Ahead Venus Versus Serena in Australian Open Final
Jum'at, 27 Januari 2017 - 11:03 WIB
Ahead Venus Versus Serena in Australian Open Final
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MELBOURNE - With a combined age of 71 (Venus is 36 and Serena 35) at Saturday's women's showpiece will also be the oldest women's grand slam final in the Open Era. But the sisters are showing that quality precedes age.
"It won't be an easy match. This opponent is your sister and she's super awesome," said Venus, who became the oldest Australian Open women's finalist in the Open Era.
If they are sisters and have been housemates for much of their lives, Serena's coach Patrick Mouratoglou, expects a 'war' Saturday.
"They're competitors, even against their sister. It goes back to when they were 12 and playing Monopoly and one lost and got really angry and wanted to kill her sister and at the same time they adore each other. This is the same, it's a tennis match, it's their work but even if it wasn't their work, if they're on a court, they don't want to lose to anybody and maybe even less against their sister," the Frenchman told.
The sisters' mother Oracene, who usually attends the slams, isn't in Melbourne where Serena bidding to win a record 23rd major in the Open Era will be the favorite in the final. Serena is 16-11 against Venus and has won six of their past seven grand slam finals.
However, Thursday belonged to the older Williams sister. Rarely, if ever, has Venus shown such emotion on a tennis court.
She dropped her racket, pirouetted, put both hands on the blue hard courts of Rod Laver Arena, then skipped to the net in joy when converting on a fourth match point. Seconds later a double pirouette followed. She couldn't stop smiling. There may have been some tears.
She'd progressed to a first grand slam final since Wimbledon in 2009 -Serena beat her there- and first Australian Open final since 2003. The journey to get there was long and tough, especially after Venus was diagnosed with autoimmune disorder
"When she got into the quarterfinals she was happy, when she got to the semis she was happier. And then she just didn't know how to react today. She hasn't been in a grand slam final in a while. She was ecstatic," Venus' coach, David Witt told.
"It won't be an easy match. This opponent is your sister and she's super awesome," said Venus, who became the oldest Australian Open women's finalist in the Open Era.
If they are sisters and have been housemates for much of their lives, Serena's coach Patrick Mouratoglou, expects a 'war' Saturday.
"They're competitors, even against their sister. It goes back to when they were 12 and playing Monopoly and one lost and got really angry and wanted to kill her sister and at the same time they adore each other. This is the same, it's a tennis match, it's their work but even if it wasn't their work, if they're on a court, they don't want to lose to anybody and maybe even less against their sister," the Frenchman told.
The sisters' mother Oracene, who usually attends the slams, isn't in Melbourne where Serena bidding to win a record 23rd major in the Open Era will be the favorite in the final. Serena is 16-11 against Venus and has won six of their past seven grand slam finals.
However, Thursday belonged to the older Williams sister. Rarely, if ever, has Venus shown such emotion on a tennis court.
She dropped her racket, pirouetted, put both hands on the blue hard courts of Rod Laver Arena, then skipped to the net in joy when converting on a fourth match point. Seconds later a double pirouette followed. She couldn't stop smiling. There may have been some tears.
She'd progressed to a first grand slam final since Wimbledon in 2009 -Serena beat her there- and first Australian Open final since 2003. The journey to get there was long and tough, especially after Venus was diagnosed with autoimmune disorder
"When she got into the quarterfinals she was happy, when she got to the semis she was happier. And then she just didn't know how to react today. She hasn't been in a grand slam final in a while. She was ecstatic," Venus' coach, David Witt told.
(rnz)
