Venus Williams Channels Tina Turner

WIMBLEDON, England -- Start with Venus Williams, who made splashy news at the French Open last month with the tennis outfit she designed and wore, inspired by the idea of making people think she wasn't wearing underwear. From there, realize that this week she was planning a new design for the start of Wimbledon, which clings to a century of tennis tradition and snootiness.

And this had the potential to be really, really good.

Instead, Williams arrived Monday in an all-white dress with -- to tap into my fashion expertise -- some frilly, strappy stuff at the bottom, and white shorts underneath.

"Here, it's all about white," she said. In tennis' old days, players wore white. "There is no illusion this time."

In France, and also at the Australian Open in January, Williams said the motif for her outfits, with skin-toned underwear, was illusion. She was going, she said, for "the illusion of bareness.''

Now?

"My dress," she said Monday, "was inspired by Tina Turner."

Look, in Paris, photographers got as close to the ground as possible to take pictures up her dress. Fans sitting behind her, especially in Australia, were shocked because they thought Williams was mooning them when her dress flew up as she served.

I defended her in Paris, saying she had crossed some lines, but so what? She was an artist taking a chance with her design, as the history of French art would demand. She was mixing a frilly dress with her power persona and tennis game.

Now her artistic interpretation is Tina Turner.

"Obviously, she's just an amazing, amazing artist, just a survivor," Williams said. "She reinvented herself. Plus, she looks great.''

All true, but the idea doesn't seem as lofty.

"I've loved her forever," Williams said. "So the dress is really inspired by her."

Williams, ranked No. 2 in the world behind her sister, Serena, beat Rossana de los Rios, 6-3, 6-2, Monday in the first round at the All England Club.

Fashion seems to be taking an unusual importance in women's tennis, even creating some hard feelings in the locker room. Sam Stosur, a top 10 player and French Open finalist, expressed concern in Paris that the focus would be on fashion and not sport. She also asked reporters what Venus could have been thinking.

At an official pre-Wimbledon party -- many tournaments have such parties -- several of the women players dressed up for a few dozen photographers to show off dresses in what has become a red-carpet like event.

Williams, who has a fashion degree, said at the French that she wasn't comfortable with the type of attention her illusion line was getting. She continued to defend the design, and said it was getting a positive reaction, but then she backed down.

"Still had the lace motif," she said Monday about her Wimbledon dress. "I think it's just a fun, elegant dress."


Email me at gregcouch09@aol.com