Serena survives Venus test in Sister Act 31

Serena Williams (left) touching rackets with older sister Venus as part of the coronavirus safety measures after winning their second-round match 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 at the Top Seed Open on Thursday. It was Serena's first tournament since the Fed Cup in February. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

LEXINGTON (Kentucky) • It has been more than 22 years since Venus and Serena Williams first played each other on the WTA Tour.

They were teenagers then, with beads in their hair and braces on their teeth. Tennis greatness was predicted - and not just by Richard Williams, their father and coach - and the sisters have delivered.

But what is nearly as remarkable as their success is their longevity. On Thursday, they faced each other for the 31st time in a strange and new environment, with Serena prevailing 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the second round of the inaugural Top Seed Open.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, no paying spectators were allowed and it looked, at first glance, more like a practice match, the kind the sisters must have played so often in private through the decades.

But that was not the way Venus, 40, and Serena, 38, saw it.

Not only was it a far better match than their most recent meeting - a 6-1, 6-2 rout by Serena in the third round of the 2018 US Open, for the world No. 9, Lexington is also acting as a crucial tune-up for the US Open. This was her first event since February's Fed Cup.

With just one more warm-up tournament - the Western & Southern Open, which starts on Thursday - before the hard-court Grand Slam begins on Aug 31, she needs all the match practice she can get.

Serena, who will be aiming for a record-tying 24th Major at Flushing Meadows, said: "I wanted to win this for my game and my confidence. I honestly didn't come here to win (a title) for the first time in my career. I just came here to get some matches. I haven't had this much time off since I had the baby."

Her sister certainly gave her a workout in what was their earliest meeting since their first Tour-level clash in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open.

After improving to 19-12 in head-to-head matches, Serena said of the 67th-ranked Venus: "This was right up there. I'd say it was one of the all-time top five super-competitive matches between the two of us.

"It's still not like the practice courts' quiet, but it's never easy, never easy."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, NYTIMES


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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 15, 2020, with the headline Serena survives Venus test in Sister Act 31. Subscribe