Serena wins in battle of Williams sisters

LONDON — Serena Williams stood three wins away from hoisting her fourth successive Grand Slam title by trumping elder sister Venus 6-4 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals of the women’s singles at Wimbledon today (July 6).

A contest featuring two women who between them have hoisted the Rosewater Dish 10 times should have been a blockbuster but turned out to be yet another awkward anti-climax — as has been the case in their previous 25 meetings.

The result also means Serena has now won 15 of her last 26 meetings with Venus, and remains on course to achieve a calendar Grand Slam.

“It’s never easy to play someone you love and care about,” said Serena, who at 33 is two years younger than Venus, was quoted as saying by the BBC. “You just play for the competition and enjoy the moment ... I thought, ‘I’m 33 and she’s 35, I don’t know how many more moments like this you’re going to have’.”

Serena started off by thundering through the first eight points of the match, bagged the opening set by hurling down three aces, and completed her 15th win over Venus, who is ranked 16th in the world, by breaking the 35-year-old to love.

“I think I served well today,” said Serena. “I didn’t hit huge serves but I was really consistent. She was playing really well, but in the end, I was able to come through.”

Venus, a seven-time Grand Slam champion and whose last singles’ title at Wimbledon was in 2008, added: “We’ve played a lot of years and we’ve tried to be entertaining. At some point, we won’t be playing forever, but clearly we’re still playing at a high level. When that moment’s over, it will be over. But it’s not now.”

The top-ranked American will meet either former world No 1 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus or rising Swiss talent Belinda Bencic in the quarter-final.

Meanwhile, fourth seed Maria Sharapova came through a spirited test from Zarina Diyas to reach the quarter-finals at Wimbledon today, eventually subduing the tenacious scrambler from Kazakhstan 6-4 6-4 after a brief scare in the second set.

The Russian, who had not been past the fourth round since 2011 at the tournament she won for the only time as a teenager 11 years ago, will now face American Coco Vandeweghe in the last eight. AGENCIES