Venus Williams Advances, Seeks Serena's Support at US Open

New York, Sep 2 (AP) – Venus Williams has advanced to the US Open women's doubles quarterfinals alongside Leylah Fernandez. Now, she is making a heartfelt request for a special appearance from her sister, Serena Williams.

After defeating the 12th-seeded duo of Ekaterina Alexandrova and Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-4 in their third-round match on Monday, Venus appealed for Serena’s presence. The match took place in front of a packed house in Louis Armstrong Stadium. "She's so happy for Leylah and me, and she's given us advice," Venus said, emphasizing the importance of Serena's presence in the spectators' box. "So, my message is, Serena, you need to show up.”

Williams and Fernandez are set to face the top-seeded team of Taylor Townsend and Katerina Siniakova on Tuesday. Despite Serena's absence, Venus is confident she is closely monitoring their progress. "She gave me a pep talk and made sure to call me today. I was, like, 'You're right. I got it. I got it,'" Venus shared, acknowledging Serena's supportive role. "She's definitely coaching from afar. She's so excited. She gets so nervous watching, and she's got the kids watching. They're all at home, just really on our side."

Venus mentioned receiving a video of her two nieces cheering for her during the match. Williams and Fernandez, who were granted a wild-card entry into the tournament, have not lost a set in their 3-0 run. "We're on the same wavelength, and hopefully, we can keep it going," Venus remarked.

In a match played to a full house with eager fans waiting to catch a glimpse of the American-Canadian duo, the pair needed just an hour and 14 minutes to move on. Fernandez expressed her confidence in Venus, saying, "I have full confidence in Venus, and I hope she has full confidence in me during our match. We're just going out there, playing our game: Be offensive, aggressive and ready for the ball."

Venus humorously noted that besides her sister, Fernandez is her best partner. During the press conference, Venus quipped that Serena didn't have advice for Fernandez, the 2021 U.S. Open singles runner-up. "So I guess you're playing perfect,” she teased her partner.

Serena hasn’t played since her 2022 U.S. Open appearance, but Venus would love her to make a return visit to Flushing Meadows. "If she came, it would be a dream for both of us, and we'd have her on the court coaching," Venus said, playfully adding, "We'd force her to hit, even though she doesn't hit often. It's probably best she doesn't come because we'd probably bully her."

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