London: Tennis titans Serena and Venus Williams clash in the Wimbledon last 16 on Monday, while Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki will fancy their title chances as two of the four top 10 players still standing. The 26th clash between the Williams sisters, who have won the Wimbledon title five times each over the last 15 years, will be the first at the All England Club since the 2009 final.
And with either World No.1 Serena or 16th-seeded Venus certain to fall, the second week at Wimbledon is looking appetising for the other silverware contenders in southwest London. While one of the Williams sisters could face Sharapova or Safarova in the semi-finals, Wozniacki cannot meet any of them before the final and only has lower-ranked players in her way.
Venus said she and her 33-year-old sister knew each other’s game inside out. “There’s no easy points against Serena,” the 35-year-old said. “Competing with each other has nothing to do with whether we’re close or not. Just knowing what the other one goes through. If I see her in a match in a tight spot, I know exactly what that feels like. I think that’s a unique relationship, that she and I share,” she added.
Serena holds the US, Australian and French Open titles but reckons Venus is in better form. “It will be a really good match. I’m practicing next to her every day and I’m in awe of how she’s doing,” she said.
