V.Williams looking for rare double

BEIJING, July 25 (UPI) -- Tennis

Gold medals to be awarded: 4

Dates of competition: Aug. 10-18

The Olympic tennis tournament is often a guessing game, with participants and spectators alike waiting until the final minute to see just who shows up to compete for a gold medal.

It is not unusual to see some of the sport's elite bypass the competition but Roger Federer is still looking for his first Olympic medal and he has insisted he will be in Beijing to try for it.

Federer, who has been overshadowed this year by Raphael Nadal, lost in both the semifinals and in the bronze medal match in Sydney and then was eliminated in the second round in Athens.

On the women's side, both Venus and Serena Williams plan to take part in the 2008 Games.

Venus is attempting to win both Wimbledon and the Olympics in the same year for the second time.

Tennis was a part of the original Olympics from 1896 until 1924 but then was absent until 1988.