in it that's really cool. It's something the dolphin gets your mind off the, you know, stress and worries about matches and, you know, you do your work and then you have time off and enjoy.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE).

CASH: Miami is a popular stop on tour for the players. The lucky ones get to swim with the dolphins or relax in the sun. But I found out the hard way that it's not always fun and games on the beach.

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CASH (voice-over): Well, here on beautiful Key Biscayne and I have the privilege of being with JohnMark Jenkins, who's a high-performance director at the Evert Academy. And we're coming down on the beach to do a workout because, well, there's so many benefits to actually being on the beach, other than getting a suntan.

JOHNMARK JENKINS, DIRECTOR OF PERFORMANCE, EVERT TENNIS ACADEMY: Yes, that's right, Pat. You've got to minimize the impact on your joints. You're going to increase the energy expenditure because it's a lot harder to move on sand than it is on a hard tennis court, which I'm sure you're aware of.

CASH: On the sand, you can actually do specific tennis movements as well, can't you?

JENKINS: So the tennis specific movements on sand is really going to keep your body lower. It's going to keep that core a lot stronger, better posture and, again, minimizing that impact and having hopefully that quicker first step from the sand when you go to translate it onto the court.

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JENKINS (voice-over): We got to get warmed up, though, because when we get into the strength and some power and tennis movements, we got to make sure our bodies are ready. And now what we're going to do is a lateral lunge, walk, so really sitting on your right leg, my left leg.

CASH (voice-over): The idea is to stay down because you don't want to be --

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CASH (voice-over): -- up and down.

JENKINS (voice-over): Exactly.

CASH (voice-over): So staying down --

JENKINS (voice-over): Move under the ceiling. And then we go back the other way. This.

CASH: (INAUDIBLE) more than sweating now, really worn down. So now we've got the specific tennis moves come up.

JENKINS: Right.

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JENKINS (voice-over): Right. And this first one that we're going to do is a basic figure 8 drill. And it sort of simulates pushing away from the court in a throwing split-step movement. I used to call this a figure 8 movement with a slow step, which is a little bit long. But then my kids saw David Nalbandian do this quite a few times.

CASH (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE), yes.

JENKINS (voice-over): Yes, great player. And he would do this a lot of times with a bar on his back.

CASH (voice-over): Wow.

JENKINS (voice-over): So then the kids started working a lot harder once they saw David do it. So I just now call this the Nalbandian drill. Stay low, stay low. Got to keep your core strong. That band's going to throw you off balance.

Good. Big flowing step through. Slow step through. Very good.

CASH (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE).

JENKINS (voice-over): I am CPR certified (INAUDIBLE).

(LAUGHTER)

CASH (voice-over): Well, this is going to be the most common tennis move that we see, isn't it? Forehand to backhand.

JENKINS (voice-over): Right. Exactly. What it does is it incorporates the movement that you just did. So what you're going to do, you're going to go out and get your forehand. You're going to do that crossover shuffle step. And then in midcourt is when you realize where the ball's coming from your opponent and that will be that flowing split step into your backhand. You'll get there, hit, cross over, shuffle. Good. Small shuffle. Hit that good and put up in good movement.

CASH (voice-over): Well, JohnMark, that's tough work. And (INAUDIBLE) but makes a difference.

JENKINS (voice-over): Makes a huge difference. Makes you work out a lot harder with that core. So you know what, what I do with my pro players after they get really proficient at this, we throw that away. And I think it's better for you to go through what they do with a 16-pound ball or about a 7-k ball.

CASH (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) how many times backwards and forwards would they do?

JENKINS (voice-over): Let's say about four sets of about 20 shots. How about that?

CASH (voice-over): Oh.

JENKINS (voice-over): You ready?

CASH (voice-over): Uh, no, forget it.

Next.

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CASH (voice-over): So what we've got here is (INAUDIBLE).

JENKINS (voice-over): Right. And what that does, is you have that instability of the sand and you have to use more energy to get out of it. Now we're going to add a drill that will help you get out of your serve, get out of that split step into the first step, keeping those feet light and quick on the court.

Good. Oh, over. Good, quick, quick. Excellent job. Excellent job. You still got it. Good.

CASH (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) really need a lot bigger to do a beach workout, a towel, a T-shirt or a hat and you can put on the ground and move around and get the benefits out of sand and beach work.

JENKINS (voice-over): Yes, exactly. You know, we made it a little bit fancier, I guess, with the cones and stuff, but yes. If you just have those down, you throw them down, you can do pretty much any agility drill, any speed drill, use them for markers for your warm-up or for walking lunges, yes. You don't need equipment at all. You have the sand and that is enough.

OK. And I think we got one more thing left. We go through this one more time, get that second set in but everything we do we use with this 16- pound ball. What do you think?

(LAUGHTER)

CASH (voice-over): (INAUDIBLE) do now is hit the water.

JENKINS (voice-over): All right. Come on.

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CASH: Well, thanks very much for joining us on this edition of OPEN COURT. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. A big thank you to Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and of course Venus Williams for joining us. Until next time, it's goodbye from Miami.

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