14 August 2020

Serena Williams fights back to beat sister Venus at Top Seed Open

Serena Williams battled back from a set down to defeat sister Venus and reach the quarter-finals of the Top Seed Open in Kentucky.

The 23-time Grand Slam champion played some quality tennis on her way to a hard-fought 3-6 6-3 6-4 victory over her older sibling.

Williams is preparing for the US Open later this month, a tournament she finished runner-up in last year (Zuma Press/PA Images)

Serena raced into an early 2-0 lead thanks to a break in the opening game, but then struggled to capitalise as she lost five games in a row and the first set.

But she dug deep to draw level in the second as she finally took her fifth break point opportunity of the set to send the match to a decider.

Venus was not lying down easily though as the 40-year-old closed in on victory at 4-2 up in the final set.

But Serena showed her title-winning credentials to claw her way back by winning four games on the bounce and secure a thrilling win.

After her win, Serena said: "I didn't come here to win for the first time in my career, I just came here to get some matches and see what happens."

The 38 year-old will now face fellow American Shelby Rogers for a place in the final four in Lexington.

Serena is scheduled to compete in the US Open later this month, a tournament she has won on six previous occasions.

Last year, she reached the final but was beaten by Canadian teenager Bianca Andreescu.

However, Andreescu will not feature at this year’s event after she announced she was not ready to return from injury.

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