Venus, Serena on collision course at US Open

Updated: 2005-08-30 09:29

NEW YORK - One is the reigning Australian Open champion. The other captured Wimbledon earlier this summer. Between them they won four consecutive U.S. Opens.

Serena Williams of the United States follows through on a return to Chan Yung-Jan of Taiwan at the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, August 29, 2005. [Reuters]

No wonder Venus Williams gets her motivation from younger sister Serena.

"If she wins or loses, I'm extra motivated either way," Venus said Monday. "When she wins, I definitely want to be like her."

Both did just that in their first-round matches, Venus defeating Rika Fujiwara of Japan 6-3, 6-1 after Serena got by a surprisingly quick 16-year-old, Yung-Jan Chan of Taiwan, 6-1, 6-3.

"I won Wimbledon because I wanted to be like her in Australia," Venus said. "I just want to be like her. But if she loses, then I'm like, `Oh, man, now I have to do it.'"

Despite their credentials, neither Williams sister is favored in this year's final Grand Slam tournament. That's because, except for the two majors they won, 2005 has been a so-so year for both sisters, who have been bothered by injuries.

But the hard courts of the National Tennis Center is where both have shone.

"There's no better stage than the U.S. Open for me," Serena said. "I definitely love it."

Serena zipped though her opening set against an obviously nervous Chan, who was making her Grand Slam tournament debut as well as playing in her first WTA Tour event.

"I was a little bit nervous," the qualifier said. "It feels good when I play on center court. Then so many people come to watch the match."

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