The Williams sisters play in opposite brackets of the Wimbledon semifinals today, heavily favored to advance.
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And perhaps the greatest irony in sport will continue. How two players so successful, so historic, with such an amazing story, could be labeled so disappointing.
Serena Williams has won eight major titles and Venus Williams has won six, yet they haven't won enough to appease the critics who hold them to a Tiger Woods standard.
Two problems with the Tiger standard. 1. He's Tiger Woods; who can win at that rate? 2. The Williams sisters biggest problem has not been their wacky father or their drift away from tennis interest. Their chief impediment has been each other.
Venus has lost five times to Serena in major finals. If her sister wasn't so danged good, Venus would have 11 majors and be considered in the same class with Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.
Give Tiger Woods a brother one year younger, and would he have 14 major golf titles? Probably yes. Which makes the Williams story so much more novel.
Two girls who grew up in the same house, raised not in the country club setting that produces virtually every American champion but on the public courts of Compton, Calif., became the greatest women's tennis players of this decade.
They are to be celebrated, not denounced for failing to win even more than they have.
Serena's eight majors put her in stout company. Here are the players with more major titles: Margaret Court 24, Steffi Graf 22, Helen Willis Moody 19, Chrissy 18, Martina 18, Billie Jean King 12, Suzanne Lenglen 12, Maureen Connolly nine and Monica Seles nine.
Serena joins that top 10 with a title Saturday, and if she doesn't win, Venus can close in on Serena.
They are the rarest of American athletes. The underhyped superstar.
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I am, and if this was the seventh grade you'd have to go home early because of the bruise on your eye, and your bad attitude.
Serena left, and Venus Williams have been each other's worst enemies during their tennis careers. Associated press
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