On Thursday, Venus Williams became the oldest Australian Open singles finalist of the Open era. In the intense set down against CoCo Vandeweghe, the 36-year-old went on to win 6-7 (3-7), 6-2, 6-3. Her semifinals win takes her to the finals on Saturday, where she will compete against her sister, Serena Williams.
This season, both Serena and Venus continued to add merits to their historic careers on the court. Saturday's game marks the first time in fourteen years that Venus will return to the finals. A diagnosis of Sjögrens syndrome slowed the tennis legend down six years ago. At the moment of Thursday's win, she danced with joy and the crowd delighted in her victory.
On playing against her sister, Serena Williams, who holds the joint record for most Major wins by a tennis player in the Open Era said, "Obviously I want to go out and play well, but I always root for her.” She continued, "She’s my toughest opponent. 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." A win for Serena would be historic.
Facing each other on the court isn't anything new for the sisters. The two have competed twenty-seven times, with Serena winning 16-11. As a team, they have won fourteen Grand Slam titles and three Olympic gold medals. The game on Saturday will certainly be the game of a lifetime. As for the outcome of the match, Serena said, "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.”
It's a #blackgirlmagic win-win!
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