Photo Credit: Serena Williams Videos
For the first time in eight years, Serena Williams and Venus Williams will meet in a Grand Slam final as they face off in the Australian Open Final. It’s the 9th time overall that the sisters will play each other in a Grand Slam final.
Beating 25-year-old fellow American CoCo Vandeweghe in a three-set semifinal (6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3), Venus became the oldest Australian Open singles finalist of the Open era at 36-years-old.
In Thursday’s second semifinal, Serena was aware that Venus had won, and looks forward to facing her after beating Mirjana Lucic-Baroni.
“She’s my toughest opponent,” said Serena Williams, who holds a 16-11 edge in the sister rivalry. “No one has ever beaten me as much as Venus has. She has a pretty good record against me, and we have a good record against each other. I just feel like, no matter what happens, we’ve won. She’s been through a lot, and I’ve been through a lot. And to see her come back and do so well is great.”
The Williams’ sisters facing off in major tournaments was once a staple, but this will be the first since Wimbledon in 2009 when Serena Williams defeated Venus Williams in what was also Venus’s most recent Grand Slam singles final appearance.
Venus was at the top for a long time, turning professional at just 14-years-old, but an autoimmune disorder sent her plummeting out of the top 100 in 2012. As Serena said, Venus has been through a lot and it’s great to see her back at the top.
“I look forward to it,” Serena said of the final. “A Williams is going to win the tournament.”
source: NY Times
