Vandeweghe, meanwhile, had never been beyond the third round of a Grand Slam before this year’s Wimbledon. When the pair embarked on baseline rallies, Serena was the far superior, tallying 21 winners to Venus’ eight.
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“That’s the past”, Serena jokes now with an eye roll. Did I cheat on line calls when I was younger – yes.
On the big stage in New York City, the two sisters would kick off a stretch in which they would rule over the sport for several years.
– – Serena 6-4 6-3 Venus: Serena breaks her sister to love and the Serena Slam is still on.
Serena won 6-4, 6-3 at the All England Club to reach her first Wimbledon quarterfinal since her last title here in 2012.
Her name is Serena Williams.
Wozniacki has now reached the fourth round at the All England Club five times without ever progressing. Venus would get the win here 7-6(5), 6-2, but would fall in the next match. She simply walked to the net and hugged her sister.
“That’s what it takes to win in these championships, even when you’re not at the level you want to be at”.
“I just thought, ‘Wow, I’m 33, and she just turned 35”.
In yet another rematch only happening a year later, they would meet again on the grassy courts of the British tournament. “I just took the moment in and I thought, ‘We’re at Wimbledon.’ I remember when I was 8 years old, we dreamed of this moment and it was kind of surreal for a minute there”. “It’s not now”. She is 16-3 against Azarenka overall, and 9-0 in Grand Slam matches. She will play Victoria Azarenka a 6-2, 6-3 victor over Belinda Bencic for a place in the semi-finals. If Serena can triumph again, only the United States Open would stand in her way of becoming the first player to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam – a sweep of all four majors in the same season – since Steffi Graf in 1988. In a sign of things to come in the not too distant future, Venus prevailed over her little sister 7-6(4), 6-1.
USA duo Madison Keys and Coco Vandeweghe, Switzerland’s Timea Bacsinszky and Garbine Muguruza of Spain also made it to the last eight.
She was indeed. While Venus can’t match the plucky Watson’s retrieving skills – Serena thus didn’t have to hit as many balls – the 20-time grand slam champion was clearly sharper in all facets of her game.
MEN’S DRAW In the men’s Roger Federer and Andy Murray advanced while Novak Djokovic is now down two sets to one to South African Kevin Anderson.
Richard Gasquet wasn’t happy about wasting two match points against Nick Kyrgios, smashing his racket in anger after dropping the third set of their fourth-round match. You rejoiced at the brief beauty of the Venus touch after the drop shot which rescued the second of two break points she offered in the second set’s second game.
“Very focused from the start”.
No longer, not with the head of the clan not seen at SW19 since 2012, to coincide with Serena gaining a level of independence through taking up with coach Patrick Mouratoglou. As was the case this morning, it can be hard to watch the siblings play each other as there is only one victor.
The Williams’ parents and other siblings weren’t in the guest box, where rapper Drake sat next to Serena’s agent, and singer John Legend and his wife, TV host Chrissy Teigen, sat behind Mouratoglou.
And just as she began the encounter, Serena ended it in style, capturing eight of the final nine points. It was there when I needed it, especially towards the end, but I think it was more my court positioning early on.
“I plan on playing for years, but you just never know if we’ll have an opportunity to face each other”.
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“Venus does nothing wrong”, she said, with a huge smile.
