Venus Williams insists she's committed to a ranking rise. Billie Jean King believes the former No. 1 can accelerate her climb by focusing on forward thinking. "Watch how she runs. Watch her wing span," King told the media at the Advanta Championships yesterday. "If Venus would get to the net more often, I think she'd do better. They can't go over her, they can't go by her, but she tends to wait." Attacking the net has been a familiar refrain from King, who coached Venus on both the Fed Cup team and the 2000 U.S. Olympic team when Williams swept gold medals in singles and doubles at the Sydney Olympic Games. The six-time Wimbledon winner said the sight of Venus playing more serve-and-volley tennis can only make her a bigger threat against the game's top players. "With Venus, I think if she could just go to net more often (it would help)," King told Tennis Week in an interview last summer. "Everyone — including the media — keeps telling her that. It would be nice to see her go to net more often and use that wing span. She really does volley well so that would be the only thing I'd like to see more of." Given the fact that King, who stands nearly seven inches shorter than Venus, won 39 career Grand Slam championships playing primarily an attacking game, it's hardly surprising the Hall of Famer prescribes a sustained dose of aggressive play as the remedy for Williams' ailing results. Williams has spent her entire professional career playing an aggressive baseline style and is much more comfortable stepping inside the baseline to blast a backhand than surging inside the service line to block a backhand volley. The increasing power of top women players who possess penetrating return games, the faster pace of play and heavier balls are all factors that favor baseline play. As a result, the six-foot-one Williams seldom employs serve-and-volley tactics in singles matches, but could sharpen her serve-and-volley skills and find her comfort zone at the net by playing more doubles in the coming years. With her reach, athleticism, leaping ability and agility there's no reason why Williams can't effectively incorporate net play into her game to take advantage of her punishing first serve and potent ground strokes. While it's true Williams seems more comfortable hitting the swing volley than a conventional volley if she played doubles more — as she did early in her career — it would not only strengthen her volley it would also help improve her transition game, mid-court and give her an option against opponents who seek to exploit her struggles striking low forehands. Davenport, Maria Sharapova, Mary Pierce and Karolina Sprem are among the opponents who have beaten Venus at her own brand of aggressive baseline tennis in recent months. Adopting an all-court style — as Raymond did when scored her first career win over Williams in four meetings with a 6-4 7-6(5) triumph in the third round of the Australian Open — can only help Williams in her quest to regain the form that once made her one of the game's most formidable players. "I'm just thrilled Venus is back playing," King said. "She desperately wants to start playing a lot better." --

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