Serena Beats Venus In U.S. Open Match

In Tuesday night's U.S. Open women's quarterfinal match, Serena Williams faced off against her sister Venus as she sought to capture her fourth Grand Slam title this year. In a match-up that marked the 27th time the sisters have competed against one another in a tournament, Serena Williams won the match over her sister Venus. The two know each other's games so well that watching them play is always thrilling, regardless of who wins. But on Tuesday, both were in peak form, with Serena coming out triumphant, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3. The win means that she can advance toward the goal of winning all four Grand Slam titles in a calendar year, as she moves on to the semi-finals.

The match was a close one, which is no surprise given that the sisters have been training and playing with one another for practically their whole lives, and have both been extremely successful in their pro tennis careers. While the two are personally very supportive of one another, they are fiercely competitive when they play each other on the court. The Williams' record against one another before Tuesday's quarter-final was 15 wins for Serena and 11 for Venus, with eight of Serena's wins coming from Grand Slam titles, and five of the same for Venus. Serena began dominating their face-offs in 2002 and 2003, when Serena won four Grand Slam titles in a row, all with final matches against her sister.

There's no denying that both sisters are hugely talented, and either is deserving of another win at the U.S. Open. As a fan of both sisters, I'm excited to see Serena continue on in the tournament. The calendar Grand Slam triumph would be a wonderful moment for the Williams family (Serena, in particular, of course), and will also be a huge event in tennis. The four wins in a single year has not occurred in 27 years, and was not accomplished by a woman until 1953. Serena is currently ranks in third-place for all-time Grand Slam tournament wins at 21, and two more victories in this U.S. Open will tie her for second all-time with legendary player Steffi Graf.

We can all be assured that Venus will be there in the stands, proudly cheering for her sister as she seeks yet another Grand Slam title. Serena's upcoming semifinal match is scheduled for Thursday night, at 7:00 p.m. ET.