Sister act at US Open as Venus Williams stands in way of Serena’s grand slam quest
Pair will meet for the 27th time in quarter-final with Serena having the edge in recent matches
Serena Williams moved within three wins of achieving the fourth women’s calendar-year grand slam by routing fellow American Madison Keys on Sunday and setting up a US Open quarter-final clash with sister Venus.
Williams beat the 20-year-old Keys 6-3, 6-3 in 68 minutes to book a 27th professional career showdown with her older sister, who advanced with a 6-2, 6-1, 50-minute fourth-round victory over qualifier Anett Kontaveit, 19, of Estonia.
Three-time defending champion Serena holds a 15-11 advantage in the sisterly head-to-head series against Venus, splitting their four previous clashes at the US Open.
"She’s playing great," 33-year-old Serena said about seven-times grand slam winner Venus, who is two years older. "I have to really be ready for that.
"At least one of us, a Williams, will be in the semis."