Serena Williams crushed older sister Venus 6-1 6-2 in a shockingly subdued third round clash at the US Open in New York on Friday to stay on track for a record equaling 24th Grand Slam title.
The meeting between the famed tennis siblings had been hyped as the biggest night of the US Open but turned into a flat, uninspired spectacle as Serena simply outclassed her sister, Reuters reported.
The only moment of suspense in a contest all but devoid of drama came in the second game when Serena rolled over on her ankle, drawing gasps from the sellout crowd.
Serena was able to continue but at the first changeover called a medical timeout and had her ankle heavily strapped.
In the end, though, the only pain being felt was by Venus, who suffered the equal worst defeat in 30 matches against her sister.
“This was my best match since my return. I’ve worked really hard for it ... and hopefully everything will keep paying off,” Serena said in an on-court interview. “I roll my ankles a lot so I just wanted to get it taped as tight as I could for the rest of the match and see how I feel tomorrow.”
“She didn’t win that match tonight because I just rolled over. She played untouchable tennis,” said Venus. “I think it’s the best match she’s ever played against me. I don’t think I did a lot wrong. But she just did everything right.”
Both Venus and Serena accept that as two of the game’s very best there will be times they have to play each other but also have made it clear that they find little joy in it.
“It’s not easy, she’s my best friend, she means the world to me and she’s so supportive of my career,” Serena said. “Every time she loses, I feel like I do. It’s not easy but it’s a tournament and we all know that there’s more to life than playing each other and playing tennis. I love her with all my heart and she’s the reason I’m still out here.”
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