Williams sisters advance at Wimbledon

Serena Williams continued the quest for her 20th first Grand Slam – and third of the year – with an impressive 6-4, 6-1 win over Timea Babos in the second round last Wednesday.

The complete match lasted 59 minutes, allowing Williams to get off the court and out of the record heatwave currently hitting London.
The world No. 1 recorded 12 aces, winning 82 per cent of her first serve points and hitting 23 winners.

She looks as though she’s fully recovered from the virus that she battled during her French Open title run, though reports to the contrary have been swirling around all week. Whatever the case, she looked solid last Wednesday.

It took older sister Venus a bit longer to complete her late afternoon match, but in the end, she joined Serena in the third round by defeating Yulia Putintseva, 7-6, 6-4. Making her 18th appearance, the five-time Wimbledon champion was all smiles as she waved to the fans after the nearly two-hour match.

The dual wins set up a potential fourth-round showdown for the sisters. Serena will face Britain’s Heather Watson in the third round, while Venus takes on Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic. It is the first time either has faced her opponent. Watson is the last British woman remaining in the draw.

The Williams sisters pulled out of Wimbledon doubles so that they can each concentrate on singles. Serena is seeking to become the first player to complete a calendar-year Grand Slam since Steffi Graf did so in 1988. — PAS