Williams sisters, Federer advance to Aussie finals

Win or lose, Serena Williams sees another all-sister final at the Australian Open as cause for celebration.

The 35-year-old Williams arrived in Australia bidding for a 23rd Grand Slam title, aiming to break the Openera record she shares with Steffi Graf. By winning, she would also regain the No. 1 ranking she lost after her U.S. Open semifinal exit.

She doesn’t enjoy the suspense, or talk about the number.

Her older sister, Venus, knows that better than anyone after their two decades of competing together in the majors.

Now the 36-year-old Venus is the potential roadblock, back in a major final for the first time since she lost the previous all-Williams Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2009.

“I just feel like no matter what happens, we’ve won,” Serena said. “A Williams is going to win this tournament.”

Venus hasn’t added to her seven major titles since Wimbledon in 2008, but is in her best form since being diagnosed with energysapping Sjogren’s syndrome in 2011.

In fact, she was the first Williams into the 2017 final, rallying to beat 25-year-old CoCo Vandeweghe — the only player in the women’s semifinals who was younger than 34 — 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3.

A jubilant Venus could barely contain her emotions after clinching a spot in the final on her fourth match point, putting her hands to her face, her jaw dropping, before she crossed her arms over her heart and did a stylish pirouette.

Feeling like “it was in my hands to force this Williams final” in the subsequent match, six-time Australian Open champion Serena overwhelmed 34-year-old Mirjana Lucic-Baroni 6-2, 6-1.

By the time Roger Federer beat fourth-seeded Stan Wawrinka 7-5, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6, 6-3 in an all-Swiss night match to became the oldest man to reach a Grand Slam final since Ken Rosewall made the 1974 U.S. Open final at 39, they were calling it Throwback Thursday at Melbourne Park.

Three players who can combine for 46 Grand Slam titles and 106 years in age advanced to a final one after the other.

Federer, returning from six months out to rest his injured left knee, will next play Sunday against either 14-time major champion Rafael Nadal and Grigor Dimitrov.

With the Williamses locked in for Saturday night, expectations are rising for another vintage Roger-Rafa bout.

“It’s going to be special either way — one is going to go for his first slam or it’s the epic battle with Rafa,” Federer said. “All I care about is that I can win.”