Two of sport’s greatest-ever siblings face each other in the US Open last eight - it is an enduring contest which should never be taken for granted
“A story that will never be duplicated.”
That was the caption Canadian recording artist Drake posted to Instagram in July alongside a photograph of Serena and Venus Williams entering Wimbledon’s Centre Court for the 26th meeting of their remarkable careers.
Such has been the Williams’ dominance of tennis since the pair’s first encounter at the 1998 Australian Open, it is easy to overlook their rise from Compton, California, to the pinnacle of a sport that is intrinsically rooted in more privileged areas of the world.
On Tuesday, they face each other – for the 27th time – in the quarter-finals of the US Open.
The encounter against her big sister at the Arthur Ashe Stadium represents the greatest threat to Serena’s aspirations of completing the first calendar Grand Slam of her career.
The 21-time Slam champion is just three matches away from making it 22.
1/2 – Serena Williams to win the US Open
Serena won the aforementioned encounter at SW19 to extend her winning head-to-head record to 15-11.
It is a rivalry that the 33-year-old has dominated for nearly 15 years, with five of those losses occurring in their first six meetings between 1998 and 2001.
Intriguingly, though, Venus – an eight-time Slam winner herself – triumphed in their previous meeting on a hard court at the Montreal Masters last year.
6/1 – Venus Williams to beat Serena Williams
Both arrive at this stage of the tournament following straight-sets victories.
Venus won 84 per cent of her first serve-points against qualifier Anett Kontaveit, while Serena never faced a break point when securing her 32nd successive major match victory against Madison Keys.
It doesn’t require a Hawk-Eye expert, therefore, to understand where this tie will be won and lost.
The emotional strain of having to overcome her sibling to continue her shot at history is hardly ideal for Serena, so the match circumstances favour Venus, who is without a major since 2008 and enjoying something of a renaissance at the age of 35.
But the former remains the superior athlete, while her courage and ability to negotiate high-pressure conditions is unrivalled.
That should be enough if, as is probable, the match is decided in three sets.
7/2 – Serena Williams to win in three sets
And with their time as leading players reaching the epilogue stage, these meetings should be cherished.
Sadly for the sport, they are not going to be around forever.