In Olympic year, fire burns again for Williams sisters
NEW YORK -- The tennis was easy enough. Two first-round matches for the Williams sisters in the U.S. Open on Tuesday -- two straight-sets victories. But how would they have done against the Manning brothers?
A clever idea, that promotion. Siblings against siblings, although not just any siblings.
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| Serena Williams last won the U.S. Open title in 2002. (Getty Images) |
It's the Double Stuff Racing League, invented by Oreo. It probably was more competitive for the Williams ladies than either of their first-round matches, Serena needing only 56 minutes to get by Kateryna Bondarenko, 6-1, 6-4, in the afternoon and then Venus winning the last five games, defeating Samantha Stosur, 6-2, 6-3.
"It puts a new spin on the classic -- twist, lick and dunk," Serena said.
With a cookie. This is a commercial, not a tournament, some ad agency's idea of merging the end of the tennis season, the Open, and the start of the NFL season. What imaginations.
There are Venus and Serena at a desk. And supposedly across from them, at another desk, as in a debate, sit the two quarterbacks.
When Serena challenges them, Eli says, feigning fear, "We're scared." And Venus shouts back, "My sister and I would like to announce you should be."
The probability is the rest of the field at this Open should be scared of Serena and Venus.
"I felt great," Serena said. "I'm confident. I'm enjoying myself."
Venus was similarly upbeat.
"I've had the best summer ever, almost," she insisted. "I feel great. I'm happy. I'm healthy."
Seven weeks ago, they met in the Wimbledon final, Venus winning. Two weeks ago, they united in the Olympic doubles final, taking the gold medal. Now, if everything goes as well as it did in the tidy opening matches, they'll play each other in the quarterfinals of the Open.
