INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Venus Williams has defeated younger sister Serena 6-3, 6-4 in the third round of the BNP Paribas Open, her first win in the sibling rivalry since 2014.
It was the sisters' earliest meeting since a 17-year-old Venus beat 16-year-old Serena in the second round of the 1998 Australian Open. They played Monday night for the first time since last year's Australian Open final, when a pregnant Serena won her 23rd Grand Slam title.
Venus closed out the 1 ½-hour match on her second match point when Serena's forehand service return sailed long. It was one of Serena's 41 unforced errors, including 17 on the forehand side.
Serena still owns a 17-12 advantage overall, although Venus evened their WTA Tour head-to-head meetings at 7-7.