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CNN Saturday Morning News

Williams Sisters Face Off in U.S. Open Final

Aired September 08, 2001 - 09:48   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
MARTIN SAVIDGE, CNN ANCHOR: Venus and Serena Williams will make history today at the U.S. Open tennis tournament. For the first time since 1884, the sisters will go head to head for a tennis grand slam final. Serena needed just 51 minutes to upset top seed Martina Hingis 6-3, 6-2, in yesterday's semifinal. Venus then defeated second seed Jennifer Capriati 6-4, 6-2. Venus has won four of the last five match-ups against her sister.

COLLEEN MCEDWARDS, CNN ANCHOR: And tonight's final is no doubt going to be a bittersweet rivalry for the sisters. Bit of controversy too, because, you know, they made it to the finals of a much lesser tournament -- I think it was Indian Wells -- and one of them pulled out at the last minute, so people are sort of wondering what might happen.

SAVIDGE: And, of course, each of them wants to win. Yet in a sense, they may not want their sister to lose.

Phil Jones explains.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHIL JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Never were there such devoted sisters -- devoted to tennis, to each other, to their family. But on Saturday night in front of a prime time television audience, Venus and Serena Williams will be on opposite sides of a sporting divide, rivals from inside the same camp, the same home, for one potentially captivating night.

RICHARD WILLIAMS, VENUS AND SERENA'S FATHER: I've been dreaming about this all my life, and when it happened, I wasn't ready again. I mean, they keep catching me off guard. It's just such a thrill, such unbelievable -- something that just happened there.

BILLIE JEAN KING, THREE-TIME U.S. OPEN CHAMP: It's great for the sport because they transcend the sport. It's great for women. It's also great for people of color.

PAM SHRIVER, FORMER PLAYER/TENNIS ANALYST: This is so meaningful. This is a fascinating story of two young girls who grew up in a tough part of L.A. whose mom and dad have been instrumental in taking them in this journey. And, you know, it's -- here it is, it's reality. Richard Williams said at one point it would be, and he's right. VENUS WILLIAMS, TWO-TIME WIMBLEDON CHAMP: When I first heard about the prime time finals, hoping I'd be there, I was going to make it my personal goal, you know, my personal dream to be in the final. And it's happened, and what do you know, there's Serena too.

JONES: It's a first in modern grand slam history. But just how gripping is the great imponderable. Their only previous encounter in a slam was in last year's Wimbledon semifinal, a scrappy affair, almost uncomfortable to watch at times, that ended in tears for Serena and led to allegations by a U.S. tabloid that the match was fixed.

Quite the contrary, say family friends. Serena's downfall had more to do with the psychological pressure of taking on Big Sis.

KING: I don't know how they do it. I think it's very difficult. So they really have to not think about who they're playing and just play the ball and just stay within themselves and not to go on the other side of the net mentally or emotionally. They've got to really stay on their side of the net.

SERENA WILLIAMS, 1999 U.S. OPEN CHAMP: I won't have any problem, because this is the U.S. Open. And if you ever noticed, the winner gets, you know, $850,000. And, you know, so I won't have any problem going out there and trying to win.

JONES: But questions about just that -- trying to win when facing each other -- resurfaced at Indian Wells this year. Venus pulled out of a semi with Serena minutes before the start because of injury. The crowd let the family know how they felt with resounding boos as Serena went on to take the title.

But they prefer not to think of this U.S. Open final as a chance for vindication.

ORACENE WILLIAMS, VENUS AND SERENA'S MOTHER: I don't know about vindication, it's just something that we hoped would happen in the future, and something that you work hard towards, and then you bless that it has come to pass. So I don't think it's anything that had to do with vindication at all.

SERENA WILLIAMS: There's really nothing to prove. People are going to believe what they want to believe anyway. But the bottom line is, we're both competitors. We both want to compete. And we both want to be number one, and we both want to be the best that we can.

VENUS WILLIAMS: Definitely, I'm still trying to take the title home. And I know that she won't be giving up anything tomorrow too. It's been, like, two years for her since she's won, and it's been a year for me since I won here too.

JONES: Whether or not the Williams sisters' tennis does the talking or even some redeeming for them on Saturday night, there's no question this is an extraordinary match of phenomenal talents, both of whom want to head home as U.S. Open champion.

RICHARD WILLIAMS: I'll tell you exactly which one (inaudible) if you want to know. One of the Williams sisters.

JONES (on camera): Richard William said he couldn't bear to watch his daughters play each other in the Wimbledon semifinals last year, and he told us he won't be watching Saturday night's final either, saying it's like seeing his kids fight.

From the U.S. Open in Flushing Meadows, I'm Phil Jones.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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