Serena rallies to reach semis

2008-09-04 07:30

New York - Two-time champion Serena Williams rallied in both tie-breakers to beat sister Venus Williams in 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (9/7) in the quarter-finals of the $20.6m US Open on Wednesday.

Venus and Serena have met twice in the US Open final with the older Venus winning in 2001 before losing to Serena the following year.

This was another classic Williams sister summit, featuring long rallies and precision shot-making usually reserved for a final.

"It felt like the final of the US Open. I can't believe I won. Wow," Serena said. "It was difficult because she is such a great player."

Serena, who lost to her sister earlier this year in the Wimbledon final, has now won nine of their 17 career matches.

Fourth seed Serena dug deep in both tie-breakers as seventh seed Venus finished zero-for-10 in set points in front of a crowd of 23 700 at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Serena advanced to the semi-finals, where she will play Russian Dinara Safina.

Survived

Venus jumped out to identical 4-2 leads in each tie-breaker before allowing Serena to claw back in it and eventually take the match in their first career quarter-final meeting in a Grand Slam.

Serena survived four set points and won the final three points of the match in the second tie-breaker.

The first set was similar, as Serena took back two set points and won the final four points of the tie-breaker.

"I tried not to look at her. If I did I might start feeling sorry for her. I caught myself looking at her once and I had to say to myself, 'Serena keep your head down,'" Serena said.

Serena, who hasn't dropped a set at this year's US Open through the first five rounds, clinched it when Venus sent a shot long.

Venus challenged the call but was unable to get the linesman's call overturned and then walked to the net to congratulate her sister.

'That's tennis'

"She played well and kept lot of balls in play," Venus said. "I was just praying on some shots tonight. I would get up and feel confident but for whatever reason didn't get the point. Nothing I planned.

"That's tennis. It is never over until it is over."

Even though this one came in the quarter-finals it still had a championship feel to it.

"It (matchup) will never be under dramatized until it is all said and done and we are both housewives," Venus said. "She is the only player who I care about what happens if I win or lose."

The players received a standing ovation from the partisan New York crowd after one particularly hard-fought rally in the second tiebreak that Venus finished off with a brilliant volley at the net.

Though she failed to medal in singles at the Beijing Olympics, Serena did team with her older sister to earn the gold medal in doubles.

- AFP