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Williams sisters sparkle in Dubai

Serena beats Jankovic while Venus eliminates Italian qualifier Pennetta

The prospect of an all-Williams sister final grew ever closer on Thursday night after Serena joined elder sibling Venus in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championship semi-finals here.

Serena beat Serbian fifth seed Jelena Jankovic 6-2, 6-2 in the first of the evening’s two quarter-finals on Centre Court to move into the last four alongside Venus, who had earlier eliminated Italian qualifier Flavia Pennetta 6-3, 7-5 in the afternoon session.

Venus, the 2009 and 2010 DDFTC champion, now encounters the tournament’s 2011 winner Caroline Wozniacki, while Serena will face either France’s Alize Cornet or Carla Suarez Navarro, of Spain. The Cornet-Suarez Navarro last-eight tussle was taking place as Khaleej Times went to press last night.

If Serena were to meet Venus, it would be their first meeting in a final since the 2009 Tour Championships in Doha, where the former claimed the year-end honours 6-2, 7-6 (7-4).

Venus’ last victory over her sister also came in that very same year, when they contested the semis of the DDFTC.

“It’s really great,” Serena said of Venus, who was diagnosed with Sjogren’s syndrome in 2011, and her progress to the last four. “She is the ultimate inspiration and her story is the greatest for me.

“Were I to have gone through what she is, I probably would have hung up my racquets and maybe played some doubles, but she has so much courage to show up week in, week out and play. That’s what I call courage.

“Her spirit is just amazing because I know what she goes through more than anyone else here and sometimes she is doing great and, at others, it’s different and difficult and she might lose matches that she would normally win 10 times out of 10. To accept that and keep going is really amazing.

“She’s getting there (with her tennis). She’s taking it one step at a time. She’s not playing her best at all, but the best thing about her is she can play so much better and she’s moving forward, not backwards. She can get there.”

On Saturday’s possible duel, Serena added: “I still have to play another tough match, so I’m not thinking about it.”

Venus welcomed the potential match-up with Serena in a prospective bid to halt a five-match losing streak against the latter, who leads their head-to-head record 14-10 overall.

“That would be fantastic, but we both have to get there,” she said. “I would like both of us to get there, so we’ll see.

“It’s been a while (since they played each other in the final of a tournament). I have kind of been a little absent. I haven’t been able to hold up my side of the bargain. Hopefully, that will change.”

On Friday’s semi with Wozniacki, Venus added: “I have been working hard to get to this spot and everyone else has too.

“For me, I don’t really care who I play. I just want to be in the next round myself. Whoever I have to win against, I have to work hard at it and hopefully go one step at a time.” - alex@khaleejtimes.com