Sisters face off in semis
KEY BISCAYNE (AP) – Venus and Serena Williams say they’ve seen little of each other the past week because of their busy schedules. That changes Thursday night when they meet in the semifinals at the Sony Ericsson Open.
The 20th showdown between the sisters ensures a finalist from the family Saturday. The Williamses have won eight of the past 11 Key Biscayne titles.
“I believe we are the best in the world,” Venus said. “I enjoy playing Serena because we challenge each other the most.”
“I’m always going to be up for ‘V,’ because she’s playing really well and always playing me super tough,” Serena said.
She advanced first Wednesday, overcoming a dismal start to beat unseeded Li Na 4-6, 7-6 (1), 6-2. Five hours later she was joined in the semis by No. 5-seeded Venus, who beat No. 26 Iveta Benesova 6-1, 6-4.
The other semifinal is between No. 8 Svetlana Kuznetsova and No. 11 Victoria Azarenka. No. 3 Novak Djokovic became the first men’s semifinalist by beating No. 10 Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-3, 6-4.
Venus leads the family rivalry 10-9. She has won the past two meetings and has a 2-1 advantage at Key Biscayne.
If Venus wins, she’ll knock her kid sister out of the top ranking. Serena must reach the final to keep No. 2 Dinara Safina from overtaking her.
Venus has three titles in the tournament, but the most recent came in 2001. Serena seeks her sixth Key Biscayne title, which would break the record she shares with Steffi Graf.