Monday, 9th July 2007 at 11:26 am

Venus wins; Kempson delighted

Not long after the winning grunt had sounded at Wimbledon, than Feverpitcher received a text message from former Springbok prop forward Robbie Kempson, celebrating the result of the women’s final. And there was good reason for Kempson’s celebration: although neither party has ever officially confirmed it, it’s widely held that the big Bok and 2007 champion Venus Williams enjoyed a brief but steamy romantic liaison.

Kempson insists they’re just friends when questioned in the media, and no photographic of the couple together has been captured, but the speed of the text message suggests a particularly close relationship. Doubtless, then, there’ll have been a congratulatory call from Cape Town to SW19 on Saturday evening - and richly deserved those congraulations will have been for Venus, after a remarkable fourth triumph at Wimbledon.

At 31, Williams becomes the lowest ranked woman to have won the title, injury and modest form having sent the former world number one tumbling down the rankings. But having seen off Sharapova, Kuznetsova, Ivanovic and finally Bartoli, title number was earned through plenty of hard work, and the brand of powerful, authoratitive tennis that Venus produces so often at the All England Club.

Whether this is the start of a renaissance, or merely a single fortnight of inspiration, remains to be seen, and the rollercoaster that her tennis has travelled in the last few years will suggest caution in announcing a new dawn; no questioning her right to title number four, however, and Venus Williams has every right to celebrate. Thousands of miles away in Cape Town, a red-headed Springbok will be doing likewise.