The women’s singles final of this year’s Australian Open will be a continuation of one of the most iconic rivalries in tennis, with sisters Serena and Venus Williams winning through to the decider.
The pair will play each other for the 2017 Australian Open title on Saturday night at 7:30pm AEDT.
Venus came up against fellow American Coco Vandeweghe in the first of two semi-finals today, winning in three sets.
The first set was a close-fought affair that ended in a Vandeweghe victory via a 7-3 tiebreaker, however, Venus was able to break Vandeweghe four times across the next two sets, conceding only five more games as she cruised to victory.
Serena’s match against Mirjana Lucic-Baroni was much less of an epic – the world No.2 won in a walkover, losing only three games in a straight-sets victory.
Two of the most dominant players in the history of the sport and both former world No.1s, Serena and Venus share 29 grand slam singles titles between them and have won a further 14 grand slam titles as a doubles pair.
Venus was the superior sister early in their professional careers, winning five of their first seven professional meetings, but Serena has emerged as the more successful sister in the time since, and the ledger now stands at 16-11 in her favour.
Their first ever professional match was, coincidentally enough, here at the Australian Open in 1998, won by Venus in straight sets.
Their only other meeting at the Australian Open was in the final of the 2003 tournament, won by Serena in three sets.
That was one of eight times that they have met in the final of a grand slam singles event – Serena has won six, Venus two.
It was the only occasion on which Venus has ever made the Australian Open final, while for Serena Melbourne Park has been a very happy hunting ground – she has won six Australian Open titles, most recently in 2015.
Venus has not played in a grand slam singles final since Wimbledon 2009 and has not been victorious in one since Wimbledon 2008.
She will enter as the outsider on Saturday night, certainly, but these past two weeks have shown us that anything can happen.
Jock Cornet
Guest
Serena monopolises the winnings no wonder she wants equal pay, she just turns up and wins.
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Guest
As a competitive contest sport women's tennis at the moment is barely on life support. It's the Williams sisters first and second and daylight third. And these ladies are in their mid 30s! Its a testament to them but it casts a dark shadow on the quality of the rest of the female tennis players on the circuit. The match between Serena Willimas and Mirjana Lucic-Baroni was a boring non-event. I ended up watching the one dayer between Australia and Pakistan despite the fact that it was a dead rubber. I just couldn't bare to watch another player implode against the Williams onslaught. Its a no contest and who wants to watch that? It's not the Williams sisters fault that the rest of the female players can't match it with them but gee its hard to watch. Thank God that the men's draw has been far more competitive, less predictable and much more exciting to watch.
Jock Cornet
Guest
How boring