Venus, Serena on collision course at US Open

Updated: 2005-08-30 09:29

Chan began finding the range on her backhand and raced out to a 3-0 lead in the second set. She was one point away from a 4-1 advantage when the eighth-seeded Serena picked up her game and the victory, winning the final six games of the match.

Serena Williams of the United States follows through on a return to Chan Yung-Jan of Taiwan at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, August 29, 2005. [Reuters]

"I just try to win first point and then second point," Chan said, explaining what happened in the fifth game. "You know, she's Serena."

Her postmatch interview concerned her earrings more than her opponent. During the match, Serena took off her $40,000 diamond earrings after one fell off during play.

"I didn't put it on tight enough because I was rushing to go out," Serena said. "I was hoping it wouldn't fall, but I knew in the back of my mind it would, and it did. I was like, `OK, I'll just put them on earlier in my next match.'"

Venus played without earrings, but did wear a pearl-and-turquoise necklace with gold beads and tourmalines for her match. After explaining her wardrobe, Venus asked what Serena was wearing. When she was told her sister wore such expensive earrings, Venus said: "I guess I shouldn't expect anything less from Serena Williams."

Like Chan, Fujiwara played in her first U.S. Open. Unlike Chan, Fujiwara never unveiled any semblance of a game that might threaten her 10th-seeded foe.

"Today was a good day," Venus said. "It was windy, so the conditions were a little strange like that. My toss got thrown off."

Her opponent also bothered Williams a little.

"She played a very aggressive game. I don't think I had an opportunity really to get a rhythm," Venus said. "I would have liked to have hit more balls, but it was OK."

Venus will next face Maria Kirilenko of Russia, a 6-2, 6-3 winner over Laura Pous Tio of Spain. Serena's second-round opponent will be Colombia's Catalina Castano, who stopped Russian Alina Jidkova 6-4, 6-3.

If they continue their winning ways, the sisters would meet in the fourth round.

"It definitely could be very soon," Serena said of meeting her sibling, "but the only way to think about it is just play to get there, don't go out before. That's all we can do. There's nothing else I can do except get back to one and two in the world."

Even then, the two will continue their mutual admiration society.

"No one gets me more motivated than Venus because I don't want her to catch up with me yet," Serena said. "She's at five (Grand Slam tournament titles) now. I still have seven. So I got to keep ahead."

"Every single thing she does motivates me," Venus said of her sister. "I guess not every single thing, but at least on the tennis court when she gives her best."

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