Family Matters Loom in the Draw at the Sony Ericsson Open
Posted by Aaress Lawless on Mar 23, 2007 | Print
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Venus and Serena Williams are more than just sisters; they are world-class competitors that have one of the best rivalries in women’s tennis.
Their games are similar; both rely heavily on power games and domination from the baseline.
Both girls have lethal serves and frequently hit aces over 120 mph.
Between the two of them, they have a baker’s dozen of Grand Slam singles trophies sitting at home. That’s more major hardware than what former world number ones Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Maria Sharapova, and Tracy Austin have put together.
They may be the most successful sisters ever in tennis, but as much as they love crushing opponents, it frequently becomes a family matter when they wind up facing each other.
Over the past decade, Venus and Serena have faced each other fifteen times. Try looking up their head-to-head on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour website, but be prepared to start counting to see who holds the lead - the website just says “Williams leads 8-7″. Imagine the extra effort the chair umpire in a major final has to make to keep from saying “Advantage Williams” or “Williams leads 5-2″.
Right now Serena has the advantage over Venus with a slight lead of one win, but the record could once again be level as early as next Monday. For the first time in fourteen months, both Williams sisters are entered into the same tournament and they could possibly meet in the round of sixteen at the Sony Ericsson Open.
Both girls have tough draws, most notably Venus who may have to play her way past top seed Maria Sharapova just to reach the fourth round.
It’s not a Grand Slam final, but any time fans see the potential of a Williams vs. Williams showdown in the draw, they know that it will be worth watching. The big matches have historically swung in the direction of Serena - she won four consecutive Grand Slam finals with wins over Venus.
The match is still two rounds away, but both sisters know that they will have to play their best if they want a shot at reaching the quarterfinals. They know each other’s game so perfectly that they could play each other in their sleep, but neither sister will be underestimating the power that will be wieded at her by her biggest fan - and opponent - across the net.
Serena was not too happy when the draw was released because the last person she wanted to see in her quarter was Venus. When you practice with a person, you know better than anyone how capable she is of taking you out of a tournament that you have won three times in the past.
“I can be in any quarter as long as it’s — I prefer not to be in hers,” said Serena in a press conference yesterday. She did not offer any early tips as to who would have the advantage, but said that “we’ll see what happens” as the draw plays out.
Venus was a little more willing to talk about the potential showdown and would like a chance to set the record even.
“I think that we hopefully will end up playing each other,” said Venus. “It’ll probably be a really good match because she’s actually playing very well in practice.”
Practice is all Serena has had since winning the Australian Open and it is hard to pick which Williams would emerge as the winner should the thrilling match take place. Headed into the match, I like Venus’ chances of defeating Serena, because frankly, if Venus can make it past Maria Sharapova, she clearly has to be playing close to her best.
Despite the fact that they are opponents, more importantly, they are sisters.
Playing the same tournament is more than just a chance to revive their budding rivalry, it gives them some extra time to hang out together. Contrary to most potential opponents, they plan to practice together today, something that Venus is excited about, but she does have one small reservation.
“It’s exciting. We made plans to practice tomorrow,” added Venus. “I guess hopefully that won’t give her the edge.”
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