BIG SISTER VENUS UPSETS SERENA AT INDIAN WELLS
ONE sister is rusty, just beginning a comeback after having a baby. The other is rejuvenated at 37, back in the world’s top 10.
An unwanted rivalry with roots going back 20 years had its latest chapter on Monday night at the BNP Paribas Open, with Venus Williams beating sister Serena 6-3, 6-4 in the third round for her first win over her younger sibling since 2014.
It was their earliest meeting since a 17-year-old Venus beat 16-year-old Serena in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open. They played on Monday night for the first time since last year’s Australian Open final, when a pregnant Serena won her 23rd Grand Slam title.
“That’s going to be a huge story, maybe the story of the year,” men’s No.1 Roger Federer said of Serena’s comeback. “Hopefully, she decides to play a lot and enjoy herself in the process, and get back to who knows how high? It almost doesn’t matter but it would just be amazing to see her do it now.”
But this night belonged to Aunt Venus. She closed out the one-hour match on her second match point when Serena’s forehand service return sailed long. It was one of Serena’s 41 unforced errors, including 17 on the forehand side.
“I’m just lucky that I’ve played more matches than her right now,” Venus said on court afterwards. “She just came roaring back. I had chances for the match to be over, but it wasn’t.”
Venus broke Serena at love in the sixth game for a 4-2 lead in the first set. She emphatically closed out the 36-minute set with back-to-back aces that clocked 108mph and 120mph.
Venus did her usual victory pirouette, but didn’t smile. A stone-faced Serena exited the court to cheers, pointing her right index finger in the air.